Puri-Nethol

Country: Australia

Language: English

Source: Department of Health (Therapeutic Goods Administration)

Active ingredient:

Mercaptopurine

Available from:

Aspen Pharmacare Australia Pty Ltd

Class:

Medicine Registered

Patient Information leaflet

PURI-NETHOL
®

_mercaptopurine 50mg tablets_
CONSUMER MEDICINE INFORMATION (CMI)

WHAT IS IN THIS LEAFLET
This leaflet answers some common
questions about PURI-NETHOL. It
does not contain all of the available
information. It does not take the
place of talking to your doctor or
pharmacist.
All medicines have risks and
benefits. Your doctor has weighed
the risks of you taking PURI-
NETHOL against the benefits they
expect it will have for you.
IF YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT
TAKING THIS MEDICINE, ASK YOUR
DOCTOR OR PHARMACIST.
KEEP THIS LEAFLET WITH THE MEDICINE.
You may need to read it again.
WHAT PURI-NETHOL IS
USED FOR
PURI-NETHOL contains
mercaptopurine as the active
ingredient. It belongs to a group of
medicines called cytotoxics.
PURI-NETHOL is used solely or in
combination with other medicines to
treat acute leukaemia, a cancer of
certain blood cells.
It works by interfering with the
growth of cancer cells.
ASK YOUR DOCTOR IF YOU HAVE ANY
QUESTIONS ABOUT WHY PURI-
NETHOL HAS BEEN PRESCRIBED FOR
YOU.
Your doctor may have prescribed it
for another purpose.
This medicine is only available with
a doctor's prescription.
There is no evidence that it is
addictive.
BEFORE YOU TAKE IT
_WHEN YOU MUST NOT TAKE IT_
DO NOT TAKE PURI-NETHOL IF YOU
HAVE EVER HAD AN ALLERGIC REACTION
TO:
•
mercaptopurine
•
any of the tablet ingredients listed
at the end of this leaflet.
Symptoms of an allergic reaction
may include shortness of breath,
wheezing or difficulty in breathing;
swelling of the face, lips, tongue or
any other parts of the body; rash,
itching or hives on the skin.
DO NOT TAKE PURI-NETHOL IF YOU
ARE PLANNING TO BECOME PREGNANT
OR FATHER A CHILD UNLESS YOU AND
YOUR DOCTOR HAVE DISCUSSED THE
RISKS AND BENEFITS INVOLVED.
As with all cytotoxic drugs, PURI -
NETHOL may harm eggs and sperm.
Reliable contraceptive methods must
be taken to avoid pregnancy whilst
you or your partner is taking this
medicine.
DO NOT TAKE PURI-NETHOL IF YOU
ARE PREGNANT UNLESS YOU AND YOUR
DOCTOR HAVE DISCUSSED THE RISKS AND
BEN

Summary of Product characteristics

 
PURI-NETHOL TABLETS – Product Information 

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PRODUCT INFORMATION 

PURI-NETHOL
®
 TABLETS 

NAME OF THE MEDICINE: 

PURI-NETHOL tablets contain 50 mg mercaptopurine. 

The chemical name (CAS) of mercaptopurine
is 6_H_-Purine-6-thione, 1,7-dihydro-, 
monohydrate, it has a relative
molecular mass of 170.2, its molecular formula is 
C
5
H
4
N
4
S
⋅H
2
O, CAS No.: 6112-76-1 (monohydrate) and the chemical structure
is: 

N
H
N
N
N
SH
H
2
O

DESCRIPTION: 

Mercaptopurine
is odourless or practically odourless, yellow crystalline
powder, with a 
solubility of 0.26 mg/mL in water at 37
°C. Each PURI-NETHOL tablet also contains lactose, 
starch-maize, starch-hydrolysed maize, magnesium stearate and
stearic acid. 

PHARMACOLOGY: 

Mercaptopurine is an analogue of adenine, one of the
bases required for nucleic acid 
biosynthesis, and of the purine base hypoxanthine. Hence PURI-NETHOL acts as an 
antimetabolite and interferes with the synthesis of nucleic acids in proliferating cells. Its 
metabolites are also pharmacologically active. 

PHARMACOKINETICS:   
Absorption of an oral dose of PURI-NETHOL is incomplete and variable averaging about 50% 
of the administered dose. The half-life of mercaptopurine in the
circulation is of the order of 
90 minutes. It is extensively metabolised and excreted via the
kidneys and the active 
metabolites have a
longer half-life than the parent drug. Mercaptopurine has pKa’s of 7.7 and 
11. 

INDICATIONS: 

Treatment of acute leukaemia. It is of value in remission induction and is particularly indicated 
for maintenance therapy in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and acute
myelogenous 
leukaemia.  

PURI-NETHOL is also used in the
treatment of chronic granulocytic leukaemia. 

PURI-NETHOL TABLETS – Product Information 

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