science

Vosaroxin

Vosaroxin is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Vosaroxin rather than just read about it. In short: Vosaroxin (AG-7352, SPC-595, SNS 595, voreloxin) is a topoisomerase II inhibitor causing site-selective DNA damage. It is under phase III clinical trial investigation for acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and ovarian cancer sponsored by Sunesis.

Key takeaways

Vosaroxin belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Vosaroxin to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Vosaroxin from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Vosaroxin (AG-7352, SPC-595, SNS 595, voreloxin) is a topoisomerase II inhibitor causing site-selective DNA damage. It is under phase III clinical trial investigation for acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and ovarian cancer sponsored by Sunesis.

Mechanism of action Vosaroxin is a naphthyridine analog of the anticancer quinolone derivatives (AQDs), a class of compounds that has not been used previously for the treatment of cancer. Topoisomerase II enzymes are essential for the survival of eukaryotic cells. Vosaroxin hinders the reunion of topoisomerase II-induced double-strand breaks at selective sites in DNA, resulting in G2 arrest and cell death by apoptosis.

Medical uses Vosaroxin has been investigated primarily for the treatment of relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Phase I/II studies suggested antileukemic activity and manageable toxicity, and the phase III VALOR trial evaluated vosaroxin plus cytarabine versus placebo plus cytarabine in adults with relapsed/refractory AML.

Clinical trials In the VALOR study, vosaroxin combined with cytarabine did not significantly improve overall survival in the full study population compared with placebo plus cytarabine. However, pre-specified subgroup analyses (such as patients aged ≥60 years or those with early relapse) showed trends toward improved outcomes, including higher complete remission rates.

Pharmacokinetics Phase I pharmacokinetic studies demonstrated linear pharmacokinetics across the investigated dose range (9–90 mg/m2). Vosaroxin shows a mean terminal half-life of approximately 24–25 hours, predominantly non-renal clearance, and a volume of distribution consistent with extensive tissue penetration. Co-administration with cytarabine does not significantly alter vosaroxin pharmacokinetics.

Adverse effects The most common adverse events reported include myelosuppression (neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and anemia) and infections or fever associated with neutropenia. In combination studies with cytarabine, higher rates of febrile neutropenia, mucositis, and stomatitis were observed compared with cytarabine alone. Severe non-hematologic toxicities were relatively uncommon, and clinically meaningful QT prolongation was rare in published data.

Chemistry Vosaroxin (also known as voreloxin, AG-7352, and SNS-595) is a small-molecule anticancer agent with the molecular formula C18H19N5O4S. It is a quinolone-derived naphthyridine analog structurally distinct from anthracyclines, but produces double-strand DNA breaks through topoisomerase II inhibition. Key identifiers include PubChem CID 9952884 and InChIKey XZAFZXJXZHRNAQ-STQMWFEESA-N.

History Vosaroxin was developed by Sunesis Pharmaceuticals (initially known as voreloxin/SNS-595). The clinical development program included multiple phase I and II studies and culminated in the phase III VALOR trial in relapsed/refractory AML. Although signals of efficacy were observed in specific patient subgroups, results from the overall study population did not lead to regulatory approval, and ongoing interest has focused on biomarker-defined subsets.

Research directions Preclinical studies and reviews suggest potential activity of vosaroxin in models resistant to anthracyclines, partly due to differences in P-glycoprotein efflux and DNA damage mechanisms. Investigations continue into biomarkers of response, such as DNA damage–repair pathways, and whether specific AML subgroups may benefit in future studies.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Vosaroxin

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Vosaroxin claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Vosaroxin before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Vosaroxin ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Vosaroxin

In research: Vosaroxin appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Vosaroxin in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Vosaroxin is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Antineoplastic and immunomodulating drug stubs, Topoisomerase inhibitors, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Vosaroxin outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Vosaroxin in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Vosaroxin means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Vosaroxin out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Vosaroxin in simple terms?

Why does Vosaroxin matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Vosaroxin?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Vosaroxin.