A Clinical Trial of Pipobroman [N, N'-bis-(3-bromopropionyl) piperazine] in Eight Patients with Polycythemia Vera

Abstract

Pipobroman [N, N'-bis-(3-bromopropionyl) piperazine] was orally administered to 8 patients with polycythemia vera once a day for 7 to 71 weeks. Firstly, 0.5 mg/kg/day of Pipobroman were administered to 3 cases, 1.0 mg/kg/day to 4 and 1.5 mg/kg/day to one.
Complete remission was observed in 3 cases of them, the partial remission in 2 and the hematological improvement in one case. One of two remainders did not respond well to Pipobroman, possibly due to the insufficient period of treatment, while the other develeoped hypoplastic anemia, in whom the dose had been increased up to 2.5 mg/kg/day in order to get the further effect on the clinical and hematological state. For one relapsed case, 0.5 mg/kg/day was administered with partial remission. Another one case with the maintainance dose of 0.38 mg/kg/day has been administered up to now for about 71 weeks, holding the complete remisson for these 6 months.
Slight degree of leukopenia was observed in some of the patients. However, no serious side-effects were not recognized.
From these results, it is concluded that the effect of Pipobroman on polycythemia vera is able to be expected as same as that of Myleran. As to the dose of Pipobroman, 0.5 mg/kg/day should be administered firstly, thereafter, if necessary, 0.25 mg/kg/day could be added to the initial dose. Further, 0.1-0.5 mg/kg/day would be favourably recommended as a maintainance dose in order to prevent the relapse and hold the remission as long as possible.