Susanne Liewer, PharmD, BCOP

Bendamustine is an active chemotherapy agent that has been studied for many years in a variety of malignancies; however, it has only been approved for use in the United States since 2008.1 Structurally, bendamustine shares similarities with both purine analogs and alkylating agents.

Bendamustine has demonstrated activity as monotherapy and in combination for patients with lymphoid and hematologic as well as solid tumors.

Bendamustine is an active chemotherapy agent approved by the FDA for the treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and for specific populations of patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).

Bendamustine is an active chemotherapy agent approved by the FDA for the treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and for specific populations of patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).

Since the approval of bendamustine, healthcare practitioners have additional treatment options available to patients with specific hematologic malignancies. In the United States, bendamustine was approved for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) who had progressed within 6 months of receiving rituximab-containing regimens.