Difference Between Lenalidomide and Thalidomide

The key difference between lenalidomide and thalidomide is that lenalidomide is comparatively more potent and less toxic than thalidomide.

Both lenalidomide and thalidomide are medications useful in cancer treatments. Both these drugs are used mainly for patients with multiple myeloma cancer disease.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Lenalidomide 
3. What is Thalidomide
4. Side by Side Comparison – Lenalidomide vs Thalidomide in Tabular Form
5. Summary

What is Lenalidomide?

Lenalidomide is a medication used to treat cancers such as multiple myeloma and myelodysplastic syndrome. Generally, this medication is used along with dexamethasone and it is administrated orally in the form of capsules. The most common trade name of lenalidomide is Revlimid. This drug is excreted from the kidney.

The chemical formula of lenalidomide is C₁₃H₁₃N₃O₃. The molar mass of this compound is 259.26 g/mol. It occurs as a racemic mixture because this compound is a chiral compound and has two isomers which are non-superposable mirror images of each other.

When considering the medical uses of lenalidomide, it is mainly used to treat multiple myeloma (MM). This medicine is comparatively more potent compared to thalidomide, another medication used to treat multiple myeloma. In addition, this drug is important in treating myelodysplastic syndrome, and mantle cell lymphoma.

However, there are some adverse side effects of this drug as well. For example, diarrhoea, itchiness, joint pain, fever, headache, etc. can be observed as mild effects while thrombosis, pulmonary embolus, hepatotoxicity, etc. are observed as adverse effects.

What is Thalidomide?

Thalidomide is a medication used to treat multiple myeloma, graft-versus-host disease, leprosy, etc. The most common trade name of this drug is Thalomid. It is administrated orally (by mouth) as capsules.

The chemical formula of thalidomide is C₁₃H₁₀N₂O₄. The molar mass of this compound is 258.22 g/mol. It occurs in the form of a racemic mixture containing non-superposable mirror images of each other.

When considering the medical uses of thalidomide, it is important in treating acute episodes of erythema nodosum leprosum, multiple myeloma (MM), graft-versus-host disease, epidermolysis bullosa, etc.

However, there are some side effects of this drug as well. For common side effects, some examples include sleepiness, rash, and dizziness. There are some adverse effects as well. e.g. cause birth defects, excessive blood clots formation, cardiovascular effects, liver damage, etc.

What is the Difference Between Lenalidomide and Thalidomide?

Lenalidomide and thalidomide are medications used for the treatment of cancers such as multiple myeloma. Lenalidomide is a medication used to treat cancers such as multiple myeloma, and myelodysplastic syndrome. Thalidomide is a medication used to treat multiple myeloma, graft-versus-host disease, leprosy, etc. The key difference between lenalidomide and thalidomide is that lenalidomide is comparatively more potent and less toxic than thalidomide.

Moreover, some side effects of lenalidomide include diarrhoea, itchiness, joint pain, fever, headache, etc. while some common side effects of thalidomide include rash, sleepiness, and dizziness.

Below infographic summarizes the difference between lenalidomide and thalidomide.

Summary – Lenalidomide vs Thalidomide

Lenalidomide and thalidomide are medication used for the treatment of cancers such as multiple myeloma. The key difference between lenalidomide and thalidomide is that lenalidomide is comparatively more potent and less toxic than thalidomide.

Reference:

1.“What Is Thalidomide?” Thalidomide, Available here.
2. “Lenalidomide.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Feb. 2020, Available here.
3. Thalidomide.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 4 Mar. 2020, Available here.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Thalidomide enantiomers” By Vaccinationist – Racemic lenalidomide on PubChem(S)-(−)-Lenalidomide on PubChem (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Lenalidomide enantiomers” By Vaccinationist – (R)-(+)-Thalidomide on PubChem(S)-(−)-Thalidomide on PubChem (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia