Atriance – Nelarabine Injection

Atriance is a cancer medicine that contains the active substance nelarabine. It is available as a solution for infusion (drip) into a vein. What is Atriance used for? Atriance is used to treat patients with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL) or T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL). These are types of cancer where T-lymphoblasts (a type of immature white blood cell) multiply too quickly. In T-ALL the abnormal cells are mainly in the blood and bone marrow, and in T-LBL they are mainly in the lymphatic system (lymph nodes or thymus gland). Atriance is used when the cancer has not to responded to, or has stopped responding to, at least two types of chemotherapy. Because the number of patients with these diseases is low, the diseases are considered ‘rare’, and Atriance was designated an ‘orphan medicine’ (a medicine used in rare diseases) on 16 June 2005. The medicine can only be obtained with a prescription.