Generic drug: bendamustine hydrochloride
Brand name: Belrapzo
What is Belrapzo (bendamustine hydrochloride), and how does it work?
Belrapzo (bendamustine hydrochloride) injection is an alkylating drug indicated for treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) that has progressed during or within six months of treatment with rituximab or a rituximab-containing regimen.
What are the side effects of Belrapzo?
Side effects of Belrapzo include:
- nausea,
- fatigue,
- low iron (anemia),
- low platelet count (thrombocytopenia),
- low white blood cells (neutropenia, lymphopenia, leukopenia),
- too much bilirubin in the blood (hyperbilirubinemia),
- fever,
- vomiting
- diarrhea,
- constipation,
- weight loss,
- cough,
- headache,
- shortness of breath,
- rash, and
- inflammation of the mouth and lips
What is the dosage for Belrapzo?
Recommended Dosage
The recommended dose is 100 mg/m2 administered intravenously over 30 minutes on Days 1 and 2 of a 28-day cycle, up to 6 cycles.
Dose Delays, Dose Modifications And Reinitiation Of Therapy For CLL
- Delay Belrapzo administration in the event of Grade 4 hematologic toxicity or clinically significant Grade 2 or greater non-hematologic toxicity. Once nonhematologic toxicity has recovered to less than or equal to Grade 1 and/or the blood counts have improved [Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) ≥ 1 x 109/L, platelets ≥ 75 x 109/L], reinitiate Belrapzo at the discretion of the treating physician. In addition, consider dose reduction.
- Dose modifications for hematologic toxicity: for Grade 3 or greater toxicity, reduce the dose to 50 mg/m2 on Days 1 and 2 of each cycle; if Grade 3 or greater toxicity recurs, reduce the dose to 25 mg/m2 on Days 1 and 2 of each cycle.
- Dose modifications for non-hematologic toxicity: for clinically significant Grade 3 or greater toxicity, reduce the dose to 50 mg/m2 on Days 1 and 2 of each cycle.
- Consider dose re-escalation in subsequent cycles at the discretion of the treating physician.
Dosing Instructions For NHL
Recommended Dosage
The recommended dose is 120 mg/m2 administered intravenously over 60 minutes on Days 1 and 2 of a 21-day cycle, up to 8 cycles.
Dose Delays, Dose Modifications And Reinitiation Of Therapy For NHL
- Delay Belrapzo administration in the event of a Grade 4 hematologic toxicity or clinically significant greater or equal to Grade 2 non-hematologic toxicity. Once non-hematologic toxicity has recovered to ≤ Grade 1 and/or the blood counts have improved [Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) ≥ 1 x 109/L, platelets ≥ 75 x 109/L], reinitiate Belrapzo at the discretion of the treating physician. In addition, consider dose reduction.
- Dose modifications for hematologic toxicity: for Grade 4 toxicity, reduce the dose to 90 mg/m2 on Days 1 and 2 of each cycle; if Grade 4 toxicity recurs, reduce the dose to 60 mg/m2 on Days 1 and 2 of each cycle.
- Dose modifications for non-hematologic toxicity: for Grade 3 or greater toxicity, reduce the dose to 90 mg/m2 on Days 1 and 2 of each cycle; if Grade 3 or greater toxicity recurs, reduce the dose to 60 mg/m2 on Days 1 and 2 of each cycle.

SLIDESHOW
Cancer: Symptoms of Common Cancers in Men See SlideshowWhat drugs interact with Belrapzo?
Effect Of Other Drugs On Belrapzo
CYP1A2 Inhibitors
- The coadministration of Belrapzo with CYP1A2 inhibitors may increase bendamustine plasma concentrations and may result in increased incidence of adverse reactions with Belrapzo.
- Consider alternative therapies that are not CYP1A2 inhibitors during treatment with Belrapzo.
CYP1A2 Inducers
- The coadministration of Belrapzo with CYP1A2 inducers may decrease bendamustine plasma concentrations and may result in decreased efficacy of Belrapzo.
- Consider alternative therapies that are not CYP1A2 inducers during treatment with Belrapzo.
Is Belrapzo safe to use while pregnant or breastfeeding?
- In animal reproduction studies, intraperitoneal administration of bendamustine to pregnant mice and rats during organogenesis at doses 0.6 to 1.8 times the maximum recommended human dose (MRHD) resulted in embryo-fetal and/or infant mortality, structural abnormalities, and alterations to growth.
- There are no available data on bendamustine hydrochloride use in pregnant women to evaluate for a drug-associated risk of major birth defects, miscarriage or adverse maternal or fetal outcomes.
- There are no data on the presence of bendamustine hydrochloride or its metabolites in either human or animal milk, the effects on the breastfed child, or the effects on milk production.
- Because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in the breastfed child, advise patients that breastfeeding is not recommended during treatment with Belrapzo, and for at least 1 week after the last dose.
Summary
Belrapzo (bendamustine hydrochloride) injection is an alkylating drug indicated for treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) that has progressed during or within six months of treatment with rituximab or a rituximab-containing regimen. Side effects of Belrapzo include nausea, fatigue, low iron (anemia), low platelet count (thrombocytopenia), low white blood cells (neutropenia, lymphopenia, leukopenia), too much bilirubin in the blood (hyperbilirubinemia), fever, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, weight loss, cough, headache, shortness of breath, rash, and inflammation of the mouth and lips
Multimedia: Slideshows, Images & Quizzes
-
Cancer: Guide to Leukemia
Learn about the common types and stages of leukemia, who gets it, symptoms, tests, treatments, and more. People with blood cancer...
-
Leukemia Quiz
What do you know about leukemia? Did you know there are different types? What are the symptoms? Take the Leukemia Quiz and test...
Related Disease Conditions
-
Leukemia
Leukemia is a type of cancer of the blood cells in which the growth and development of the blood cells are abnormal. Strictly speaking, leukemia should refer only to cancer of the white blood cells (the leukocytes) but in practice, it can apply to malignancy of any cellular element in the blood or bone marrow, as in red cell leukemia (erythroleukemia).
-
What Is the Life Expectancy of a Person With Leukemia?
Leukemia is a group of cancers of the blood affecting the white blood cells. White blood cells are the infection-fighting cells of the body. In adults, leukemia is most common in people older than 55 years, with the average age of diagnosis being 66 years. It is also one of the most common cancers in children and adults younger than 20 years. The survival rate is higher for younger people.
-
How Does Leukemia Kill?
Leukemia is a cancer of the white blood cells of the bone marrow. Patients with leukemia have an over-production of a particular blood cell type in the body, the white blood cells (cells that fight infection, and provide immunity).
-
Survival Rate for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
The prognosis depends on the type of leukemia, the extent of the disease, age of the patient, and the general condition of the patient. Some patients can go into complete remission. The average five-year survival rate of leukemia is 60-65%.
-
Leukemia: Signs, Symptoms, And Complications
Leukemia results when the genetic material (DNA) of a single cell in the bone marrow transforms, this is called a mutation. A mutated cell does not perform body function, but it eats away the nutrition meant for the normal cells.
-
What Are the Stages of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia?
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. With this type of cancer, the marrow creates too many abnormal lymphocytes. There are five stages of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
Treatment & Diagnosis
- Leukemia FAQs
- Evolution of Treatment for a Rare Type of Leukemia
- Gleevec and Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
- How Familes Cope with a Leukemia Diagnosis
- Coping with a Bad Disease - Community Counts
- A Family's Leukemia Diary - Coping
- Is Multiple Myeloma the Same as Leukemia?
- Does Folic Acid Prevent Leukemia?
- Can Folic Acid Prevent Leukemia?
- Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML)
Medications & Supplements

Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.