CHEBI:60773 - porfimer sodium

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ChEBI Name porfimer sodium
ChEBI ID CHEBI:60773
Definition The sodium salt of porfimer. The purified component of haematoporphyrin derivative, it consists of a mixture of oligomeric porphyrins formed by ether and ester linkages of up to eight porphyrin units (n = 0-6), where R = CH(OH)Me and/or CH=CH2. After addition of hydrochloric acid and/or sodium hydroxide to pH 7.2 - 7.9, it is used as a photosensitiser in photodynamic therapy of non-small cell lung cancer, oesophageal cancer, and superficial bladder cancer. The drug is administered by slow intravenous injection and accumulates in malignant tissue. After 40-50 hours, it is activated by laser light at 630 nm, delivered to the tumour using a fibre optic guide. Subsequent spin transfer to oxygen molecules within the tissue, generates highly reactive singlet oxygen, and subsequent radical reactions generate superoxide and hydroxyl radicals. Propagation of radical reactions ultimately kills the tumour cells.
Stars This entity has been manually annotated by the ChEBI Team.
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Formula (C32H32N4O4R)0-6.C64H64N8Na5O9R2
Net Charge 0
Average Mass 0.0
Monoisotopic Mass 0.0
Roles Classification
Biological Role(s): antiviral agent
A substance that destroys or inhibits replication of viruses.
Application(s): dermatologic drug
A drug used to treat or prevent skin disorders or for the routine care of skin.
antineoplastic agent
A substance that inhibits or prevents the proliferation of neoplasms.
photosensitizing agent
A chemical compound that can be excited by light of a specific wavelength and subsequently transfer energy to a chosen reactant. This is commonly molecular oxygen within a cancer tissue, which is converted to (highly rective) singlet state oxygen. This rapidly reacts with any nearby biomolecules, ultimately killing the cancer cells.
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ChEBI Ontology
Outgoing porfimer sodium (CHEBI:60773) has part porfimer anion (CHEBI:60774)
porfimer sodium (CHEBI:60773) has role antineoplastic agent (CHEBI:35610)
porfimer sodium (CHEBI:60773) has role antiviral agent (CHEBI:22587)
porfimer sodium (CHEBI:60773) has role dermatologic drug (CHEBI:50177)
porfimer sodium (CHEBI:60773) has role photosensitizing agent (CHEBI:47868)
porfimer sodium (CHEBI:60773) is a organic sodium salt (CHEBI:38700)
INNs Sources
porfimer sodico ChemIDplus
porfimer sodium ChemIDplus
porfimere sodique ChemIDplus
porfimerum natricum ChemIDplus
Brand Name Source
Photofrin ChemIDplus
Manual Xref Database
DB00707 DrugBank
View more database links
Registry Numbers Types Sources
8537222 Reaxys Registry Number Reaxys
87806-31-3 CAS Registry Number ChemIDplus
Last Modified
21 March 2019
General Comment
2010-12-03 Porfimer sodium is a mixture of oligomers formed by ether and ester linkages of up to eight porphyrin units (n = 0-6), where R = CH(OH)Me and/or CH=CH2.