Phase I and pharmacokinetic study of menogaril administered as a 72-hour continuous i.v. infusion.

Menogaril is a new anthracycline analog of nogalamycin. When administered as a 72-hour continuous iv infusion the dose-limiting toxic effect of menogaril was venous irritation at dose levels that cause only mild leukopenia and minimal gastrointestinal toxicity. Pharmacokinetic studies showed that the rise in plasma concentration during infusion was first-order, with a half-life of 11.9 hours. Total-body clearance of menogaril was 204 ml/minute/m2. There were no detectable metabolites of menogaril in plasma. Urinary excretion of unchanged menogaril was 17.3% of the dose and N-demethylmenogaril was 0.5% over 72 hours. Since menogaril does not appear to be metabolized, a high degree of tissue binding is likely.