Plerixafor

Plerixafor is a small-molecule inhibitor of C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) that acts as a hematopoietic stem cell mobilizer. It is used to stimulate the release of stem cells from the bone marrow into the blood in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and multiple myeloma to stimulate their immune system. These stem cells are then collected and used in autologous stem cell transplantation to replace blood-forming cells destroyed by chemotherapy.

As an inhibitor of CXCR4, plerixafor blocks the binding of its ligand, stromal cell-derived factor-1-alpha (SDF-1α). Since CXCR4 and SDF-1α are involved in the trafficking and homing of CD34+ cells to the marrow compartment, blocking this interaction leads to an increase in CD34+ cell circulating levels. Compared to placebo with G-CSF, the plerixafor and G-CSF mobilization regimen has a higher probability of achieving the optimal CD34+ cell target for tandem transplantation in fewer apheresis procedures.

Plerixafor has orphan drug status in the United States and European Union and was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on December 15, 2008.

Plerixafor is indicated in combination with granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) to mobilize hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) to the peripheral blood for collection and subsequent autologous transplantation in patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma or multiple myeloma.