# Teniposide

Source: https://onco.cc/drugs/teniposide/  
OnCo record `teniposide` (Treatment). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Teniposide is a close relative of etoposide approved in the United States in 1992 for children whose acute lymphoblastic leukaemia has come back after induction, and used in Europe for childhood brain tumours and neuroblastoma.

## Summary

Teniposide was synthesised alongside etoposide at Sandoz in the 1960s and is roughly ten times more potent in vitro. The FDA approved it in 1992, in combination with other agents, for induction in children with refractory acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, based on Children's Cancer Group and St Jude experience. It has been used in Europe in neuroblastoma, small cell lung cancer and lymphomas. Hypersensitivity reactions to its polysorbate vehicle and the class risk of secondary acute myeloid leukaemia limited it, and etoposide became the standard podophyllotoxin. Bristol-Myers Squibb discontinued Vumon in most markets.

## Fields

- Kind: Treatment
- Status: established
- Last checked: 2026-09-08
- Also known as: VM-26
- Tags: gap-fill; chembl-universe
- Brand: Vumon
- Modality: Podophyllotoxin topoisomerase II inhibitor, intravenous
- Mechanism: Stabilises the complex between topoisomerase II and DNA so the double-strand breaks the enzyme makes are not resealed.
- Approvals: US 1992: Refractory childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, in combination induction

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teniposide
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teniposide
- ChEMBL CHEMBL1200604: https://www.ebi.ac.uk/chembl/explore/compound/CHEMBL1200604

## Connected records

- cancers: [Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia](https://onco.cc/cancers/all-leukemia/), [Neuroblastoma (paediatric)](https://onco.cc/cancers/neuroblastoma/)
- technologies: [Cytotoxic chemotherapy](https://onco.cc/technologies/cytotoxic-chemotherapy/)
- targets: [Topoisomerase II alpha (TOP2A)](https://onco.cc/targets/top2a/)
- drugs: [Etoposide](https://onco.cc/drugs/etoposide/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/teniposide.json