Etoposide
Etoposide is a chemotherapy from the mayapple plant, essential to curing testicular cancer (BEP), treating small-cell lung cancer, lymphomas, childhood sarcomas and leukaemias, and used in transplant conditioning.
Approved 1983. BEP/EP (germ cell), platinum-etoposide (SCLC, neuroendocrine carcinoma), VDC/IE (Ewing), ICE/DHAP salvage (lymphoma), EPOCH, HLH and Wilms/neuroblastoma regimens, EMA-CO (GTN), oral etoposide palliation, high-dose conditioning (BEAM). Secondary AML with 11q23 (KMT2A) rearrangement is a recognised late effect.
- Medicare
- Part B or Part D
Oral anticancer drug with an injectable equivalent used for the same indication, so Medicare covers the oral form under Part B (the oral anticancer drug benefit) as well as under Part D; the pharmacy bills whichever applies. IV etoposide is Part B.
- Commercial insurance
- covered on label
Multi-source generic; covered under the medical benefit without prior authorisation in most plans, as part of standard regimens.
Sources: Medicare.gov: Chemotherapy · Medicare.gov: Prescription drugs (outpatient, Part B) · Medicare.gov: Drug coverage (Part D) · Medicare.gov: Costs for Medicare drug coverage (annual out-of-pocket cap). Not medical or financial advice; verify with your plan.
- Notes
- Long-established generic: never subject to a technology appraisal; funded routinely through hospital formularies and NHS England systemic anti-cancer therapy protocols.
- NHS England
- Routinely funded for the appraised indication (or via managed access)
Sources: NICE search: etoposide. Funding decisions are indication-specific and change monthly; verify with NICE and your treating team.
Approvals
| Region | Year | Indication |
|---|---|---|
| US | 1983 | Refractory testicular tumours; small-cell lung cancer (1986) |
Trials
topRecruiting now (live from ClinicalTrials.gov)
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Latest papers
topQuery for this drug: (TITLE:"Etoposide" OR ABSTRACT:"Etoposide" OR TITLE:"VePesid" OR ABSTRACT:"VePesid" OR TITLE:"Etopophos" OR ABSTRACT:"Etopophos" OR TITLE:"Toposar" OR ABSTRACT:"Toposar") AND (cancer OR tumor OR tumour OR oncology OR carcinoma OR lymphoma OR leukemia OR leukaemia OR myeloma OR sarcoma OR melanoma OR glioma). Results are unfiltered search hits about Etoposide, not a curated reading list.