Heparin and Dextrose and Toremifene Citrate

• Generic Name: heparin
• Dosage Forms: injection, solution
• Other Brand Names:

  Hep-Pak, Heparin Lock flush, Hep-Pak CVC, Hep-Lock, Heparin Sodium ADD-Vantage, HepFlush

Heparin is an anticoagulant (blood thinner) that prevents the formation of blood clots.

Heparin is used to treat and prevent blood clots caused by certain medical conditions or medical procedures. It is also used before surgery to reduce the risk of blood clots.

Do not use heparin injection to flush (clean out) an intravenous (IV) catheter. A separate product is available to use as catheter lock flush. Using the wrong type of heparin to flush a catheter can result in fatal bleeding.

• Generic Name: toremifene
• Dosage Forms: n.a.
• Other Brand Names: Fareston

Palliative treatment of metastatic breast cancer in postmenopausal women with estrogen-receptor positive or estrogen-receptor unknown tumors (designated an orphan drug by FDA for this use). Not recommended for treatment of estrogen-receptor negative breast tumors. Similar efficacy and toxicity as tamoxifen. Not known whether toremifene offers a therapeutic advantage over tamoxifen for the treatment of advanced breast cancer in eligible patients.

Under investigation for use as adjuvant therapy for early-stage breast cancer in node-positive postmenopausal women. Results from trials to date suggest similar efficacy and toxicity as tamoxifen.

Efficacy in treatment of advanced breast cancer in men not demonstrated.

Because of demonstrated cross-resistance with tamoxifen, usefulness of toremifene as second-line endocrine therapy for treatment of metastatic breast cancer refractory to tamoxifen appears to be limited.

Under investigation as a preventive agent for prostate cancer in men with high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and no evidence of prostate cancer.