Health Care Knowledge

  Pegaspargase is a converted version of the enzyme known as asparaginase. The active substance is specifically a covalent conjugate of E. coli or Escherichia coli extracted asparaginase with mPEG using a succinimidyl-succinate linker. One ml of solution typically contains 750 units (U) of pegaspargase; one unit is defined as the quantity of enzyme needed to liberate 1 µmol ammonia per minute at pH 7.3 and 37 °C. A single vial of 5 ml solution contains 3,750 U. U.S. FDA-Approved Indications: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL): The pegaspargase injection is used as a component of a multi-agent chemotherapeutic regimen for the first-line treatment of pediatric and adult patients with ALL.  Pegaspargase is used as a component of a multi-agent chemotherapeutic regimen to treat pediatric and adults with ALL and hypersensitivity to native forms of L-asparaginase. Pegaspargase is supplied as Oncaspar and is a conjugate of mPEG and L-asparagine amidohydrolase, an asparagine-specific enzyme.