Gemcitabine 1g/10ml solution for infusion vials
Requires a prescription from a doctor or prescriber
Gemcitabine is a nucleoside analog and a chemotherapeutic agent.
Official documents, adverse reaction reporting, and safety monitoring
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Official medicine documents
Safety monitoring data
Yellow Card reports
The MHRA Yellow Card scheme collects reports of suspected side effects from healthcare professionals and patients. View the Drug Analysis Profile (iDAP) for real-world adverse reaction data.
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Gemcitabine
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Data from the MHRA Yellow Card scheme. A reported reaction does not necessarily mean the medicine caused it. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
EudraVigilance
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Gemcitabine
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EudraVigilance data is published by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). A suspected adverse reaction is not necessarily caused by the medicine.
1 branded products available
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Gemcitabine 1g/10ml concentrate for solution for infusion vials
Therapeutically similar medicines
Similarity based on WHO Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification and NHS BNF section grouping. Source data: NHS dm+d via TRUD (OGL v3.0), WHO ATC/DDD Index.
NHS prescribing volume and spending trends
Clinical guidelines and formulary information
British National Formulary
Gemcitabine
Source: British National Formulary, NICE. Joint Formulary Committee. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
NICE clinical guidance(14)
Gemcitabine for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer (TA116)
Paclitaxel as albumin-bound nanoparticles with gemcitabine for untreated metastatic pancreatic cancer (TA476)
Durvalumab with gemcitabine and cisplatin for treating unresectable or advanced biliary tract cancer (TA944)
Durvalumab with gemcitabine and cisplatin for neoadjuvant treatment then alone for adjuvant treatment of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (TA1138)
Bevacizumab in combination with gemcitabine and carboplatin for treating the first recurrence of platinum-sensitive advanced ovarian cancer (TA285)
Topotecan, pegylated liposomal doxorubicin hydrochloride, paclitaxel, trabectedin and gemcitabine for treating recurrent ovarian cancer (TA389)
Pegylated liposomal irinotecan for treating pancreatic cancer after gemcitabine (TA440)
Glofitamab with gemcitabine and oxaliplatin for treating relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (TA1113)
Pembrolizumab with gemcitabine and cisplatin for untreated advanced biliary tract cancer (terminated appraisal) (TA966)
Pancreatic cancer in adults: diagnosis and management (NG85)
Bevacizumab with carboplatin, gemcitabine and paclitaxel for treating the first recurrence of platinum-sensitive advanced ovarian cancer (terminated appraisal) (TA560)
Bladder cancer: diagnosis and management (NG2)
Pemetrexed for the first-line treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (TA181)
Necitumumab for untreated advanced or metastatic squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (TA411)
Source: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Check stock at pharmacies and supply information
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Supply & product information
Official product databases and supply status monitoring
Pharmacy links redirect to the retailer's own search and do not represent real-time stock levels. emc (electronic medicines compendium) is operated by Datapharm Ltd. Shortage information sourced from NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service (SPS), sps.nhs.uk.
Codes for healthcare professionals and prescribing systems
These codes are used by healthcare IT systems and prescribers to identify this medicine.
NHS UK identifiers
Browse tools
SNOMED CT and dm+d codes from NHS TRUD (Technology Reference data Update Distribution), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. BNF codes from NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). ATC codes from the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology (whocc.no).
Active and completed clinical studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Data accessed via ClinicalTrials.gov API v2. Trial information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Pharmacology and chemical data from DrugBank
Key facts
Drug status
Approved
Major interactions
None known
Half-life
70 minutes
Mechanism
Gemcitabine is a potent and specific deoxycytidine analog.
Food interactions
None known
Human targets
5 targets
Data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Pharmacokinetics at a glance
Absorption
10 to 40 mg/L
Half-life
70 minutes
Protein binding
10%
[L32960]
Volume of distribution
50 L
Metabolism
Elimination
1000 mg/m
Clearance
70 minutes
[L32960]…
Pharmacokinetic data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Gemcitabine is marketed as Gemzar and it is available as intravenous injection. It is approved by the FDA to treat advanced ovarian cancer in combination with [carboplatin], metastatic breast cancer in combination with [paclitaxel], non-small cell lung cancer in combination with [cisplatin], and pancreatic cancer as monotherapy.[L32950] It is also being investigated in other cancer and tumour types.
- In combination with [carboplatin], it is indicated for the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer that has relapsed at least 6 months after completion of platinum-based therapy.
[L32950]
- Gemcitabine in combination with [paclitaxel] is indicated for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer after failure of prior anthracycline-containing adjuvant chemotherapy, unless anthracyclines were clinically contraindicated.
[L32950]
- In combination with [cisplatin], gemcitabine is indicated for the first-line treatment of patients with inoperable, locally advanced (Stage IIIA or IIIB) or metastatic (Stage IV) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
[L32950]
- Dual therapy with cisplatin is also used to treat patients with Stage IV (locally advanced or metastatic) transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder.
[L32955]
- Gemcitabine is indicated as first-line treatment for patients with locally advanced (nonresectable Stage II or Stage III) or metastatic (Stage IV) adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. Gemcitabine is indicated for patients previously treated with [fluorouracil].
[L32950]
- Intravesical system of gemcitabine is used to treat adults with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-unresponsive, non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) with carcinoma in situ (CIS), with or without papillary tumours.
[L53823]
Known interactions with other medications. Always consult a healthcare professional.
Showing 50 of 1363 interactions
[L33005]
There is no known antidote for gemcitabine overdose. In a dose-escalation study, patients were administered a single dose of gemcitabine as high as 5700 mg/m2 administered by intravenous infusion over 30 minutes every two weeks: main observed toxicities were myelosuppression, paresthesia, and severe rash.
In the event of a suspected drug overdose, blood counts should be monitored, and patients should be provided with supportive therapy, as necessary.
[L32950]
Gemcitabine has self-potentiating pharmacological actions that can increase the probability of successful incorporation of gemcitabine triphosphate into the DNA chain: dFdCDP inhibits ribonucleotide reductase, an enzyme responsible for catalyzing the reactions that generate dCTP for DNA synthesis. Since dFdCDP reduces the levels of dCTP, there is less competition for gemcitabine triphosphate for incorporation into DNA.[A233140][L32950] Gemcitabine can also reduce metabolism and elimination of active metabolites from the target ce1l, prolonging high intracellular concentrations of the active metabolites. Such self-potentiating effects are not present with [cytarabine].[A233140]
Gemcitabine causes dose-limiting myelosuppression, such as anemia, leukopenia, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia; however, events leading to discontinuation tend to occur less than 1% of the patients. Gemcitabine can elevate ALT, AST and alkaline phosphatase levels.[A233145]
How the body processes this drug — absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination
In one study, the Cmax of gemcitabine triphosphate in peripheral blood mononuclear cells occurred within 30 minutes of the end of the infusion period and increased increased proportionally with gemcitabine doses of up to 350 mg/m2.
[A233140]
[L32960]
Females tend to have longer half-lives than male patients. Gemcitabine triphosphate, the active metabolite of gemcitabine, can accumulate in circulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
The terminal half-life of gemcitabine triphosphate, the active metabolite, from mononuclear cells ranges from 1.7 to 19.4 hours.
[L32950]
[L32960]
[L32950]
Gemcitabine triphosphate, the active metabolite of gemcitabine, accumulates and retains in solid tumour cells in vitro and in vivo.
It is not extensively distributed to tissues after short infusions that last less than 70 minutes.
[A233140]
It is not known whether gemcitabine crosses the blood-brain barrier, but gemcitabine is widely distributed into tissues, including ascitic fluid.
[L32960]
In rats, placental and lacteal transfer occurred rapidly at five to 15 minutes following drug administration.
[A233135]
[A233145]
Gemcitabine is also deaminated intracellularly and extracellularly by cytidine deaminase to its inactive metabolite 2′,2′-difluorodeoxyuridine or 2´-deoxy-2´,2´-difluorouridine (dFdU). Deamination occurs in the blood, liver, kidneys, and other tissues,[A233135] and this metabolic pathway accounts for most of drug clearance.
[A233145][L32960]
[L32950]
Monophosphate, diphosphate, or triphosphate metabolites of gemcitabine are not detectable in urine. In a single-dose study, about 1% of the administered dose was recovered in the feces.
[A233135]
[L32960]
Clearance decreases with age. Females have about 30% lower clearance than male patients.
[L32950]
Proteins and enzymes this drug interacts with in the body
Also displays broad nucleoside diphosphate kinase activity
Enzymes involved in drug metabolism — important for understanding drug interactions
Proteins that transport this drug across cell membranes
PMID:2897240 PMID:35970996 PMID:8898203 PMID:9038218 PMID:35507548
Catalyzes the flop of phospholipids from the cytoplasmic to the exoplasmic leaflet of the apical membrane. Participates mainly to the flop of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, beta-D-glucosylceramides and sphingomyelins .
PMID:8898203
Energy-dependent efflux pump responsible for decreased drug accumulation in multidrug-resistant cells PMID:2897240 PMID:35970996 PMID:9038218
PMID:12527806 PMID:15256465
May contribute to regulate the transport of organic compounds in testes across the blood-testis-barrier (Probable). Mediates multidrug resistance (MDR) in cancer cells by preventing the intracellular accumulation of certain antitumor drugs, such as, docetaxel and paclitaxel .
PMID:15256465 PMID:23087055
Does not transport glycocholic acid, taurocholic acid, MTX, folic acid, cAMP, or cGMP PMID:12527806
PMID:10722669 PMID:10755314 PMID:12527552 PMID:14759222 PMID:15037197 PMID:17379602 PMID:21795683 PMID:26406980 PMID:27995448 PMID:35790189 PMID:8986748
Functions as a Na(+)-independent transporter .
PMID:8986748
Involved in the transport of nucleosides such as adenosine, guanosine, inosine, uridine, thymidine and cytidine .
PMID:10722669 PMID:10755314 PMID:12527552 PMID:14759222 PMID:15037197 PMID:17379602 PMID:26406980 PMID:8986748
Also transports purine nucleobases (hypoxanthine, adenine, guanine) and pyrimidine nucleobases (thymine, uracil) .
PMID:21795683 PMID:27995448
Mediates basolateral nucleoside uptake into Sertoli cells, thereby regulating the transport of nucleosides in testis across the blood-testis barrier (By similarity). Regulates inosine levels in brown adipocytes tissues (BAT) and extracellular inosine levels, which controls BAT-dependent energy expenditure PMID:35790189
PMID:10455109 PMID:14701834 PMID:15194733 PMID:21795683 PMID:21998139 PMID:30658162 PMID:32126230 PMID:9124315
Involved in renal nucleoside (re)absorption PMID:30658162
PMID:10722669 PMID:12527552 PMID:12590919 PMID:16214850 PMID:21795683 PMID:9396714 PMID:9478986
Functions as a Na(+)-independent, passive transporter .
PMID:9478986
Involved in the transport of nucleosides such as inosine, adenosine, uridine, thymidine, cytidine and guanosine .
PMID:10722669 PMID:12527552 PMID:12590919 PMID:16214850 PMID:21795683 PMID:9396714 PMID:9478986
Also able to transport purine nucleobases (hypoxanthine, adenine, guanine) and pyrimidine nucleobases (thymine, uracil) .
PMID:16214850 PMID:21795683
Involved in nucleoside transport at basolateral membrane of kidney cells, allowing liver absorption of nucleoside metabolites .
PMID:12527552
Mediates apical nucleoside uptake into Sertoli cells, thereby regulating the transport of nucleosides in testis across the blood-testis-barrier .
PMID:23639800
Mediates both the influx and efflux of hypoxanthine in skeletal muscle microvascular endothelial cells to control the amount of intracellular hypoxanthine available for xanthine oxidase-mediated ROS production (By similarity)
PMID:11032837 PMID:15861042 PMID:16446384 PMID:17140564 PMID:21998139
Involved in the homeostasis of endogenous nucleosides .
PMID:11032837 PMID:15861042
Exhibits the transport characteristics of the nucleoside transport system cib or N3 subtype (N3/cib) (with marked transport of both thymidine and inosine) .
PMID:11032837
Employs a 2:1 sodium/nucleoside ratio .
PMID:11032837
Transports uridine .
PMID:21795683
Also able to transport gemcitabine, 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT), ribavirin and 3-deazauridine PMID:11032837 PMID:17140564
Involved compounds
Involved compounds
ATC L01BC05
Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
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Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
Linked compound data from DrugBank Open Data (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Gemcitabine
Additional database identifiers
Drugs Product Database (DPD)
11262
ChemSpider
54753
BindingDB
429521
PDB
GEO
ZINC
ZINC000018279854
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:10451
GenAtlas
RRM1
GeneCards
RRM1
GenBank Gene Database
X59543
GenBank Protein Database
36065
Guide to Pharmacology
2630
UniProt Accession
RIR1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:10452
GenAtlas
RRM2
GeneCards
RRM2
GenBank Gene Database
X59618
Guide to Pharmacology
2631
UniProt Accession
RIR2_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:12441
GenAtlas
TYMS
GeneCards
TYMS
GenBank Gene Database
X02308
GenBank Protein Database
37479
Guide to Pharmacology
2642
UniProt Accession
TYSY_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:18170
GenAtlas
CMPK
GeneCards
CMPK1
GenBank Gene Database
AF070416
GenBank Protein Database
6578133
UniProt Accession
KCY_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:11831
GeneCards
TK2
UniProt Accession
KITM_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:18170
GenAtlas
CMPK
GeneCards
CMPK1
GenBank Gene Database
AF070416
GenBank Protein Database
6578133
UniProt Accession
KCY_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:7849
GenAtlas
NME1
GeneCards
NME1
GenBank Gene Database
X75598
UniProt Accession
NDKA_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:1712
GenAtlas
CDA
GeneCards
CDA
GenBank Gene Database
L27943
Guide to Pharmacology
3133
UniProt Accession
CDD_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:2704
GenAtlas
DCK
GeneCards
DCK
GenBank Gene Database
M60527
UniProt Accession
DCK_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:40
GenAtlas
ABCB1
GeneCards
ABCB1
GenBank Gene Database
M14758
GenBank Protein Database
307180
Guide to Pharmacology
768
UniProt Accession
MDR1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:52
GeneCards
ABCC10
GenBank Gene Database
AY032599
GenBank Protein Database
21103955
UniProt Accession
MRP7_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:11003
GenAtlas
SLC29A1
GeneCards
SLC29A1
GenBank Gene Database
U81375
GenBank Protein Database
1845345
Guide to Pharmacology
1117
UniProt Accession
S29A1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:11001
GeneCards
SLC28A1
UniProt Accession
S28A1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:11004
GeneCards
SLC29A2
UniProt Accession
S29A2_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:16484
GeneCards
SLC28A3
GenBank Gene Database
AF305210
GenBank Protein Database
10732815
Guide to Pharmacology
1116
UniProt Accession
S28A3_HUMAN
International reference pricing
Reference pricing from DrugBank. Prices are indicative and may not reflect current UK costs.
Source: DrugBank. Used under CC BY-NC 4.0 academic licence for non-commercial purposes.
Patent information
4 active patents, 2 expired
Source: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0. Patent data sourced from national patent offices. Expiry dates may not reflect extensions, regulatory exclusivity periods, or legal challenges.
DrugBank citations
If you use DrugBank data in your research, please cite the following publications: