AHFS Class:

10:00 Antineoplastic Agents

Generic Name

• Floxuridine

Floxuridine is supplied in 5-mL vials containing 500 mg of drug.³⁰⁷⁰ Each vial should be reconstituted with 5 mL of sterile water for injection to yield a solution with a concentration of approximately 100 mg/mL.³⁰⁷⁰

pH

A 2% aqueous solution has a pH of 4 to 5.5.³⁰⁷⁰

Floxuridine is administered only by continuous regional intra-arterial infusion using an infusion pump after dilution in dextrose 5% or sodium chloride 0.9% to a volume appropriate for the device to be used.³⁰⁷⁰

Intact vials of floxuridine should be stored at 20 to 25°C.³⁰⁷⁰ The reconstituted solution in vials should be stored under refrigeration at 2 to 8°C for no longer than 2 weeks.³⁰⁷⁰

The pH of optimum stability is 4 to 7. Extreme acidity or alkalinity may result in hydrolysis.¹³⁷⁹

At a concentration of 5 mg/mL in sodium chloride 0.9%, floxuridine supported the growth of several microorganisms commonly implicated in nosocomial infections, including Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans. The arbitrary application of an extended expiration date to floxuridine solutions is, therefore, highly questionable.⁸²⁷

Syringes

Floxuridine (Roche) 50 mg/mL and 1 mg/mL in sodium chloride 0.9% was packaged as 3 mL in 10-mL polypropylene infusion pump syringes (Pharmacia Deltec). Little or no loss occurred during 21 days of storage at 30°C.¹⁹⁶⁷

Implantable Pumps

Floxuridine 10 mg/mL was filled into an implantable infusion pump (Fresenius VIP 30) and associated capillary tubing and stored at 37°C. No floxuridine loss and no contamination from components of pump materials occurred during 6 weeks of storage. However, an unidentified substance appeared in 7 weeks, and 22% loss of floxuridine occurred by 8 weeks.¹⁹⁰³

Floxuridine (Roche) at concentrations ranging from about 2.5 to 12 mg/mL with heparin sodium 200 units/mL in bacteriostatic sodium chloride 0.9% was evaluated for stability in an implantable infusion pump (Infusaid model 400). In this in vivo assessment, the floxuridine concentrations were determined prior to implantation in patients and again at the time of pump refills. No appreciable floxuridine loss occurred during 8 courses of therapy, from 4 to 12 days in duration, in 5 patients.⁷⁶⁷

Solution Compatibility

Additive Compatibility

Y-Site Injection Compatibility (1:1 Mixture)

For a list of references cited in the text of this monograph, search the monograph titled References.

ASHP^® Injectable Drug Information^TM. Selected Revisions September 12, 2024. © Copyright, 2024. American Society of Health-System Pharmacists^®, 4500 East-West Highway, Suite 900, Bethesda, Maryland 20814.