Definition

The pamoate salt of pyrvinium, a quinoline-derived cyanine dye and an mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) inhibitor, with anthelmintic and potential antineoplastic activities. Upon administration, pyrvinium pamoate may inhibit mitochondrial OxPhos and mitochondrial respiration, decreases mitochondrial function, prevents tumor cell metabolism and deprives tumor cells of energy, thereby preventing tumor cell proliferation and leading to tumor cell death in some types of cancer cells. Mitochondrial OxPhos is overactivated in cancer cells and plays a key role in tumor cell proliferation. Drug resistant tumor cells are very susceptible to decreased mitochondrial OxPhos as they cannot easily compensate for the decrease in mitochondrial function by increasing glycolysis.