Definition

A drug that is made up of the enzyme asparaginase, which comes from the bacterium Erwinia chrysanthemi, and is used with other drugs under the brand name Erwinaze to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and under the brand name Rylaze to treat adults and children aged 1 month or older with ALL or lymphoblastic lymphoma. It is used in people who cannot take asparaginase that comes from the bacterium E. coli. It is also being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer. Asparaginase Erwinia chrysanthemi breaks down the amino acid asparagine and may stop the growth of cancer cells that need asparagine to grow. It may also kill cancer cells. Asparaginase Erwinia chrysanthemi is a type of protein synthesis inhibitor.