Definition

A drug that comes from the bacterium Streptomyces coeruleorubidus and is used with other drugs as remission induction therapy to treat adults with acute myeloid leukemia and adults and children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. It is also being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer. Daunorubicin hydrochloride blocks a certain enzyme needed for cell division and DNA repair and may kill cancer cells. It is a type of anthracycline antibiotic and a type of topoisomerase inhibitor. Daunorubicin is the active ingredient of daunorubicin hydrochloride. Also called daunomycin hydrochloride.