homoharringtonine
(hoh-moh-HAYR-ing-tuh-neen)
A drug used to treat adults with certain types of chronic myelogenous leukemia that cannot be treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (a type of anticancer drug) or that have not gotten better after treatment with at least two tyrosine kinase inhibitors. It is also being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer. Homoharringtonine blocks certain proteins involved in cell growth and may kill cancer cells. It is a type of plant alkaloid and a type of protein synthesis inhibitor. Also called omacetaxine mepesuccinate and Synribo.