COMPATIBILITY AND ACTIVITY OF ALDESLEUKIN (RECOMBINANT INTERLEUKIN-2)IN PRESENCE OF SELECTED DRUGS DURING SIMULATED Y-SITE ADMINISTRATION - EVALUATION OF 3 METHODS

The compatibility and biological activity of aldesleukin (a form of re combinant interleukin-2) in the presence of selected i.v. drugs during simulated Y-site administration was studied. Five milliliters of alde sleukin 33,800 IU/mL in 5% dextrose injection was mixed in glass test tubes with 5 mt of each of 19 i.v. drugs prepared at concentrations us ed in routine clinical practice. The compatibility of the combinations was assessed by visual examination and spectrophotometry at 0, 0.5, 1 , and 2 hours after preparation, and bioassays were conducted to deter mine the activity of aldesleukin in the combinations. Lorazepam was th e only drug visually incompatible with aldesleukin. All the secondary drugs were spectrephotometrically compatible with aldesleukin. However , the bioassays showed that the following drugs reduced the activity o f aldesleukin: ganciclovir sodium, lorazepam,pentamidine isethionate, prochlorperazine edisylate, and promethazine hydrochloride. Thus, alde sleukin became less biologically active when combined with four drugs for which visual examination suggested compatibility and when combined with five drugs for which spectrophotometry indicated compatibility. Aldesleukin 33,800 IU/mL in 5% dextrose injection lost significant bio logical activity in the presence of prochlorperazine edisylate, promet hazine hydrochloride, lorazepam, ganciclovir sodium, and pentamidine i sethionate during simulated Y-site administration. Visual assessment a nd spectrophotometry may not be valid methods for assessing possible c hanges in the biological activity of aldesleukin when combined with ot her agents.