Mesna
Mesna
Chemical compound
Mesna, sold under the brand name Mesnex among others, is a medication used in those taking cyclophosphamide or ifosfamide to decrease the risk of bleeding from the bladder.[1] It is used either by mouth or injection into a vein.[1]
Common side effects include headache, vomiting, sleepiness, loss of appetite, cough, rash, and joint pain.[1] Serious side effects include allergic reactions.[1] Use during pregnancy appears to be safe for the baby but this use has not been well studied.[2] Mesna is an organosulfur compound.[3] It works by altering the breakdown products of cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide found in the urine making them less toxic.[1]
Mesna was approved for medical use in the United States in 1988.[1] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[4]