Last reviewed 2026-05-14 · How we verify

Colchamine (DEMECOLCINE)

Phase 2 active Small molecule

Colchamine (generic name: DEMECOLCINE) is a demecolcine drug. It is currently in Phase 2 development.

Colchamine works by binding to tubulin, disrupting microtubule formation and function.

Colchamine, also known as demecolcine, is a small molecule drug in the demecolcine class. Its original development is attributed to a specific entity, but current ownership information is not available. The exact target of colchamine is unknown, and its commercial status, including FDA approval and off-patent status, is also unclear. Colchamine is used to treat certain conditions, but specific indications are not provided. As a result, key safety considerations and pharmacokinetic properties, such as half-life and bioavailability, are also unknown.

Likelihood of approval

13.3% vs 15.3% industry baseline

If approved by FDA: likely 2031–2034

Steps remaining: Phase 3 → NDA/BLA submission

Confidence: Medium

Why this estimate

Baseline phase 2 → approval rate +15.3pp
Industry-wide phase 2 drugs reach approval ~15.3% of the time (BIO/Informa 2023 industry benchmark across all therapeutic areas).
Oncology Phase 2 attrition -2.0pp
Oncology drugs have higher Phase 2-to-Phase 3 attrition than average — many fail to show OS benefit in larger studies.

Predicted approval windows by jurisdiction (conditional on FDA approval)

Regulator	Country	Likely year	Lag vs FDA
FDA	US	2031–2034	—
EMA	EU	2032–2035	+0.7 yr
MHRA	GB	2032–2035	+0.7 yr
Health Canada	CA	2032–2036	+0.9 yr
TGA	AU	2032–2036	+1.2 yr
PMDA	JP	2032–2036	+1.5 yr
NMPA	CN	2033–2037	+2.3 yr
MFDS	KR	2032–2036	+1.4 yr
CDSCO	IN	2032–2037	+1.8 yr
ANVISA	BR	2033–2037	+2.3 yr

Hover any row for the lag rationale. Lag estimates are reduced when the drug has FDA Breakthrough or EMA PRIME designation (sponsors file globally in parallel).

Estimate based on the BIO/Informa industry phase transition rates plus per-drug modifiers for therapeutic area, sponsor type, FDA designations, mechanism, and trial design. Per-jurisdiction lags from Tufts CSDD international approval studies. Not investment, clinical or regulatory advice. Methodology: /methodology#likelihood.

At a glance

Generic name	DEMECOLCINE
Drug class	demecolcine
Modality	Small molecule
Therapeutic area	Oncology
Phase	Phase 2

Mechanism of action

Imagine your cells are like a city with roads and buildings. Microtubules are like the roads that help cells move and divide. Colchamine blocks the formation of these roads, which can stop cancer cells from growing and dividing.

Approved indications

No approved indications tracked.

Common side effects

No common side effects on file.

Competitive intelligence

For the full competitive landscape — auto-detected comparators, recent regulatory actions across the set, upcoming PDUFA, patent timeline, sponsor landscape:

Colchamine CI brief — competitive landscape report
Colchamine updates RSS · CI watch RSS

Frequently asked questions about Colchamine

What is Colchamine?

Colchamine (DEMECOLCINE) is a demecolcine drug.

How does Colchamine work?

Colchamine works by binding to tubulin, disrupting microtubule formation and function.

What is the generic name of Colchamine?

DEMECOLCINE is the generic (nonproprietary) name of Colchamine.

What drug class is Colchamine in?

Colchamine belongs to the demecolcine class. See all demecolcine drugs at /class/demecolcine.

What development phase is Colchamine in?

Colchamine is in Phase 2.

Drug class: All demecolcine drugs
Therapeutic area: All drugs in Oncology

Primary sources · FDA · ClinicalTrials.gov · EMA · SEC EDGAR · ChEMBL · Wikidata · full sourcing