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Wellcovorin (leucovorin)
Wellcovorin (leucovorin) is a folate analog small molecule that targets dihydrofolate reductase. It is used as an adjunct to fluorouracil treatment of colorectal cancer and to counteract the toxic effects of folic acid antagonists. Wellcovorin is off-patent and has multiple generic manufacturers. It has a short half-life of 1.3 hours and low bioavailability of 4%. Key safety considerations include monitoring for megaloblastic anemia and other hematologic effects.
At a glance
| Generic name | leucovorin |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | Pfizer Japan Inc |
| Drug class | Folate Analog |
| Target | Dihydrofolate reductase |
| Therapeutic area | Oncology |
| Phase | FDA-approved |
| First approval | 1952 |
Approved indications
- Adjunct to Fluorouracil Treatment of Colorectal Cancer
- Bone Marrow Suppression due to Folic Acid Antagonism
- Folic acid deficiency
- Megaloblastic anemia
- Methotrexate Toxicity
- Pyrimethamine Toxicity
- Sulfadiazine Toxicity
- Trimethoprim Toxicity
- Trimetrexate Toxicity
Common side effects
- Leukopenia
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Thrombocytopenia
- Stomatitis
- Constipation
- Lethargy/Malaise/Fatigue
- Alopecia
- Dermatitis
- Anorexia
- Infection
Key clinical trials
- Testing the Addition of the Anti-cancer Drug Venetoclax and/or the Anti-cancer Immunotherapy Blinatumomab to the Usual Chemotherapy Treatment for Infants With Newly Diagnosed KMT2A-rearranged or KMT2A-non-rearranged Leukemia (PHASE2)
- A Study to Investigate Blinatumomab in Combination With Chemotherapy in Patients With Newly Diagnosed B-Lymphoblastic Leukemia (PHASE3)
- A Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of Two Dose Levels of ONO-4578 With Opdivo®, in Combination With mFOLFOX6 and Bevacizumab Versus Standard of Care in Participants With Non-MSI-H/dMMR, PD-L1 Positive Advanced Colorectal Cancer (PHASE2)
- Neoadjuvant mFolfirinox With or Without Preoperative Concomitant Chemoradiotherapy in Patients With Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Carcinoma (PANDAS-PRODIGE 44) (PHASE2)
- Targeted Therapy Directed by Genetic Testing in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced or Advanced Solid Tumors, The ComboMATCH Screening Trial (PHASE2)
- Individual Response to Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) Treatment of Peritoneal Carcinomatosis From Peritoneal Mesothelioma or Atypical Mesothelial Proliferation or From Ovarian, Colorectal, or Appendiceal Histologies (PHASE1)
- Studying Chemotherapy With or Without Panitumumab for Unresectable, Locally Advanced, or Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer Without KRAS Mutations (PHASE3)
- Testing the Addition of Atezolizumab to Combination Chemotherapy or Atezolizumab Alone for Metastatic Colon or Rectal Cancer, the COMMIT Study (PHASE3)
Primary sources
Every claim on this page is sourced from regulatory or scientific primary sources. See our editorial policy for full methodology.
| Source | Used for |
|---|---|
| FDA label | Mechanism, indications, dosing, boxed warnings, drug interactions |
| ClinicalTrials.gov | Trial enrolment, design, endpoints, results |
Competitive intelligence
For the full competitive landscape — auto-detected comparators, recent regulatory actions across the set, upcoming PDUFA, patent timeline, sponsor landscape:
- Wellcovorin CI brief — competitive landscape report
- Wellcovorin updates RSS · CI watch RSS
- Pfizer Japan Inc portfolio CI