Biovorin 15 (Leucovorin Calcium) 15 mg, 40 tablets: profile, composition and research
Reference page for Biovorin 15 (Leucovorin Calcium) 15 mg, 40 tablets. Active substance: Леуковорин кальция (фолиновая кислота) / Leucovorin calcium (folinic acid).
- What it is: leucovorin calcium, the reduced form of folic acid, used mainly in oncology.
- Presentation: 15 mg tablets, 40 tablets per pack.
- Status: prescription-only medicine.
- Research: work on protection after high-dose methotrexate and on fluorouracil combinations, links below.
- Where to buy: APV Pharmacy (price and availability there).
Key facts
| Active substance | Leucovorin calcium (folinic acid) |
|---|---|
| Form | Tablets |
| Strength | 15 mg per tablet |
| Pack size | 40 tablets |
| Manufacturer | Zydus Oncosciences, India |
| Category | Prescription medicine |
| Article (SKU) |
What leucovorin is
Biovorin 15 is a tablet form of leucovorin calcium, also known as folinic acid or citrovorum factor. It is the already reduced form of folic acid, a B vitamin involved in cell division.
The practical difference between ordinary folic acid and leucovorin matters. For ordinary folic acid to work, the body has to convert it into the reduced form using a particular enzyme. Folinic acid arrives ready-made and does not need that step, so it stays active even when the biochemical route is blocked.
Each tablet contains 15 mg of the active substance, and the pack holds 40 tablets. The product is made by Zydus Oncosciences in India.
How leucovorin works
Its role in metabolism
Folinic acid carries one-carbon groups, without which nucleotides - the building blocks of DNA and RNA - cannot be made. Where cells divide actively, that function is in high demand.
Protection after methotrexate
Methotrexate blocks the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase, and cells are left without active folates. Leucovorin supplies the reduced form past the blocked step, which helps support healthy tissue, above all mucous membranes and bone marrow.
Working with fluorouracil
In combinations with fluoropyrimidines, folinic acid forms a stable complex with the enzyme thymidylate synthase. This changes how fluorouracil behaves, and the approach is described as biochemical modulation of anticancer treatment.
Where the limits lie
Leucovorin is not a substitute for ordinary folic acid in preventing neural tube defects in pregnancy, and it is not meant to be taken on a patient's own initiative.
Approved uses
The prescribing information sets out three main directions. The first is so-called rescue after methotrexate therapy: the medicine lowers the risk and severity of damage to mucous membranes and of bone-marrow suppression at high methotrexate doses.
The second is combination anticancer treatment. Here leucovorin enhances the action of fluoropyrimidine drugs such as fluorouracil in colorectal cancer and other malignant diseases.
The third is correction of folic acid deficiency in cases where the ordinary forms prove ineffective.
The regimen and the duration of use are set by an oncologist according to the diagnosis and the type of chemotherapy. The decision to use it rests with a specialist only.
What the publications show
The subject of leucovorin protection after high-dose methotrexate is covered in detail in reviews, including one in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics. Separately, European specialists issued consensus recommendations on managing delayed methotrexate elimination, in which leucovorin and other supportive measures hold a central place.
Modulation of fluorouracil by leucovorin was confirmed by a meta-analysis in advanced colorectal cancer published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Later work compares high and low doses of folinic acid in regimens containing fluorouracil.
Published research
Primary sources, verified against PubMed:
- Leucovorin (folinic acid) rescue for high-dose methotrexate: A review., PubMed 35929573 (Journal of clinical pharmacy and therapeutics, 2022).
- A European consensus recommendation on the management of delayed methotrexate elimination: supportive measures, leucovorin rescue and glucarpidase treatment., PubMed 39356310 (Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology, 2024).
- Modulation of fluorouracil by leucovorin in patients with advanced colorectal cancer: evidence in terms of response rate. Advanced Colorectal Cancer Meta-Analysis Project., PubMed 1534121 (Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, 1992).
- High vs. low-dose leucovorin in regimens with fluorouracil in colorectal cancer therapy., PubMed 37648426 (Ceska a Slovenska farmacie : casopis Ceske farmaceuticke spolecnosti a Slovenske farmaceuticke spolecnosti, 2023).
Listed for reference. Publication of a study is not a claim about this particular product.
Precautions
- This is a prescription medicine. Prescribing and monitoring belong to an oncologist.
- It is not used in case of hypersensitivity to leucovorin or the other tablet ingredients.
- The medicine is not used in pernicious anaemia or other anaemias caused by vitamin B12 deficiency.
- It is not a substitute for folic acid in preventing neural tube defects in pregnant women.
- When used after methotrexate, the schedule set by the doctor must be followed strictly.
- Tell your doctor about every other medicine you take: interactions are possible.
- Tablets are swallowed whole with water; the timing is set by a physician.
Frequently asked
Is Biovorin 15 a prescription medicine?
Yes. It is a prescription product used in oncology practice.
Why does this page not give a dosing schedule?
The regimen depends on the diagnosis, the type of chemotherapy and tolerability. The treating physician sets it.
Is it the same as ordinary folic acid?
No. It is the reduced form and is not used instead of folic acid for prevention in pregnancy.
Where does the order ship from?
Shipping and customs handling are described on the APV Pharmacy delivery page.