Lederfolin 15 mg (Leucovorin), 10 tablets: profile, composition and research

Reference page for Lederfolin 15 mg (Leucovorin), 10 tablets. Active substance: Лейковорин (кальция фолинат) / Leucovorin (Calcium Folinate).

Key facts

What leucovorin is

Leucovorin, also called calcium folinate, is folate in its already reduced form. Ordinary folic acid must go through several conversions in the body before it can be used, while leucovorin arrives ready.

That difference defines its place in medicine. The substance is not a vitamin supplement but a tool used alongside cytostatic treatment, where precise control over folate metabolism matters.

It is sold under several brand names, Lederfolin among them. The product comes as 15 mg tablets; a pack holds 10 tablets.

How leucovorin works

After methotrexate

Methotrexate blocks the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase, and cells stop receiving reduced folates. Leucovorin bypasses that block: it already is reduced and enters the pathway below the point of inhibition.

In fluorouracil regimens

Here the aim is the opposite one, as leucovorin intensifies the action of fluorouracil. It stabilises the drug's complex with the enzyme thymidylate synthase, which makes the suppression of DNA synthesis in tumour cells more pronounced.

Why timing matters

The substance acts on the same pathways as the cytostatic, so the order and the intervals between the two matter. An oncologist sets them, not general guidance from a reference page.

Approved uses

The prescribing information lists three main directions. The first is reducing the toxicity of methotrexate, including after high-dose regimens, when healthy cells need protection.

The second is use together with fluorouracil to enhance the effectiveness of tumour treatment, chiefly colorectal cancer. The third is correcting folate deficiency where ordinary folic acid is unsuitable or ineffective.

The medicine may be used only on a physician's prescription. The regimen, the dose and the length of the course are decided by an oncologist.

What to keep in mind

Leucovorin is not a substitute for folic acid during pregnancy and is not meant for that purpose. That is a separate question for a doctor to settle.

When used with cytostatics, reactions linked to the main treatment may occur, so supervision and monitoring tests remain essential.

Patients taking anticonvulsants from the folate-antagonist group, or any other medicines, should tell their doctor: interactions are possible.

Published research

Primary sources, verified against PubMed:

• High vs. low-dose leucovorin in regimens with fluorouracil in colorectal cancer therapy., PubMed 37648426 (Ceska a Slovenska farmacie, 2023).
• Understanding and managing methotrexate nephrotoxicity., PubMed 16794248 (The oncologist, 2006).
• [Chinese expert consensus on the clinical application of the Chinese modified triplet combination with irinotecan, oxaliplatin and continuous infusional 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin for colorectal cancer]., PubMed 34148311 (Zhonghua wei chang wai ke za zhi, 2021).

Listed for reference. Publication of a study is not a claim about this particular product.

Precautions

• This is a prescription medicine and is used only on an oncologist's prescription.
• The regimen, the dose and the duration of treatment are set individually.
• Leucovorin is not a substitute for folic acid in pregnancy. A doctor decides on that question.
• Kidney or liver disease, as well as fluid and electrolyte imbalance, requires separate assessment by a physician.
• Tell your doctor about every other medicine you take: interactions are possible, including with anticonvulsants.
• Signs of an allergic reaction or a worsening of how you feel should be reported to a doctor without delay.

Frequently asked