Revlimid

Lenalidomide, sold under the trade name Revlimid among others, is a medication used to treat multiple myeloma (MM) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).^[2] For MM it is used after at least one other treatment and generally together with dexamethasone.^[2] It is taken by mouth.^[2]

Common side effects include diarrhea, itchiness, joint pain, fever, headache, and trouble sleeping.^[2] Severe side effects may include low blood platelets, low white blood cells, and blood clots.^[2] Use during pregnancy may harm the baby.^[2] The dose may need to be adjusted in people with kidney problems.^[2] It has a chemical structure similar to thalidomide but has a different mechanism of action.^[3][2] How it works is not entirely clear as of 2019.^[2]

Lenalidomide was approved for medical use in the United States in 2005.^[2] It is on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines.^[4]