Pingyangmycin (also known as bleomycin A5) is an antitumor glycopeptide antibiotic belonging to the bleomycin family, which is produced by Streptomyces verticillus var. pingyangensis n.sp., a variety of Streptomyces verticillus. It was discovered in 1969 at Pingyang County of Zhejiang Province in China, and was brought into clinical use in 1978.[1]
In China, pingyangmycin has largely superseded bleomycin A2 (commonly known as "bleomycin"), since according to Chinese sources it is more effective, costs less, is easier to get, can treat a larger variety of cancers (such as breast cancer and liver cancer) and causes less lung injury.[2] [3] Though pingyangmycin and bleomycin can each cause pulmonary fibrosis, pingyangmycin's most serious side effect - which it does not share with bleomycin - is anaphylactic shock, which is rare, but may happen even in a low dose, and can be fatal.[4] In addition, it causes a higher incidence of fever than bleomycin; the occurrence of this complication in patients is between 20 and 50%.