Baby Safety / Compounds / Treosulfan

Is Treosulfan safe for babies and kids?

Elevated risk for kids

Infants are more vulnerable to Treosulfan than children or adults due to immature hepatic/renal clearance, higher intake-to-body-weight ratio, rapid organ development, and increased gastrointestinal absorption.

What is treosulfan?

The IUPAC name is [(2S,3S)-2,3-dihydroxy-4-methylsulfonyloxybutyl] methanesulfonate.

Also known as: [(2S,3S)-2,3-dihydroxy-4-methylsulfonyloxybutyl] methanesulfonate, Treosulphan, Ovastat, threosulphan.

IUPAC name
[(2S,3S)-2,3-dihydroxy-4-methylsulfonyloxybutyl] methanesulfonate
CAS number
299-75-2
Molecular formula
C6H14O8S2
Molecular weight
278.3 g/mol
SMILES
CS(=O)(=O)OCC(C(COS(=O)(=O)C)O)O
PubChem CID
9882105

Risk for babies

Elevated risk

Infants are more vulnerable to Treosulfan than children or adults due to immature hepatic/renal clearance, higher intake-to-body-weight ratio, rapid organ development, and increased gastrointestinal absorption.

Neonates and infants up to 12 months have incomplete blood-brain barrier development, immature Phase I/II metabolic enzymes (particularly CYP3A4, UGT1A1), and higher gastrointestinal permeability. Equivalent doses produce higher internal concentrations and longer residence times.

What to do: Minimize infant exposure through source control. For breastfeeding mothers: reduce maternal exposure. For formula-fed infants: use certified low-migration bottles and verified water sources. Consult pediatrician regarding any concerns.

Risk for pregnant and nursing people

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Treosulfan, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

No specific reproductive toxicity data identified, but pregnancy-specific safety data is limited for most chemicals. Precautionary minimization of exposure is recommended.

What to do: Minimize exposure during pregnancy and lactation. Consult healthcare provider regarding specific risks. Consider alternative products with lower hazard profiles.

Regulatory consensus

6 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Treosulfan. The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
IARC1990Group 1
US EPA2000probable human carcinogen (Group B2)
EPA CTX / IARCGroup 1 - Carcinogenic to humans
EPA CTX / CalEPAKnown human carcinogen
EPA CTX / GenetoxGenotoxicity: positive (Ames: positive, 6 positive / 0 negative reports)
EPA CTX / GenetoxGenotoxicity: positive (Ames: positive, 6 positive / 0 negative reports)

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where kids encounter treosulfan

  • Industrial FacilitiesManufacturing plants, Chemical storage areas, Waste treatment sites
  • Occupational EnvironmentsFactories, Warehouses, Transportation vehicles

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Treosulfan:

  • Safer process chemistry; Green chemistry alternatives; Exposure controls
    Trade-offs: Requires R&D investment to redesign synthesis routes; may reduce yield or throughput initially; long-term benefits include reduced waste treatment costs, regulatory compliance, and worker safety; 12 Principles of Green Chemistry framework available.
    Relative cost: 2-5×

Frequently asked questions

Is treosulfan safe for kids?

Infants are more vulnerable to Treosulfan than children or adults due to immature hepatic/renal clearance, higher intake-to-body-weight ratio, rapid organ development, and increased gastrointestinal absorption.

What products contain treosulfan?

Treosulfan appears in: Manufacturing plants (Industrial facilities); Chemical storage areas (Industrial facilities); Factories (Occupational environments); Warehouses (Occupational environments).

What should I do if my child is exposed to treosulfan?

Minimize infant exposure through source control. For breastfeeding mothers: reduce maternal exposure. For formula-fed infants: use certified low-migration bottles and verified water sources. Consult pediatrician regarding any concerns.

Why do regulators disagree about treosulfan?

Treosulfan has been classified by 6 agencies including IARC, US EPA, EPA CTX / IARC, EPA CTX / CalEPA, EPA CTX / Genetox, with differing conclusions. Regulators apply different standards of evidence (animal data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds), which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.

See Treosulfan in the baby app

Look up products containing treosulfan, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

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Sources (2)

  1. IARC Monographs Volume 50: Pharmaceutical Drugs — Treosulfan Group 1; AML and NHL in Ovarian Cancer Patients; Spontaneous Diepoxide Conversion; Difunctional DNA Crosslinking; EBMT Pediatric Transplant Conditioning; Non-Myeloablative Alternative to Busulfan (1990) — iarc_monograph
  2. US EPA Treosulfan: Group B2 Probable Carcinogen; IARC Group 1 Historical Ovarian Cancer Cohort; Pediatric Reduced-Intensity Conditioning; Non-Malignant Disease Transplantation; Off-Label US Use; Rapid Epoxide Environmental Degradation (2000) — regulatory

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →