Why is this medication prescribed?
Mercaptopurine is used to treat acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL; also called acute lymphoblastic leukemia and acute lymphatic leukemia; a type of cancer that begins in the white blood cells). Mercaptopurine is in a class of medications called purine antagonists. It works by stopping the growth of cancer cells.
National Library of Medicine | National Institutes of Health | Department of Health and Human Services
