AZA

Abbreviation with 2 meanings

AZA
Stands forAzathioprine
Meanings2
CategoriesMedical

AZA has two meanings. It stands for Azathioprine (drug) or Azacitidine (drug).

Meanings of AZA at a glance

#AZA stands forContext
1AzathioprineMedical › Drug
2AzacitidineMedical › Drug

1. Azathioprine

Medical · Drug Abbreviations

Immunosuppressant used to prevent organ transplant rejection and to treat autoimmune conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, autoimmune hepatitis, lupus and myasthenia gravis. The body converts it to mercaptopurine.

Example: AZA 2 mg/kg daily; CBC weekly x 4 weeks, then monthly; TPMT normal.

Azathioprine with allopurinol or febuxostat can cause life-threatening bone marrow suppression unless the dose is reduced substantially. ISMP notes that AZT (zidovudine) has been mistaken for azathioprine. Long-term use slightly increases the risk of lymphoma and skin cancer, so sun protection is advised.

2. Azacitidine

Medical · Drug Abbreviations

Hypomethylating chemotherapy drug used for myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia, often in older adults and combined with venetoclax. In hematology-oncology notes, AZA usually refers to azacitidine rather than azathioprine.

Example: Cycle 3 AZA 75 mg/m2 subcut days 1-7 with venetoclax.

Azacitidine (Vidaza) was approved by the FDA in 2004 as the first drug for myelodysplastic syndromes; an oral form (Onureg) is used for maintenance in AML. Because the same letters can mean azathioprine, prescribing systems should display the full name. Decitabine is a related hypomethylating agent.

More drug abbreviations

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  • ATG – Antithymocyte globulin
  • ATRA – All-trans retinoic acid (tretinoin)
  • AZT – Azidothymidine (zidovudine)
  • B12 – Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin)
  • BAL – British anti-Lewisite (dimercaprol)
  • BDQ – Bedaquiline
  • BIC – Bictegravir
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Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.

This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.