Nelarabin demethyleres hurtigt af adenosindeaminase (ADA) til ara- G, som derefter phosphoryleres intracellulært af deoxyguanosinkinase og deoxycytidinkinase til dets 5 ’ - monophosphatmetabolit.
Nelarabine is rapidly demethylated by adenosine deaminase (ADA) to ara-G and then phosphorylated intracellularly by deoxyguanosine kinase and deoxycytidine kinase to its 5’ -monophosphate metabolite.