The pharmacological and therapeutic effects of the daunomycin (DNM):DNA complex were compared with those of free DNM in mice. A complex formation between dnm and DNA (1:11.7, w/w) resulted in a 79% decrease in DNM complex was dialyzable. The DNM fluorescence was completely recovered from the complex in 0.3 N HCl and 50% ethanol solution, and a short contact with biological tissues studied did not quench DNM fluorescence after extraction. The plasma fluorescence (DNM equivalent) 5 min after the i.v. injection of DNM:DNA complex at a dose of 20 mg/kg was 60-fold higher than that of an equivalent amount of free DNM. The complex was cleared for plasma with an initial half-life of 20 min. In spite of an initally higher blood generally similar except in liver and spleen, where DNM equivalent were significantly higher than those of free DNM. The uptake of DNM:DNA into L1210 cells in vitro was low and, at 1 hr, was about one-twentieth of that from DNM. Treatment of DBA/2 mice bearing i.p. L1210 leukemia transplant (initial cell number, 10-3) with DNM:DNA complex resulted in identical increases in life-span as occurred with free DNM. When routes of cell transplant and treatment were different, no therapeutic advantage of DNM:DNA over DNM was seen.