Trade names Ixempra MedlinePlus a608042 | AHFS/Drugs.com Monograph License data US FDA: Ixabepilone | |
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Pregnancycategory US: D (Evidence of risk) | ||
Ixabepilone (INN; also known as azaepothilone B, codenamed BMS-247550) is an epothilone B analog developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb as a chemotherapeutic medication for cancer.
Contents
It is produced by Sorangium cellulosum.
Pharmacology
It acts to stabilize microtubules. It is highly potent agent, capable of damaging cancer cells in very low concentrations, and retains activity in cases where tumor cells are insensitive to paclitaxel.
Approval
On October 16, 2007, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved ixabepilone for the treatment of aggressive metastatic or locally advanced breast cancer no longer responding to currently available chemotherapies. In November 2008, the EMEA has refused a marketing authorisation for Ixabepilone.
Ixabepilone is administered through injection, and is marketed under the trade name Ixempra.
Clinical uses
Ixabepilone, in combination with capecitabine, has demonstrated effectiveness in the treatment of metastatic or locally advanced breast cancer in patients after failure of an anthracycline and a taxane.
It has been investigated for use in treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. In pancreatic cancer phase two trial it showed some promising results (used alone). Combination therapy trials are ongoing.