Paclitaxel News and Research

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Paclitaxel is a drug used to treat breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and AIDS-related Kaposi sarcoma. It is also used together with another drug to treat non-small cell lung cancer. Paclitaxel is also being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer. It blocks cell growth by stopping cell division and may kill cancer cells. It is a type of antimitotic agent. Also called Taxol.

The Paclitaxel compound is extracted from the Pacific yew tree Taxus brevifolia with antineoplastic activity. Paclitaxel binds to tubulin and inhibits the disassembly of microtubules, thereby resulting in the inhibition of cell division. This agent also induces apoptosis by binding to and blocking the function of the apoptosis inhibitor protein Bcl-2 (B-cell Leukemia 2). Check for active clinical trials or closed clinical trials using this agent.

Study identifies how chemo drug combination kills pancreatic cancer cells

Cancer Research UK scientists have discovered how a combination of two chemotherapy drugs - already showing promise in clinical trials - destroys pancreatic cancer cells, according to research published in Cancer Discovery.

29 Feb 2012

Vascular Magnetics to advance development of new drug delivery system for PAD

Vascular Magnetics, the first start-up company spun off by The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, has raised $7 million to advance development of an innovative drug delivery system using magnetically targeted nanoparticles to treat peripheral artery disease.

28 Feb 2012

SLU investigator aims to reduce chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy

A Saint Louis University investigator noted for her pain research is working to reduce a painful chemotherapy side effect, thanks to a $126,500 grant from the Mayday Fund, an organization dedicated to alleviating the incidence, degree and consequence of human physical pain.

27 Feb 2012

FDA approves Boston Scientific's ION and TAXUS Liberte paclitaxel-eluting stents

Boston Scientific Corporation's ION Paclitaxel-Eluting Platinum Chromium Coronary Stent System and TAXUS Liberte Paclitaxel-Eluting Coronary Stent System have received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for use in patients experiencing an acute myocardial infarction (AMI), or heart attack.

23 Feb 2012

Researchers test nanoscale carbon clusters for cancer chemotherapy

A mixture of current drugs and carbon nanoparticles shows potential to enhance treatment for head-and-neck cancers, especially when combined with radiation therapy, according to new research by Rice University and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

16 Feb 2012

Thrombocytosis linked to severity of ovarian cancer

Highly elevated platelet levels fuel tumor growth and reduce the survival of ovarian cancer patients, an international team of researchers led by scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer center reports in the New England Journal of Medicine.

16 Feb 2012

FDA accepts Genentech's pertuzumab BLA and grants Priority Review

Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the company's Biologics License Application for pertuzumab and granted Priority Review.

8 Feb 2012

Interim results from Spectranetics laser atherectomy catheter study on ISR

Spectranetics Corporation today announced six month interim results from the PATENT (Photo-Ablation using the TURBO-Booster and Excimer Laser for In-Stent Restenosis Treatment) study evaluating the safety and efficacy of the Spectranetics peripheral laser atherectomy catheters for the treatment of in-stent restenosis (ISR) in the femoropopliteal artery in the leg.

3 Feb 2012

Combination of lapatinib and trastuzumab more effective in treating HER2-positive breast cancer

Using two drugs that inhibit the growth factor HER2 for preoperative treatment of early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer appears to have better results than treatment with a single agent. In a report in the January 17 issue of The Lancet, an international research team reports that a protocol adding lapatinib (Tykerb) to trastuzumab (Herceptin) was more effective than single-drug treatment with either drug in eliminating microscopic signs of cancer at the time the tumors were surgically removed.

17 Jan 2012

Survey reveals high interest in Xalkori among medical oncologists

According to survey results gathered from 80 Medical Oncologists in the United States there is an extreme interest in Xalkori, with 75% of respondents stating a high interest in prescribing the product, virtually no physicians stating they have low interest in prescribing the therapy.

13 Jan 2012

Saladax increases claims in immunoassay space to 15 patents

Saladax Biomedical, Inc., a privately held company developing and commercializing novel diagnostic assays to achieve the promise of personalized medicine for new and existing therapeutics, announced today that it has been issued six patents within the last 12 months, bringing the company's total to 15 issued U.S. patents, all of which contain broad claims in the immunoassay space.

11 Jan 2012

Avastin fails to live up to expectations for extending survival in ovarian cancer

Cancer drug Avastin has been found to add about four months to the time it takes for the cancer to worsen for women with advanced cases of ovarian cancer says a new report. However it may not extend survival significantly.

29 Dec 2011

Synta's ganetespib shows potent in vitro and in vivo activity against multiple breast cancer types

Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp. Ganetespib shows potent in vitro and in vivo activity against multiple types of breast cancer including HER2-positive, ER/PR positive, triple-negative, and inflammatory breast cancer according to results presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

13 Dec 2011

Geron commences GRN1005 Phase 2 trial in breast cancer

Geron Corporation today announced the initiation of GRABM-B (GRN1005 Against Brain Metastases - Breast cancer), a Phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate GRN1005 in patients with brain metastases arising from breast cancer.

13 Dec 2011

Positive results from Synta's Ganetespib Phase 2 trial on HER2-positive and triple negative mBC

Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp. - Ganetespib, a potent, second generation Hsp90 inhibitor, has demonstrated clinical activity in heavily pre-treated patients with HER2-positive and triple negative metastatic breast cancer according to Phase 2 clinical trial results presented by researchers from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

9 Dec 2011

Positive results from Genentech's pertuzumab plus Herceptin Phase III study on HER2-positive mBC

Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, today announced results from CLEOPATRA, the first randomized Phase III study of the investigational HER2-targeted medicine pertuzumab.

8 Dec 2011

Updated data from Novartis Afinitor plus everolimus Phase III study on advanced breast cancer

Updated results of a Phase III study of Afinitor (everolimus) tablets plus exemestane, a hormonal therapy, show everolimus provided additional time women with advanced breast cancer lived without their disease progressing.

8 Dec 2011

Oncolytics REOLYSIN-Gemzar combination Phase 2 pancreatic cancer clinical trial meets primary endpoint

Oncolytics Biotech Inc. today announced that interim data from a Phase 2 clinical trial using intravenous administration of REOLYSIN® in combination with gemcitabine (Gemzar) in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer (REO 017) indicated that the clinical study had successfully reached its primary endpoint, and that the drug combination is active.

3 Dec 2011

Scottsdale resident donates $1 million to TGen pancreatic cancer initiative

A son's passion to find a cure for the cancer that claimed the life of his mother has led to a new series of clinical trials under a Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) initiative to find a cure for pancreatic cancer.

2 Dec 2011

Genentech announces results from pertuzumab studies on HER2-positive breast cancer

Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, today announced the company will present results from studies of its investigational medicine pertuzumab in HER2-positive breast cancer at the 2011 CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium December 6-10.

30 Nov 2011