Irinotecan News and Research

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Irinotecan hydrochloride is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be used with other drugs to treat colorectal cancer that has metastasized (spread to other parts of the body). It is also approved to treat metastatic colorectal cancer that has recurred (come back) or gotten worse after earlier chemotherapy. In addition to the uses that have been approved by the FDA, irinotecan hydrochloride is sometimes used to treat other types of cancer. Irinotecan hydrochloride is also being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer.

New drug delivers promising survival gains in pancreatic cancer

About 90% of people with pancreatic cancer have pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), which is driven by an activating mutation in the KRAS gene.

9 Aug 2026

AI reveals effective combination therapy for advanced rectal cancer

Artificial intelligence developed by researchers at UCL has revealed a promising combination of cancer treatments that could help patients with locally advanced rectal cancer live longer.

27 Jul 2026

New biomarker predicts therapy response for hard-to-treat childhood cancers

A study by researchers at the University of Birmingham has identified a new biomarker for response to a specific cancer therapy, treating children with Ewing Sarcoma and other tumor types.

22 May 2026

New guidance for the diagnosis and management of inherited hyperbilirubinemia

Inherited hyperbilirubinemia, encompassing Gilbert syndrome, Crigler-Najjar syndrome, Dubin-Johnson syndrome, and Rotor syndrome, represents a spectrum of disorders rooted in genetic defects affecting bilirubin metabolism and transport.

10 Feb 2026

New report highlights a rare case of 5-fluorouracil-induced hyperammonemic encephalopathy

A new case report was published in Volume 12 of Oncoscience on December 23, 2025, titled "Silent toxicity: A rare case of 5-fluorouracil-induced hyperammonemic encephalopathy."

5 Feb 2026

New drug combination gains Fast Track Designation for metastatic colorectal cancer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted Fast Track Designation to a new drug combination for metastatic colorectal cancer, following encouraging results from a clinical trial led in part by the University of Oklahoma Health Stephenson Cancer Center.

10 Nov 2025

Uncovering a molecular weakness in Ewing sarcoma for targeted therapy

A research team at the Seville Biomedical Institute (IBis) has identified a new molecular mechanism that explains the high sensitivity of Ewing sarcoma (an aggressive bone cancer that mainly affects children and adolescents) to certain chemotherapy drugs, such as irinotecan.

16 Oct 2025

Genetic testing can guide safer chemotherapy for gastrointestinal cancer patients

For some patients with gastrointestinal (GI) cancers like colorectal and pancreatic cancer, chemotherapy can cause severe, sometimes life-threatening side effects in those who carry certain genetic variants that can impact how their bodies process the drugs used to treat their disease.

7 Aug 2025

Dual cancer drugs restore memory and rewire brain cells in Alzheimer’s mouse models

Researchers identified a combination of two existing cancer drugs, letrozole and irinotecan, that reversed Alzheimer’s disease-related changes in brain cell networks and improved memory in mouse models. The study supports a multi-cell-type, network-correcting strategy as a promising path for future Alzheimer’s treatments.

22 Jul 2025

Combination of two cancer drugs could treat the most common form of dementia

A study comparing the gene expression signature of Alzheimer's disease with those elicited by 1,300 approved drugs found a combination of two cancer medications that could treat the most common form of dementia.

21 Jul 2025

New insights into rare liver cancer as clinical trial for treatment begins

Like many rare diseases, fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FLC) mounts a ferocious attack against an unlucky few-in this case, children, adolescents, and young adults.

17 Jan 2025

New insights on 5-fluorouracil's mechanism in different cancers

Study reveals the drug, 5-fluorouracil, acts differently in different types of cancer — a finding that could help researchers design better drug combinations.

7 Oct 2024

Modified form of chemotherapy before and after surgery enhances survival in pancreatic cancer patients

Patients with pancreatic cancer who received chemotherapy both before and after surgery experienced longer survival rates than would be expected from surgery followed by chemotherapy, according to a new study from researchers at Yale Cancer Center (YCC) and Yale School of Medicine.

20 Jun 2024

Immunotherapy-chemotherapy combo boosts survival for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

A study led by UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers found that using a combination of experimental immunotherapy drugs with chemotherapy significantly improves progression-free survival and overall survival for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who have previously undergone standard chemotherapy treatment when compared to those who received the targeted therapy regorafenib alone.

24 May 2024

First UK real-world study shows promise for sacituzumab govitecan in metastatic breast cancer

The real-world safety and efficacy of sacituzumab govitecan (SG) against metastatic triple-negative breast cancer.

26 Apr 2024

Novel treatment strategy shows promise against common liver cancer in children

Hepatoblastoma (HB) is the most common liver cancer in children. Researchers and physicians in the field are concerned because in the last decade HB has been rising rapidly worldwide and has seen the most rapid increase among all pediatric solid tumors.

20 Feb 2024

Children with neuroblastomas may benefit from new drug cocktail

Children who develop neuroblastomas, a rare form of cancer which develops in nerve cells, may benefit from receiving certain anti-tumor drugs as well as chemotherapy, a new trial has found.

9 Jan 2024

New treatment combination shows promise for metastatic colorectal cancer patients with rare genetic mutation

An international Phase 3 clinical trial found that metastatic colorectal cancer patients with a rare genetic tumor mutation called KRAS G12C experienced superior progression-free survival rates compared to standard of care when offered a combination treatment of KRAS inhibitor sotorasib and monoclonal antibody panitumumab.

27 Oct 2023

Exploring the link between drugs and microbiota: a growing imperative in precision medicine

The intricate interactions between gut microbiota and drugs.

11 Oct 2023

Amgen to discuss application for LUMAKRAS® (sotorasib) for the treatment of KRAS G12C-positive NSCLC at FDA advisory committee meeting

Amgen today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) will review data supporting the supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for the full approval of LUMAKRAS® (sotorasib) for adults with previously treated locally advanced or metastatic KRAS G12C-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at a meeting on Oct. 5, 2023.

From AMGEN 1 Sep 2023