Tesetaxel: Oral taxane chemo

LaundryQueen
LaundryQueen Member Posts: 676
This drug is still in clinical trials but it was fast-track approved for gastric cancer:

Tesetaxel is a novel oral semi-synthetic taxane. The drug stabilises microtubules, inducing potent cytotoxicity in a wide range of tumour cell types.

Certain taxanes have been approved by the FDA for the treatment of breast (BC), lung, gastric (GC), prostate (PC) and ovarian cancers. However, currently-approved taxanes require intravenous infusion under close medical supervision due to a high level of toxicity. Both Bristol-Myers Squibb's Taxol (paclitaxel) and sanofi-aventis' Taxotere (docetaxel) can cause severe, occasionally fatal, infusion reactions that require premedication with steroids and antihistamines. Tesetaxel is administered orally, which obviates the risk of taxane-related infusion reactions and the need for associated premedications, thus potentially improving safety.

Another serious side effect associated with taxanes includes neuropathy, which limits the maximum amount of these drugs that can be given to patients. Tesetaxel appears to be associated with a lower incidence of peripheral nerve damage.

Interestingly, preclinical studies have shown the cytotoxic activity of tesetaxel to be ten- and three-times greater than paclitaxel and docetaxel, respectively. In addition, there is some evidence to suggest that tesetaxel may have utility in cancers that have developed resistance to the conventional taxanes.

LQ

Comments

  • anicca
    anicca Member Posts: 334 Member
    Wow! Thanks for posting
    Wow! Thanks for posting this! I have peripheral neuropathy in my hands and feet. The feet are a very big concern for me, since I teach ice skating. Boots have to be tight, and that further aggravates the neuropathy. My hands are fine now, but my feet still get numb and tingle after skating. It seems stupid, but the thing I dread most about a recurrence is the possibility of more serious damage to my feet. Work was one of the most significant things that kept me going through chemo. I love especially that it seems to be more effective than the IV drug.

    DB
  • carolenk
    carolenk Member Posts: 907 Member
    anicca said:

    Wow! Thanks for posting
    Wow! Thanks for posting this! I have peripheral neuropathy in my hands and feet. The feet are a very big concern for me, since I teach ice skating. Boots have to be tight, and that further aggravates the neuropathy. My hands are fine now, but my feet still get numb and tingle after skating. It seems stupid, but the thing I dread most about a recurrence is the possibility of more serious damage to my feet. Work was one of the most significant things that kept me going through chemo. I love especially that it seems to be more effective than the IV drug.

    DB

    Sounds too good to be true!
    The IV taxanes are so hard to take--I hope this new oral chemo gets approved for ovarian cancer and lives up to the expectations. I couldn't take IV taxol, it was just too toxic for me. It is hopeful that this drug might still work in those who are taxane resistant, too.

    I reposted this on the stomach cancer board as it didn't look like anyone on there had even heard of it yet.

    thanks for posting,

    Carolen