Faslodex(TM) for the treatment of breast cancer

Faslodex(TM) (fulvestrant), also known as ICI 182780, is the first in a new class of selective estrogen receptor down-regulators (SERDs), which target and degrade the estrogen receptor (ER), and has been developed for the treatment of advanced breast cancer. Up to now application of tamoxifen, a partial estrogen antagonist, has been the "gold standard" in breast cancer therapy in postmenopausal women. However, breast tumors become resistant to tamoxifen after a while, leading to progression of the cancer. Also, the risk of the development of endometrial carcinoma is one of the disadvantages in treatment with tamoxifen. Therefore "pure" antiestrogens with high affinity to the estrogen receptor, but without agonistic activity, have been developed in the last few years. Summarizing all data from in vitro and in vivo studies and clinical trials, the antiestrogen Faslodex(TM) (AstraZeneca, Cheshire, U.K.) appears to be a very promising new agent for the treatment of advanced and early breast cancer. (c) 2001 Prous Science. All rights reserved.