Larotaxel: broadening the road with new taxanes

Significant advances in cancer treatment have been achieved with novel targeted and state-of-the-art treatments. While the targeted treatments have received much attention in recent years, the more 'traditional' chemotherapeutic agents continue to play an important role in several malignancies. Former taxanes such as docetaxel and paclitaxel, with their broad anticancer activity, have contributed significantly to the improved treatment of a number of neoplastic diseases. Unfortunately, until now, the achievements obtained with these compounds have been mitigated by clinical limitations such as acquired or intrinsic resistance of tumors, poor CNS activity, allergic reactions and unfavorable toxicity profiles. Larotaxel (RPR 109881A) is a taxane analogue with a broad spectrum of activity and different toxicity profile and with the possible advantages of surpassing some mechanisms of resistance and penetrating into the CNS. The development path of this drug, its core clinical data and future treatment perspectives are discussed in this article.