Clinical evaluation of new antitumor antibiotics

The clinical evaluation of new antibiotics and their analogs requires detailed analysis with respect to the best therapeutic strategy. In the case of anthracycline, diminished cardiac toxicity is as important an aim as increased activity. In the evaluation of cardiac toxicity the most important parameter must be the time to toxicity rather than the total dose. The new endomyocardial biopsy technique may be helpful in the study of analogs such as rubidazone, carminomycin and AD32. Actinomycin D analogs are also of interest, since this drug is part of several curative regimens, but its use has been limited by its severe acute toxicity. In the case of bleomycin, analogs with diminished pulmonary toxicity should be sought.