Related Experiment Videos
Promising new agents in oncologic treatment
1Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, IL 60637-1470, USA.
Abstract:
Over the past year, several new anticancer agents have entered the clinic and are undergoing further phase II clinical development at the time of this writing. There has been a sudden influx of rationally designed drugs with novel therapeutic effects ranging from direct cellular toxicity to inhibition of blood vessel formation and of metastases. This review focuses only on cytotoxic drugs that have been in clinical development for the past 5 years; however, only recently have these drugs found a "niche" in the clinic. These drugs include novel taxanes (eg, docetaxel), the camptothecin analogues (eg, irinotecan [CPT-11]), the newer generation of thymidylate synthase inhibitors (eg, raltitrexed [ZD 1694, Tomudex]), nucleoside analogues (eg, gemcitabine), and oral alternatives to intravenous 5-fluorouracil. Most of these agents have completed or have entered phase II or III testing, and the results of these trials will be available to us over the next few years.
Insights
Several novel cytotoxic anticancer agents, including new taxanes and thymidylate synthase inhibitors, are in clinical development. These rationally designed drugs show promise for various cancers and are entering phase II and III trials.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Recent advancements have introduced novel anticancer agents into clinical practice.
- These drugs exhibit diverse mechanisms, including direct cytotoxicity and anti-angiogenesis.
- The review specifically examines cytotoxic drugs developed within the last five years.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review cytotoxic anticancer agents in clinical development.
- To highlight recently emerged drugs with novel therapeutic effects.
- To discuss their current clinical trial status.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of cytotoxic anticancer drugs in clinical development.
- Focus on agents with novel mechanisms and those developed in the past five years.
- Inclusion of drugs in phase II and III clinical trials.
Main Results:
- Several novel cytotoxic agents are in clinical development, including docetaxel, irinotecan (CPT-11), raltitrexed (ZD 1694, Tomudex), gemcitabine, and oral 5-fluorouracil alternatives.
- These drugs represent rationally designed therapies with unique mechanisms of action.
- Many have advanced to phase II or III clinical trials.
Conclusions:
- Novel cytotoxic anticancer drugs are increasingly finding clinical application.
- Ongoing phase II and III trials will provide crucial data on their efficacy and safety.
- These agents represent a significant advancement in cancer therapy.