Category list : Antineoplastic agents

Targeted cancer therapy Subscription

Reflection and evaluation are elements of the CPD cycle that pharmacists often find difficult, yet they are integral to producing valid, and rewarding, CPD records.

Malignant melanoma treatments get green light from NICE Subscription

Ipilimumab and vemurafenib have been approved for use in the NHS in England and Wales for the treatment of advanced malignant melanoma.

Melanoma hopeful trametinib outperforms chemotherapy in phase III trial Subscription

Compared with chemotherapy, trametinib — an orally active selective MEK inhibitor — improved rates of progression-free survival in patients with metastatic BRAF-mutated melanoma, a recent study suggests.

Advanced melanoma drug vemurafenib launched

Vemurafenib, a targeted oral medicine to treat patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma, has been launched by Roche Products. The medicine, marketed as Zelboraf, is licensed as a monotherapy for adults with BRAF V600 mutation-positive tumours. It acts by inhibiting the BRAF serine-threonine kinase.

Anti-oestrogens and melanoma risk

Women who survive breast cancer have a higher risk of developing melanoma if anti-oestrogen medicines did not form part of their therapy (Cancer Prevention Research 2012;5:82), data suggest.

Biological agents for RA linked with melanoma

Ipilimumab launched as second-line therapy for advanced melanoma

A new intravenous therapy is available for the treatment of advanced (unresectable or metastatic) melanoma in adults who have received prior therapy.

Vemurafenib shows potential as targeted melanoma therapy

Genetically-targeted chemotherapy combinations based on the BRAF-kinase inhibitor vemurafenib are going on trial for the treatment of metastatic malignant melanoma.

Ipilimumab improves melanoma survival in trials

A phase III study suggests the human monoclonal antibody ipilimumab, in combination with dacarbazine, improves overall survival in patients with previously untreated metastatic melanoma.

Pioglitazone cardiac risk and risk of jaw osteonecrosis with some antineoplastic drugs highlighted

Pioglitazone should be discontinued if any deterioration in a patient’s cardiac status occurs, according to the latest Drug Safety Update (January 2011).