The latest in cancer prevention, diagnosis & treatment
Halaven Approved for Late-Stage Breast Cancers
The Food and Drug Administration approved Halaven (eribulin) on Nov. 15 to treat metastatic breast cancer patients who have already tried at least two chemotherapy treatments.
Halaven is an injectable synthetic compound derived from the sea sponge Halichondria okadai. It’s a microtubule inhibitor that works by preventing cancer cells from dividing.
The decision comes after a phase 3 clinical trial found that Halaven extended median survival in patients with metastatic breast cancer who had already tried other treatments. Researchers presented the results of the trial at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, stating that this is the first time a single agent has helped these previously treated patients live longer.
The study randomly assigned two-thirds of the 762 women to receive Halaven and the other one-third to receive a single-agent treatment chosen by their oncologist, with the control arm reflecting the real-life choices available to the women.
The patients receiving Halaven had a median overall survival of 13.1 months, compared with patients receiving another single-agent therapy, who had a median overall survival of 10.6 months. The most common side effects of Halaven are fatigue, nerve damage and a decrease in white blood cells.
The Food and Drug Administration approved Halaven (eribulin) on Nov. 15 to treat metastatic breast cancer patients who have already tried at least two chemotherapy treatments.
Halaven is an injectable synthetic compound derived from the sea sponge Halichondria okadai. It’s a microtubule inhibitor that works by preventing cancer cells from dividing.
The decision comes after a phase 3 clinical trial found that Halaven extended median survival in patients with metastatic breast cancer who had already tried other treatments. Researchers presented the results of the trial at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, stating that this is the first time a single agent has helped these previously treated patients live longer.
The study randomly assigned two-thirds of the 762 women to receive Halaven and the other one-third to receive a single-agent treatment chosen by their oncologist, with the control arm reflecting the real-life choices available to the women.
The patients receiving Halaven had a median overall survival of 13.1 months, compared with patients receiving another single-agent therapy, who had a median overall survival of 10.6 months. The most common side effects of Halaven are fatigue, nerve damage and a decrease in white blood cells.
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