Manufacturer: Sanofi-Synthelabo, Inc. Drug Class: Platinum antineoplastic agent Description: Oxaliplatin for injection is an organoplatinum complex in which the platinum atom is joined with 1,2-diamino-cyclohexane (DACH) and with an oxalate ligand as a “leaving group,” an atom (or group of atoms) that is displaced as stable species and takes the bonding electrons with it. Oxali-platin [...]

Manufacturer: Eli Lilly Drug Class: Antifolate antineoplastic agent Description: Pemetrexed for injection exerts its action by disrupting folate-dependent metabolic processes that are essential for cell replication. By inhibiting dihydrofolate reduc-tase, thymidylate synthase, and glycinamide ribonucleotide formyl transferase, it interrupts the de novo synthesis of both purines and pyrimidines. As a single agent, it is active [...]

Cetuximab (Erbitux™) for IV Use Only Manufacturer: Imclone Systems, Inc./Bristol-Myers Squibb Drug Class: Recombinant, human/mouse chimeric monoclonal antibody Description: Cetuximab binds specifically to the extracellular domain of human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Produced in mammalian (murine myeloma) cell culture, cetuximab is composed of the fragment variable (Fv) regions of a murine anti-EGFR antibody with [...]

Manufacturer: Genentech, OSI Pharmaceuticals Description: Erlotinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, belongs to a group of cancer drugs known as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-inhibitors. EGFR-inhibitors can destroy some types of cancer cells while causing little harm to normal cells. EGFRs are proteins in the body that help to activate intracellular tyrosine kinase (an enzyme). This [...]

Manufacturer: American Pharmaceutical Partners, Inc./American Bioscience, Inc. Description: Abraxane™ combines the active drug pacli-taxel (Taxol®, Bristol-Myers Squibb) with a natural protein (albumin) into a nanoparticle that is one-hundredth the size of a red blood cell. As a result, no solvent is needed. This product is the first approved solvent-free, nanoparticle albumin-bound chemotherapeutic agent. It has [...]

Doxorubicin HCl Liposome Injection (Doxil®) Manufacturer: Tibotec Therapeutics, Division of Ortho Biotech Products, LP, Johnson & Johnson Updated Approval: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted full approval to doxorubicin HCl lipo-some injection for the treatment of patients with ovarian cancer whose disease has progressed or recurred after platinum-based chemotherapy.

Manufacturer: Bayer Health Care, West Haven, CT, and Onyx, Emeryville, CA Indication: Sorafenib tablets are indicated for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma. Drug Class: As a multikinase inhibitor that targets a number of serine/threonine and receptor tyrosine kinases, sorafenib has the chemical name 4-(4-{3-[4-chloro-3-(tri-fluoromethyl)phenyl]ureido}phenoxy)-N2-methylpyridine-2-carboxamide 4-methylbenzenesulfonate.