Nousheen Samad, PharmD

Anthracyclines and taxanes have long been described as the most active classes of chemotherapy against breast cancer. With incorporation of these agents into early stage breast cancer treatment regimens, researchers have conducted extensive investigation in pursuit of novel cytotoxic agents that have antitumor activity in anthracycline- and taxane-resistant disease. Capecitabine had been the only FDA-approved agent for the treatment of anthracycline- and taxane-resistant metastatic breast cancer. In June 2007, that changed when the FDA approved ixabepilone for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer.