Indication

Ixabepilone is a microtubule inhibitor used in combination with capecitabine for metastatic or local malignant breast cancer after treatment failure with anthracyclines and taxanes. It can also be used alone in metastatic or locally malignant breast cancer after treatment failure with anthracyclines, taxanes, and capecitabine.

Pharmacological action

Ixabepilone is a new type of microtubule inhibitor, whose mechanism of action is similar to that of paclitaxel, that is, it has microtubule stabilization. The results of in vitro test showed that the ability of this product to promote microtubule polymerization was twice that of paclitaxel, and it had the effect of killing tumor cells at very low concentration. More importantly, Ixabepilone also showed better efficacy in patients who were not sensitive to or resistant to paclitaxel.

Drug interaction

CYP3A4 antagonist (ketoconazole) can increase the blood concentration of isaprion, so the dosage of isaprion should be appropriately reduced. CYP3A4 inducers (dexamethasone, phenytoin, carbamazepine, rifampicin, rifampudding, phenobarbital) can reduce the blood concentration of isaprion and should be considered in treatment. Tumor patients receiving the combination therapy of isaprion (40mg·m-2) and capecitabine (1000mg·m-2) had 19% lower ρmax of isaprion and 27% lower ρmax of capecitabine. The AUC of fluorouracil increased by 14%.