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Paclitaxel (Taxane)
Paclitaxel stabilizes microtubules by binding to β-tubulin, preventing their depolymerization and causing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in cancer cells.
Paclitaxel stabilizes microtubules by binding to β-tubulin, preventing their depolymerization and causing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in cancer cells. Used for Metastatic carcinoma of the ovary, Breast cancer (metastatic and adjuvant), Non-small cell lung cancer.
At a glance
| Generic name | Paclitaxel (Taxane) |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | Eli Lilly and Company |
| Drug class | Taxane (microtubule-stabilizing agent) |
| Target | β-tubulin / microtubules |
| Modality | Small molecule |
| Therapeutic area | Oncology |
| Phase | Phase 3 |
Mechanism of action
Paclitaxel is a microtubule-stabilizing agent that binds to the β-tubulin subunit of microtubules, preventing their normal dynamic instability. This stabilization disrupts mitotic spindle formation and cell division, leading to G2/M phase arrest and triggering apoptosis in rapidly dividing cancer cells. It is effective against a broad range of solid tumors and hematologic malignancies.
Approved indications
- Metastatic carcinoma of the ovary
- Breast cancer (metastatic and adjuvant)
- Non-small cell lung cancer
- Kaposi's sarcoma
- Gastric adenocarcinoma
Common side effects
- Neutropenia
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Myalgia/arthralgia
- Alopecia
- Nausea/vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Hypersensitivity reactions
- Anemia
Key clinical trials
- Durvalumab in Combination With Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors, DURVA+ Trial (PHASE2)
- Paclitaxel and Carboplatin With or Without Bevacizumab in Treating Patients With Stage II, Stage III, or Stage IV Ovarian Epithelial Cancer, Primary Peritoneal Cancer, or Fallopian Tube Cancer (PHASE3)
- BAL0891 in Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors or Relapsed or Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia (PHASE1)
- Reduced-dose Carboplatin-doublet-chemotherapy + Cemiplimab vs Cemiplimab Monotherapy in Treatment Naive Older and Frail Patients With Metastatic NSCLC With PD-L1 <50% (PHASE2)
- A Study of Sacituzumab Tirumotecan (Sac-TMT, MK-2870) as Monotherapy and in Combination With Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) in Participants With Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (MK-2870-011/TroFuse-011) (PHASE3)
- Adding Nivolumab to Usual Treatment for People With Advanced Stomach or Esophageal Cancer, PARAMUNE Trial (PHASE2, PHASE3)
- CFI-402257 in Combination With Paclitaxel in Patients With Advanced/Metastatic HER2-Negative Breast Cancer (PHASE1, PHASE2)
- A Clinical Study of Sacituzumab Tirumotecan (Sac-TMT, MK-2870) in People With Breast Cancer (MK-2870-032) (PHASE3)
Primary sources
Every claim on this page is sourced from regulatory or scientific primary sources. See our editorial policy for full methodology.
| Source | Used for |
|---|---|
| ClinicalTrials.gov | Trial enrolment, design, endpoints, results |
Competitive intelligence
For the full competitive landscape — auto-detected comparators, recent regulatory actions across the set, upcoming PDUFA, patent timeline, sponsor landscape:
- Paclitaxel (Taxane) CI brief — competitive landscape report
- Paclitaxel (Taxane) updates RSS · CI watch RSS
- Eli Lilly and Company portfolio CI