Last reviewed 2026-04-23 · How we verify

XELOXA

XELOXA is a combination chemotherapy regimen that inhibits thymidylate synthase and DNA synthesis to kill rapidly dividing cancer cells.

XELOXA is a combination chemotherapy regimen that inhibits thymidylate synthase and DNA synthesis to kill rapidly dividing cancer cells. Used for Colorectal cancer, Gastric cancer, Pancreatic cancer.

At a glance

Mechanism of action

XELOXA typically refers to a capecitabine-based chemotherapy combination used in digestive tract cancers. Capecitabine is a prodrug that is converted to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in tumor tissue, where it inhibits thymidylate synthase and disrupts DNA and RNA synthesis. This leads to apoptosis of cancer cells, particularly those with high proliferation rates.

Approved indications

• Colorectal cancer
• Gastric cancer
• Pancreatic cancer

Common side effects

• Hand-foot skin reaction
• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Myelosuppression
• Mucositis

Key clinical trials

• Lactobacillus Rhamnosus in Prevention of Chemotherapy-related Diarrhoea (NA)
• Study of Bevacizumab Alone or Combined With Capecitabine and Oxaliplatin as Support Therapy in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients (PHASE3)

Primary sources

Every claim on this page is sourced from regulatory or scientific primary sources. See our editorial policy for full methodology.

Competitive intelligence

For the full competitive landscape — auto-detected comparators, recent regulatory actions across the set, upcoming PDUFA, patent timeline, sponsor landscape:

• XELOXA CI brief — competitive landscape report
• XELOXA updates RSS · CI watch RSS
• Spanish Cooperative Group for the Treatment of Digestive Tumours (TTD) portfolio CI