cancer treatment4 Nov 2007 08:58
Paclitaxel
Paclitaxel is extracted from the bark of the yew tree (Taxus), which grows in Asia, Europe and North America. First commercialised in 1994 by Bristol-Myers Squibb under the brand name, Taxol, it prevents individual cancer cells from separating into two new cells, thus inhibiting further cancer growth. It is in a class of compounds known as taxanes and it is administered by injection. Today, this drug is one of the main-stream treatments for cancer of the ovaries, breast, certain types of lung cancer, and a cancer of the skin and mucous membranes more commonly found in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is estimated to have generated revenues in excess of US$9 billion since it came to market.