Effectiveness and safety of eribulin mesylate: a new therapeutic option in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer

Abstract

Introduction: There is no standard third-line chemotherapy treatment option for patients with metastatic breast cancer who have received an anthracycline and/or a taxane. A recent Phase III randomized controlled trial compared a new agent, eribulin mesylate with physician's treatment of choice in heavily pretreated patients with metastatic breast cancer, and a survival advantage was observed. Eribulin is a non-taxane microtubule dynamics inhibitor, approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in November 2010 for use in patients who previously received at least two prior lines of chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer.

Areas covered: The mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics and the efficacy and safety data from preclinical and clinical trials of this new agent are presented in this paper.

Expert opinion: Phase II and a recent Phase III trial indicate that eribulin is well tolerated with a predictable safety profile. The most frequent adverse events observed in patients receiving eribulin were asthenia/fatigue, neutropenia, alopecia, peripheral neuropathy and nausea. It represents a new treatment option in the setting of anthracycline and taxane-refractory metastatic breast cancer.

Keywords::

• drug safety
• eribulin
• metastatic breast cancer
• Phase II/III clinical trials