The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 277 No 7413 p183
12 August 2006

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Two new cancer drugs launched this week

Two new oncology medicines have been launched this week. Bioenvision has launched clofarabine (Evoltra) for the treatment of children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and Bayer has launched sorafenib (Nexavar), a protein kinase inhibitor for renal cell carcinoma.

Clofarabine, a purine nucleoside anti-metabolite, is indicated, at a dose of 52mg/m² body surface area, for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in children who have relapsed or are refractory to at least two other regimens and for whom no other treatment option is expected to result in a durable response.

Sorafenib is indicated for the treatment of adults with advanced renal cell carcinoma who have failed to respond to interferon alpha and interleukin-2 therapy or are considered unsuitable for such therapy. The recommended dose of Nexavar is 400mg twice a day, taken without food or with a low or moderate fat meal.


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