Ixempra (Ixabepilone)
Purpose of Medication and Method of Action
Ixempra from Bristol-Myers is a new drug has been approved for meetastatic or locally advanced cancer of the breast whose tumors are resistant or refractory to the first-line therapies for breast cancer. It acts bt preventing the formation of microtubules in the malignant cells thus retarding tumor growth. One clinical study achieved a partial response rate of 12.4%. Another study showed an improvement in progression-free survival of 5.7 months vs. 4.1 months when compared to capecitabine monotherapy.
Side Effects
Side effects are common and significant including peripheral neuropathy (65%), fatigue (60%), diarrhea (44%) and mouth ulcers (31%). Over 60% of patients also developed neutropenia with 54% of those moderate to severe.
Patient Medication Information
These information sheets do not list all known side effects of the medications, only the most common side effects. For a complete list of side effects please contact your local pharmacy or the actual drug manufacturing company.