It is one of the first approvals through the European Union Centralized Procedure to be received by the newly created Aventis Pharma, a recent merger between Hoechst Marion Roussel and Rh ne-Poulenc Rorer. Up to now, Taxotere was approved in the European Union for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer after failure of prior chemotherapy, including an anthracycline or an alkylating agent. Standard treatment regimens for this patient population have shown no evidence of survival improvement. BSC refers to measures aimed at maintaining patient comfort, including nutritional support and control of symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, pain and shortness of breath. The QOL evaluation also showed that patients treated with Taxotere had less pain and fatigue and more appetite.
Microtubules assemble and disassemble during a cell cycle.
Taxotere promotes their assembly and blocks their disassembly, thereby preventing cancer cells from dividing, which results in cancer cell death. Common side effects associated with Taxotere may include low blood cell counts, fluid retention, hypersensitivity, nausea and diarrhea. A premedication regimen with corticosteroids is recommended in order to prevent or reduce hypersensitivity and fluid retention. Taxotere is not an appropriate therapy for some patients with severe liver impairment. Taxotere also is approved in more than 80 countries, including the European Union and the United States, to treat advanced breast cancer after failure of prior chemotherapy.