It is great to have new treatments for patients with advanced cancer, and XTANDI has just been approved for patients with progressive disease who have failed Taxotere (an IV chemotherapy medication).
XTANDI (Enzalutamide) is very much like Zytiga…..a previously approved medications for advanced prostate cancer. The medication is a pill that maximally suppressed all testosterone in the body and thereby deprives the prostate cancer cells of any testosterone, a hormone which assists in prostate tissue growth. The advantage of XTANDI is that is does not require prednisone, like Zytiga dose, and this may be a benefit.
There is hope that XTANDI and ZYTIGA will be used prior to trying IV chemotherapy, but they have not yet been approved for these purposes, so they remain a ‘last line’ therapy. That, and the cost (approx $7,000 per month) are among the limiters for this new medication, but it is great to have more weapons at our disposal.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/01/business/fda-approves-prostate-cancer-drug.html?ref=health