When Taxol met tubulin
John Arnst
Abstract
When the drug Taxol® was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration in 1993, it was a game changer for cancer patients. The compound, which arrests cell division by preventing the disassembly of tubulin microfibers, has been used over the past three decades to treat millions of cases of breast, lung, and ovarian cancer as well as Kaposi's sarcoma. In 1990, Bristol Myers Squibb applied to trademark the name Taxol, which was approved in 1992, changing the drug's generic name to paclitaxel.
Topics & Concepts
PaclitaxelDrugFood and drug administrationMedicineTubulinTaxusOvarian cancerCancerPharmacologyOncologyInternal medicineBiologyMicrotubuleCell biologyBotanyCancer Treatment and PharmacologyMicrotubule and mitosis dynamicsColorectal Cancer Treatments and Studies