Paclitaxel is a taxoid chemotherapeutic agent used as first-line and subsequent therapy for the treatment of advanced carcinoma of the ovary, and other various cancers including breast and lung cancer. Paclitaxel is a chemotherapeutic agent marketed under the brand name Taxol among others.
- Mechanism
- Curator reviewed
Paclitaxel interferes with the normal function of microtubule growth. Whereas drugs like colchicine cause the depolymerization of microtubules in vivo, paclitaxel arrests their function by having the opposite effect; it hyper-stabilizes their structure. This destroys the cell's ability to use its cytoskeleton in a flexible manner. Specifically, paclitaxel binds to the β subunit of tubulin. Tubulin is the "building block" of mictotubules, and the binding of paclitaxel locks these building blocks in place. The resulting microtubule/paclitaxel complex does not have the ability to disassemble. This adversely affects cell function because the shortening and lengthening of microtubules (termed dynamic instability) is necessary for their function as a transportation highway for the cell. Chromosomes, for example, rely upon this property of microtubules during mitosis. Further research has indicated that paclitaxel induces programmed cell death (apoptosis) in cancer cells by binding to an apoptosis stopping protein called Bcl-2 (B-cell leukemia 2) and thus arresting its function.
- Primary indication
- Used in the treatment of Kaposi's sarcoma and cancer of the lung, ovarian, and breast.Curator reviewed · 27 structured indications
- Formula / weight
- C47H51NO14 · 853.9061 g/mol (avg)
- First approval
- Canada, 1992 · United States, 2001 · European Union, 2016
- Also known as
- ABI-007 COMPONENT PACLITAXEL · BENZENEPROPANOIC ACID, .BETA.-(BENZOYLAMINO)-.ALPHA.-HYDROXY-, (2AR,4S,4AS,6R,9S,11S,12S,12AR,12BS)-6,12B-BIS(ACETYLOXY)-12-(BENZOYLOXY)-2A,3,4,4A,5,6,9,10,11,12,12A,12B-DODECAHYDRO-4,11-DIHYDROXY-4A,8,13,13-TETRAMETHYL-5-OXO-7,11-METHANO-1H-CYCLODECA(3, · liposomal encapsulated paclitaxel · Nab paclitaxel · nab-paclitaxel
- Code names
- ABI-007 · BMS 181339-01 · DHP 107 · FID-007 · MBT-0206 · NK-105 · NSC-125973 · QW-8184 · RMX3001 · S-8184
- Brand names
Resolves to
RCINICONZNJXQF-MZXODVADSA-NSMILES[H][C@]12[C@H](OC(=O)C3=CC=CC=C3)[C@]3(O)C[C@H](OC(=O)[C@H](O)[C@@H](NC(=O)C4=CC=CC=C4)C4=CC=CC=C4)C(C)=C([C@@H](OC(C)=O)C(=O)[C@]1(C)[C@@H](O)C[C@H]1OC[C@@]21OC(C)=O)C3(C)CWhat you can answer from here — as of August 31, 2026
Which drugs share a target with Paclitaxel, and which of those have an active Phase 3 trial?
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