Vinorelbine 71486-22-1

Pharmacology

Vinorelbine is the first 5´NOR semi-synthetic vinca alkaloid. It is obtained by semi-synthesis from alkaloids extracted from the rosy periwinkle, Catharanthus roseus.

History

Vinorelbine was invented by the pharmacist Pierre Potier and his team from the CNRS in France in the 1980s and was licensed to the oncology department of the Pierre Fabre Group. The drug was approved in France in 1989 under the brand name Navelbine for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. It gained approval to treat metastatic breast cancer in 1991. Vinorelbine received approval by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in December 1994 sponsored by Burroughs Wellcome Company. Pierre Fabre Group now markets Navelbine in the U. S. , where the drug went generic in February 2003. In most European countries, vinorelbine is approved to treat non-small cell lung cancer and breast cancer.

Oral formulation

An oral formulation has been marketed and registered in most European countries for the same settings. It has similar efficacy as the intravenous formulation, avoids venous toxicities of an infusion and is easier to take.

Side effects

Vinorelbine has a number of side-effects that can limit its use:Lowered resistance to infection, bruising or bleeding, anaemia, constipation, diarrhoea, nausea, numbness or tingling in hands or feet , tiredness and a general feeling of weakness , inflammation of the vein into which it was injected . Seldom severe hyponatremia is seen. Less common effects are hair loss and allergic reaction.