Eribulin mesylate.

Eribulin mesylate, a nontaxane, completely synthetic microtubule inhibitor, has recently been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as third-line treatment of metastatic breast cancer refractory to anthracyclines and taxanes. Eribulin is a synthetic analogue of halichondrin B, which inhibits microtubule polymerization by a mechanism distinct from other available antitubulin agents. Eribulin significantly increased overall survival (OS; median OS for the eribulin-treated group was 13.1 months versus 10.6 months for the group treated by investigator's choice) in a heavily pretreated metastatic breast cancer population. Eribulin has a manageable side-effect profile, notably neutropenia and fatigue, and a relatively low incidence of peripheral neuropathy. The mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, preclinical antitumor activity, and clinical trials of eribulin in the metastatic breast cancer setting are reviewed here. ©2011 AACR