Invited Speaker

ALB 109564 - A Novel Tubulin Inhibitor
Bruce J. Sargent


Despite the general trend toward highly targeted mechanisms it is clear that a role remains for antimitotic cancer agents, such as tubulin modulators. Moreover, even though multiple drugs acting via tubulin modulation have been available for many years (including the vinca and taxol classes) there remains opportunity for new and advantaged drugs of this type (as evidenced by the 2009 launch of the epothilone ixabepilone and the EU approval recommendation for vinflunine). Within the vinca class, vinblastine and vincristine are long established for treatment of leukemia and soft tissue tumors and more recently, vinorelbine for treatment of breast cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. Despite the common molecular mode of action, and closely related chemical scaffolds, the different vinca alkaloid drugs show significant differences in activity and toxicity.