Nab-paclitaxel in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer: a comprehensive review

The novel paclitaxel formulation (nanoparticle albumin-bound [nab] paclitaxel (Abraxane(?)) has recently been approved by the US FDA for treatment of breast cancer after failure of combination chemotherapy for metastatic disease or relapse within 6 months after adjuvant chemotherapy. Apart from its superior efficacy, as demonstrated in the pivotal Phase III study, less toxicity compared with the traditional solvent-containing paclitaxel (Taxol(?)) seems to contribute to its favorable therapeutic index. While approved as a single agent, nab-paclitaxel may prove more effective in combination with either biologic agents and/or other cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents, as summarized in this article.