At this point, however, it is the Abraxane approval that excites many cancer specialists. In addition to fewer side effects, Abraxane doesn't require the special and expensive intravenous tubing required for the use of Taxol, whose solvents can leach chemicals out of ordinary plastic, and can be administered in 30 minutes instead of three hours.
"From an economic and convenience standpoint, [Abraxane] appears to offer some advantages," says Clifford Hudis, chief of the breast-cancer medicine service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. "If it turns out to be more efficacious [than Taxol], so much the better."
Still, Dr. Hudis notes that as with many new drugs, cancer specialists may need some time to get used to Abraxane. Because of the way it was approved, Abraxane's officially approved use is almost identical to that of Taxol when it was originally approved for breast cancer in 1994. Since then, however, cancer researchers have discovered new ways of dosing Taxol that improve its effectiveness and limit some side effects.
And while American Pharmaceutical data showed that Abraxane can shrink tumors somewhat more effectively than Taxol, Abraxane hasn't yet been tested against a newer drug related to Taxol called Taxotere, marketed by Sanofi-Aventis of France. "For efficacy, the goalposts have moved," Dr. Hudis said.
Use of Abraxane may also be affected by its price, which American Pharmaceutical hasn't yet announced. Analysts expect that Abraxane will be more expensive than Taxol, in part because company officials argue that the drug can save money by eliminating the use of special tubing and reducing the need for expensive drugs used to bolster white blood-cell counts.
Following news of the drug approval, American Pharmaceutical shares rose $11.01, or 28%, to $49.72 in 4 p.m. composite trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
Write to David P. Hamilton at david.hamilton@wsj.com1
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