How does ABRAXANE work?
Paclitaxel is the active agent in ABRAXANE. It is a potent anticancer drug that stops cancer cells from growing and dividing by interfering with certain cell structures and killing the cancer cells. Paclitaxel can slow tumor growth or temporarily stop tumor growth altogether. Solvent-based paclitaxel (Taxol® Injection) contains chemicals that are needed to dissolve the drug before it can be injected into the bloodstream. These solvents can cause side effects; therefore, patients usually need to take additional medications before they receive paclitaxel to reduce the risk of getting these solvent-related side effects. ABRAXANE offers a different approach for treating metastatic breast cancer with paclitaxel because it uses an albumin formulation to deliver paclitaxel. Because ABRAXANE does not contain solvents, there is a reduced risk of certain hypersensitivity-related side effects, so additional medications, such as steroids and antihistamines, are not necessary.
