Efficacy of trabectedin for the treatment of liposarcoma

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Trabectedin (ET-743) is a synthetic marine derived alkylating agent, extracted originally from a Caribbean Sea sponge. It is approved for the treatment of Soft Tissue sarcomas (STS) in Europe and recently by the FDA for liposarcomas and leiomyosarcomas.Areas covered: Trabectedin has multiple mechanisms of action, including one targeting the FUS-CHOP oncogene in Myxoid/Round cell Liposarcomas. Numerous Phase I, II and III clinical trials have been conducted with Trabectedin. It has been studied as monotherapy or in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents. The recommended dose based on clinical trials is 1.5 milligrams/m2 continuous infusion over 24 hours once every 3 weeks for STS with evidence of disease control in multiple clinical trials at this dose. The most common Grade 3/4 toxicities include neutropenia and transient noncumulative elevations of ALT and AST. Steroid pretreatment has shown efficacy in reducing liver and bone marrow toxicity. In phase III testing comparing ...