Is anticancer drug development heading in the right direction?
The success of molecularly targeted agents, such as imatinib, has led to expectations of a new era in anticancer drug development, and to a greatly increased focus on targeting as a strategy. However, the number of successes to date is small, and recent results suggest that the success of imatinib, for instance, in treating chronic myelogenous leukemia and gastrointestinal stromal tumor may be the exception rather than the rule. Here, we argue that the search for new anticancer agents needs to continue on as many fronts as possible, and not be focused on one strategy alone.
Hambley
Trevor W
TW
School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. t.hambley@chem.usyd.edu.au
Hait
William N
WN
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001549:Benzamides; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*; D046152:Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000188:drug therapy; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001549:Benzamides; D010879:Piperazines; D011743:Pyrimidines; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases