Zeneca's Tomudex Launched In First Market

Several months later than expected, Zeneca has launched Tomudex (raltitrexed), the first single-agent cytotoxic for the first-line palliative treatment of advanced colorectal cancer in over 35 years, onto the market in the UK. The UK will lead the way for other European launches, said the company.

Tomudex will be sold at a National Health Service price of L116 ($176) per 2mg vial. The recommended dose is 3mg/m2 given as a single, short (15 minute) intravenous infusion. In the absence of toxicity, treatment may be repeated every three weeks. Dose escalation above 3mg/m2 is not recommended, according to the Summary of Product Characteristics.

Tomudex is a direct and specific thymidylate synthetase inhibitor. This specificity is thought to make the drug less toxic compared to other non-specific TS inhibitors, such as 5-fluorouracil, which is the current drug of choice in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer.