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Quick facts
- Drug class
- Microtubule Inhibitor [EPC]
- How it is given
- intravenous
- Type
- human prescription drug
- RxNorm ID
- 312199
We do not publish dosing. How much of this medicine to take, how often, and for how long depends on your age, weight, kidney and liver function, other conditions and other medicines. That is a decision for the person who prescribes or dispenses it. Follow the directions on your own pack and ask your pharmacist if anything is unclear.
What it is used to treat
INDICATIONS AND USAGE Paclitaxel Injection, USP is indicated as subsequent therapy for the treatment of advanced carcinoma of the ovary. As first-line therapy, Paclitaxel Injection, USP is indicated in combination with cisplatin. Paclitaxel Injection, USP is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of node-positive breast cancer administered sequentially to standard doxorubicin-containing combination chemotherapy. In the clinical trial, there was an overall favorable effect on disease-free and overall survival in the total population of patients with receptor-positive and receptor-negative tumors, but the benefit has been specifically demonstrated by available data (median follow-up 30 months) only in the patients with estrogen and progesterone receptor-negative tumors (see CLINICAL STUDIES, Breast Carcinoma ). Paclitaxel Injection, USP is indicated for the treatment of breast cancer after failure of combination chemotherapy for metastatic disease or relapse within 6 months of adjuvant chemotherapy. Prior therapy should have included an anthracycline unless clinically contraindicated. Paclitaxel Injection, USP, in combination with cisplatin, is indicated for the first-line treatment of non-small cell lung cancer in patients who are not candidates for potentially curative surgery and/or radiation therapy. Paclitaxel Injection, USP is indicated for the second-line treatment of AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma.
About this medicine
DESCRIPTION Paclitaxel Injection, USP is a clear, colorless to slightly yellow viscous solution. It is supplied as a nonaqueous solution intended for dilution with a suitable parenteral fluid prior to intravenous infusion. Paclitaxel Injection, USP is available in 30 mg (5 mL), 100 mg (16.7 mL), and 300 mg (50 mL) multidose vials. Each mL of sterile nonpyrogenic solution contains 6 mg paclitaxel, USP, 527 mg of polyoxyl 35 castor oil, NF and 49.7% (v/v) dehydrated alcohol, USP and 2 mg citric acid, USP. Paclitaxel is a natural product with antitumor activity. Paclitaxel is obtained via a semi-synthetic process from Taxus baccata . The chemical name for paclitaxel is 5β,20-Epoxy-1,2α,4,7β, 10β,13α-hexahydroxytax-11-en-9-one 4,10-diacetate 2-benzoate 13-ester with (2R,3S)-N-benzoyl-3-phenylisoserine. Paclitaxel has the following structural formula: Paclitaxel, USP is a white to off-white crystalline powder with the empirical formula C 47 H 51 NO 14 and a molecular weight of 853.9. It is highly lipophilic, insoluble in water, and melts at around 216° to 217°C. paclitaxel-str
Who should not take it
CONTRAINDICATIONS Paclitaxel is contraindicated in patients who have a history of hypersensitivity reactions to paclitaxel or other drugs formulated in polyoxyl 35 castor oil. Paclitaxel should not be used in patients with solid tumors who have baseline neutrophil counts of <1,500 cells/mm 3 or in patients with AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma with baseline neutrophil counts of <1,000 cells/mm 3 .
Warnings
WARNINGS Anaphylaxis and severe hypersensitivity reactions characterized by dyspnea and hypotension requiring treatment, angioedema, and generalized urticaria have occurred in 2 to 4% of patients receiving paclitaxel in clinical trials. Fatal reactions have occurred in patients despite premedication. All patients should be pretreated with corticosteroids, diphenhydramine, and H 2 antagonists. (see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION ). Patients who experience severe hypersensitivity reactions to paclitaxel should not be rechallenged with the drug. Bone marrow suppression (primarily neutropenia) is dose-dependent and is the dose-limiting toxicity. Neutrophil nadirs occurred at a median of 11 days. Paclitaxel should not be administered to patients with baseline neutrophil counts of less than 1,500 cells/mm 3 (<1,000 cells/mm 3 for patients with KS). Frequent monitoring of blood counts should be instituted during paclitaxel treatment. Patients should not be re-treated with subsequent cycles of paclitaxel until neutrophils recover to a level >1,500 cells/mm 3 (>1,000 cells/mm 3 for patients with KS) and platelets recover to a level >100,000 cells/mm 3 . Severe conduction abnormalities have been documented in <1% of patients during paclitaxel therapy and in some cases requiring pacemaker placement. If patients develop significant conduction abnormalities during paclitaxel infusion, appropriate therapy should be administered and continuous cardiac monitoring should be performed during subsequent therapy with paclitaxel. Pregnancy Paclitaxel can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Administration of paclitaxel during the period of organogenesis to rabbits at doses of 3 mg/kg/day (about 0.2 the daily maximum recommended human dose on a mg/m 2 basis) caused embryo- and fetotoxicity, as indicated by intrauterine mortality, increased resorptions, and increased fetal deaths. Maternal toxicity was also observed at this dose. No teratogenic effects were observed at 1 mg/kg/day (about 1/15 the daily maximum recommended human dose on a mg/m 2 basis); teratogenic potential could not be assessed at higher doses due to extensive fetal mortality. […]
Reported side effects
ADVERSE REACTIONS Pooled Analysis of Adverse Event Experiences from Single-Agent Studies Data in the following table are based on the experience of 812 patients (493 with ovarian carcinoma and 319 with breast carcinoma) enrolled in 10 studies who received single-agent Paclitaxel Injection. Two hundred and seventy-five patients were treated in 8, Phase 2 studies with paclitaxel doses ranging from 135 to 300 mg/m 2 administered over 24 hours (in 4 of these studies, G-CSF was administered as hematopoietic support). Three hundred and one patients were treated in the randomized Phase 3 ovarian carcinoma study which compared 2 doses (135 or 175 mg/m 2 ) and 2 schedules (3 or 24 hours) of paclitaxel. Two hundred and thirty-six patients with breast carcinoma received paclitaxel (135 or 175 mg/m 2 ) administered over 3 hours in a controlled study. TABLE 10. SUMMARY a OF ADVERSE EVENTS IN PATIENTS WITH SOLID TUMORS RECEIVING SINGLE-AGENT PACLITAXEL Percent of Patients (n=812) Bone Marrow - Neutropenia <2,000/mm 3 <500/mm 3 - Leukopenia <4,000/mm 3 <1,000/mm 3 - Thrombocytopenia <100,000/mm 3 <50,000/mm 3 - Anemia <11 g/dL <8 g/dL - Infections - Bleeding - Red Cell Transfusions - Platelet Transfusions 90 52 90 17 20 7 78 16 30 14 25 2 Hypersensitivity Reaction b - All - Severe † 41 2 Cardiovascular - Vital Sign Changes c - Bradycardia (n=537) - Hypotension (n=532) - Significant Cardiovascular Events 3 12 1 Abnormal ECG - All Pts - Pts with normal baseline (n=559) 23 14 Peripheral Neuropathy - Any symptoms - Severe symptoms † 60 3 Myalgia/Arthralgia - Any symptoms - Severe symptoms † 60 8 Gastrointestinal - Nausea and vomiting - Diarrhea - Mucositis 52 38 31 Alopecia 87 Hepatic (Pts with normal baseline and on study data) - Bilirubin elevations (n=765) - Alkaline phosphatase elevations (n=575) - AST (SGOT) elevations (n=591) 7 22 19 Injection Site Reaction 13 a Based on worst course analysis. b All patients received premedication. c During the first 3 hours of infusion † Severe events are defined as at least Grade III toxicity. None of the observed toxicities were clearly influenced by age. […]
Interactions with other medicines
Drug Interactions In a Phase 1 trial using escalating doses of paclitaxel (110 to 200 mg/m 2 ) and cisplatin (50 or 75 mg/m 2 ) given as sequential infusions, myelosuppression was more profound when paclitaxel was given after cisplatin than with the alternate sequence (i.e., paclitaxel before cisplatin). Pharmacokinetic data from these patients demonstrated a decrease in paclitaxel clearance of approximately 33% when paclitaxel was administered following cisplatin. The metabolism of paclitaxel is catalyzed by cytochrome P450 isoenzymes CYP2C8 and CYP3A4. Caution should be exercised when administering paclitaxel concomitantly with known substrates or inhibitors of the cytochrome P450 isoenzymes CTP2C8 and CYP3A4. Caution should be exercised when paclitaxel is concomitantly administered with known substrates (e.g., midazolam, buspirone, felodipine, lovastatin, eletriptan, sildenafil, simvastatin, and triazolam), inhibitors (e.g., atazanavir, clarithromycin, indinavir, itraconazole, ketoconazole, nefazodone, nelfinavir, ritonavir, saquinavir, and telithromycin), and inducers (e.g., rifampin and carbamazepine) of CYP3A4. (see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY ). Caution should also be exercised when paclitaxel is concomitantly administered with known substrates (e.g., repaglinide and rosiglitazone), inhibitors (e.g., gemfibrozil), and inducers (e.g., rifampin) of CYP2C8. (see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY ). Potential interactions between paclitaxel, a substrate of CYP3A4, and protease inhibitors (ritonavir, saquinavir, indinavir, and nelfinavir), which are substrates and/or inhibitors of CYP3A4, have not been evaluated in clinical trials. Reports in the literature suggest that plasma levels of doxorubicin (and its active metabolite doxorubicinol) may be increased when paclitaxel and doxorubicin are used in combination.
If too much is taken
OVERDOSAGE There is no known antidote for paclitaxel overdosage. The primary anticipated complications of overdosage would consist of bone marrow suppression, peripheral neurotoxicity, and mucositis. Overdoses in pediatric patients may be associated with acute ethanol toxicity (see PRECAUTIONS, Pediatric Use ).
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This page is built from the openFDA record of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approved labelling for this product, effective 24 June 2024. Label text has been shortened and reformatted for readability; safety wording has not been altered in meaning. FDA labelling describes products approved in the United States — brand names, strengths, formulations and approved uses may differ in your country. Always read the leaflet that comes with your own pack. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the FDA. Retrieved 2026-07-30.