Anzatax

Drugs

Generic Name: Paclitaxel
Product Name: Anzatax

Indication of Anzatax
Action of Anzatax
Dose advice of Anzatax
Schedule of Anzatax
Common side effects of Anzatax
Uncommon side effects of Anzatax
Reference

Indication of Anzatax:

Anzatax Injection is indicated for the treatment of specific types of breast cancer, ovarian cancer and non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

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Action of Anzatax:

Anzatax is part of a group of anti-cancer drugs that works by killing the tumour cells as they grow and multiply. This is called an anti-neoplastic agent (neoplasm is another term to describe a cancer or tumour). When tumour cells grow, they must go through a series of stages called the cell cycle. Anzatax stops the tumour cells in a specific phase of their cell cycle - so that they cannot continue to grow and divide.

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Dose advice of Anzatax:

Your oncologist (cancer doctor) will decide what dose of Anzatax is best for you. The amount given depends on your type of cancer, your weight, your kidney function and other medical problems that you may suffer from. Anzatax is given as an injection. There are often several other medications given just before Anzatax (such as dexamethasone) to reduce the likely side effects of Anzatax for the patient.

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Schedule of Anzatax:

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Common side effects of Anzatax:

Many chemotherapy medications have unwanted side effects. Most of the side effects can be managed by your doctor, however there are some side effects which can be serious and you may require extra treatment. Some patients may receive medication to use to manage possible side effects or prevent the. The list of possible side effects is long, however patients should not be alarmed. It is possible not to have side effects at all. Common side effects; these occur in one or more patients out of every 10 who received Anzatax in studies. Often these side effects are related to the dose (how much) of the Anzatax Injection you receive. Patients may expect one or more of these side effects.

Low blood pressure this may cause you to feel light-headed, dizzy or faint.
Anaemia (low levels of red blood cells which carry oxygen in the blood).
Neutropenia (low levels of white blood cells which fight infection).
High levels of some liver enzymes.
Skin changes such as flushing or a rash.
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or mouth ulcers.
Peripheral neuropathy (Pain, tingling or numbness from the nerves in the hands, feet or legs. This usually resolves within a few months of finishing treatment).
Muscle aches, joint pains.
Hair loss

Less frequent side effects: these occur in between 1-10% of patients taking Anzatax in studies.

Slow heart rate or changes to the heart's electrical signals seen on an ECG.
Fever in combination with a low white blood cell count - this is usually an indication of underlying infection somewhere in the body.
Increased bilirubin seen on liver blood tests. High levels of bilirubin cause jaundice - yellowing of the skin and eyes.
Patients who are sensitive to this medicine may have an allergy-like response with shortness of breath, chest pains, low blood pressure and a fast pulse.

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Uncommon side effects of Anzatax:

Uncommon side effects happen in less than 1% of patients taking the Anzatax injection. These include;

Early beats by the heart. This will be seen on an ECG (an electrical picture of you heart taken using leads attached to the chest wall).
Liver damage - which may cause death.

Rarely, there may be additional side effects as follows. These rare side effects occur in less than 1 person per 1000 people who have taken Anzatax in studies.

Heart attack or heart failure.
Overwhelming infection (sepsis), which may cause death.
Bowel perforation - this requires an emergency operation on the intestines.
Disturbed vision in high doses.
Nail changes.
Pain or swelling at the site of injection.

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Reference:

Anzatax. Product Information: Therapeutic Guidelines Australia. 2005 (amended 7 Feb 2006) Mayne Pharma Ltd.
Australian Medicines Handbook. PACLITAXEL. [Monograph online] AMH Pty Ltd 2007. [Cited 11 April 2007] http://www.amh.net.au
Paclitaxel. MIMS Online. [Monograph online] MIMS Australia Pty Ltd 2003. [Cited 11 April 11, 2007] http://www.mims/com.au
Anzatax Injection concentrate. Consumer Medicine Information: TGA. 2006 (approved August 2005) Mayne Pharma Ltd.

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