paclitaxel + tipifarnib

Paclitaxel + tipifarnib is an investigational combination therapy consisting of two small molecule drugs with distinct mechanisms of action. Paclitaxel is a microtubule-stabilizing agent that disrupts mitosis and induces apoptosis in cancer cells. Tipifarnib (also known as R115777 or Zarnestra) is a farnesyltransferase inhibitor that blocks the post-translational modification of proteins such as HRAS, thereby inhibiting oncogenic signaling pathways. Preclinical studies have shown that this combination synergistically inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in multiple myeloma and breast cancer cell lines by enhancing cytochrome c release, caspase-3 activation, G2/M cell-cycle arrest, and modulating key survival pathways including Raf/MEK/ERK and PI3K/Akt[1][2][3]. Clinical trials have evaluated the safety and efficacy of this combination in solid tumors such as breast cancer; however, the addition of tipifarnib to neoadjuvant sequential weekly paclitaxel did not significantly improve pathological complete response rates compared to historical controls[6].

Other names

Zarnestra