vorinostat + cisplatin

This combination regimen consists of the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor vorinostat and the platinum-based chemotherapy agent cisplatin, typically administered in conjunction with radiation therapy. Vorinostat, developed by Merck & Co. under the brand name Zolinza, inhibits Class I, II, and IV HDAC enzymes, leading to the accumulation of acetylated histones and non-histone proteins, which promotes cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in malignant cells. Cisplatin is a standard-of-care cytotoxic agent that forms intra-strand and inter-strand DNA cross-links, thereby inhibiting DNA synthesis and repair. This specific therapeutic combination was investigated by the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center in a Phase I dose-escalation study (NCT00552435) to evaluate safety and efficacy in patients with advanced, unresectable, or borderline resectable squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx, larynx, hypopharynx, and nasopharynx.

Brand names

ZolinzaPlatinol

Other names

suberoylanilide hydroxamic acidcis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II)