Escaping abiraterone

Although numerous papers have detailed how castration-resistant prostate cancers become refractory to Xtandi enzalutamide and other second-generation androgen receptor antagonists, comparatively little is known about how the disease eventually evades CYP17 inhibitors such as Zytiga abiraterone. Findings from a Cleveland Clinic team could change that, as the group has detailed how some tumors engage an alternative synthesis pathway for androgen.¹

Androgen receptor antagonism and inhibition of CYP17 (cytochrome P450 17 a-hydroxylase/C17, 20 lyase) are the mainstays of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) treatment. Medivation Inc. and Astellas Pharma Inc. reported $158 million in U.S. Xtandi sales in the first half of the year, and Johnson & Johnson's Zytiga posted sales of $739 million in that period...