VX-710

VX-710 (also known as Biricodar) is a multi-drug resistance inhibitor that was developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals. It was designed to enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs by preventing the cancer cells from pumping out the drugs before they can have an effect.

History[edit | edit source]

VX-710 was first developed in the late 1990s by Vertex Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The drug was part of a new class of drugs known as multi-drug resistance inhibitors, which were designed to overcome one of the major obstacles in cancer treatment: the ability of cancer cells to become resistant to chemotherapy drugs.

Mechanism of Action[edit | edit source]

VX-710 works by inhibiting the action of a protein known as P-glycoprotein, which is often overexpressed in cancer cells and is responsible for pumping out chemotherapy drugs, thereby rendering them ineffective. By inhibiting P-glycoprotein, VX-710 allows the chemotherapy drugs to remain inside the cancer cells longer, increasing their effectiveness.

Clinical Trials[edit | edit source]

Several clinical trials were conducted to test the effectiveness of VX-710. In a Phase II trial, VX-710 was combined with the chemotherapy drugs doxorubicin and vincristine in patients with advanced, drug-resistant cancers. The results showed that the combination of VX-710 with these drugs was safe and had some activity against the cancer.

However, in a subsequent Phase III trial, VX-710 failed to show a significant improvement in survival in patients with drug-resistant ovarian cancer. This led to the discontinuation of the development of VX-710 as a standalone drug.

Current Status[edit | edit source]

Despite the initial promise of VX-710, the drug is no longer being developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals. However, the concept of multi-drug resistance inhibitors remains an active area of research in the field of oncology, with several other drugs being developed to target P-glycoprotein and other mechanisms of drug resistance.