How does it work?

Drugs.com

Official answer

by Drugs.com
  • Lenvatinib (brand name: Lenvima) is an oral targeted drug treatment for certain cancers. It is not a chemotherapy drug.
  • Lenvatinib blocks proteins that encourage cancer cell growth. It also inhibits signals to help slow growth of new blood vessels from existing blood vessels (known as angiogenesis) that support the tumor's growth.
  • Abnormal angiogenesis can occur in cancer, degenerative eye diseases and other medical conditions that involve inflammation.

    • Targeted drugs are often referred to as “precision medicine”. Targeted therapies are designed to seek out their specific target, not directly effect all cells (although they may affect other cells and cause side effects, which can be serious). Targeted drugs block tumor cell growth (cytostatic), whereas standard chemotherapy agents typically kill tumor cells directly (are cytotoxic).

    Lenvatinib is classified as an oral multiple receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) inhibitor and Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/ vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) inhibitor.

    What does lenvatinib treat?

    The FDA first approved Eisai’s Lenvima (lenvatinib) in February 2015. It is an oral prescription approved for the treatment of:

  • differentiated thyroid cancer (after radioactive iodine has been tried without success)
  • advanced renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer); used with another target therapy known as everolimus (Afinitor)
  • inoperable hepatocellular (liver) carcinoma (HCC)
  • endometrial cancer (a type of uterine cancer); used with the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda)

    • This is not all the information you need to know about lenvatinib for safe and effective use. Review the full lenvatinib information here, and discuss this information and any questions with your doctor or other health care provider.

    Related medical questions

    Disclaimer

    Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

    The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

    Popular Keywords