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Zolinza
Brand named Zolinza, Vorinostat is also known as suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA). It is a higher-tier drug which is used to treat a type of skin cancer, cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL), and Sézary's disease when other treatments have failed or the patient is not showing progress with those medications. Zolinza is a relatively new medication which was approved on October 6th of 2006 by the United Stated Food and Drug Administration for sale and distribution by Merck & Co, Inc. Zolinza is a histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDI) and operates by destroying cancerous cells and inhibiting their growth by silencing the related genes. Epigenetic alterations of tumor suppressor genes are a contributing factors in carcinogenesis. HDIs de-repress genes that subsequently result in growth inhibition, differentiation and apoptosis of cancer cells
In the main drug-trial to lead to approval, twenty two of the seventy-four participants showed a fifty percent or greater improvement in their Severity Weighted Assessment Tool (SWAT) score. The minimum requirements for the study were to have stage IB or higher CTCL, and the participant must have failed two systemic therapies previously. The medication is administered orally, often with food, and the dosage ranges from once a day to every few days. Also, it is advisable to drink sixty-four ounces of water a day to prevent dehydration. Possible side effects of Vorinostat are drowsiness and increased blood glucose. Some other side effects include:
- Diarrhea
- Weight loss
- Vomiting
- Altered taste sensations
- Dry mouth
- Excessive urination
- Swelling in extremities (hands, feet, legs, ankles)
If any of the following side effects are experienced, you should contact your doctor immediately:
- Shortness of breath
- Sudden pain or swelling in the extremities
- Increased heart rate
- Black outs
- Chest pains
- Unexpected blood loss
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