On May 29, 1996, the FDA approved topotecan
hydrochloride as a treatment for advanced
ovarian cancers that have resisted other
chemotherapy drugs. Topotecan, which worked as well as or better than
Taxol in clinical trials, is sold under the trade name
Hycamtin.
Topotecan is a topoisomerase I inhibitor and is delivered intravenously. The drug can cause nausea, lowered white blood cell counts, decreased platelet counts (with an accompanying risk of bleeding), severe anemia, fatigue, and gastrointestinal upsets. This drug is a chemical relative of camptothecin and irinotecan.