FDA-Approved Targeted Therapies in Oncology

Abstract

Targeted therapies serve as a foundation for precision medicine. Unlike traditional chemotherapy which affects all cells in the body, the drugs used in targeted therapies block only the growth of cancer cells by interfering with specific targeted molecules needed for carcinogenesis and tumor growth. Because targeted therapy is precise, the damage to healthy cells is minimal resulting in fewer side effects than standard chemotherapy. This chapter will highlight targeted therapies approved by the US “Food and Drug Administration” commonly referred to as the FDA. Specifically, agents that target cell signaling pathways, therapies that stop the growth of hormone-sensitive tumors, angiogenesis inhibitors that block blood vessel growth to cancers, antibody-drug conjugates or radioactively attached antibody particles, immunotherapies that trigger or reactivate the body’s immune system, epigenetic drugs that inhibit enzymes, and proteasome inhibitors will be highlighted.