Taxoids are a class of derivatives from taxol, that is,

paclitaxel Paclitaxel (PTX), sold under the brand name Taxol among others, is a chemotherapy medication used to treat a number of types of cancer. This includes ovarian cancer, esophageal cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, Kaposi's sarcoma, cervical canc ...

. They were developed for their anticancer

chemotherapeutic Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs ( chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemothera ...

properties. Taxoids are usually treated as synonymous with

taxane Taxanes are a class of diterpenes. They were originally identified from plants of the genus ''Taxus'' (yews), and feature a taxadiene core. Paclitaxel (Taxol) and docetaxel (Taxotere) are widely used as chemotherapy agents. Cabazitaxel was FDA ap ...

s; for example, a major medical dictionary defines the two terms with the same definition phrasing, and in another the phrasing varies slightly but conveys nearly identical meaning. Taxoids are chemically

-derived

diterpenoid Diterpenes are a class of chemical compounds composed of four isoprene units, often with the molecular formula C20H32. They are biosynthesized by plants, animals and fungi via the HMG-CoA reductase pathway, with geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate being ...

s, which do occur in nature, in the genera ''

Taxus ''Taxus'' is a genus of coniferous trees or shrubs known as yews in the family Taxaceae. They are relatively slow-growing and can be very long-lived, and reach heights of , with trunk girth averaging . They have reddish bark, lanceolate, flat ...

'' and ''

Austrotaxus ''Austrotaxus spicata'', the New Caledonia yew or southern yew, is a species of yew, the sole species in the genus ''Austrotaxus''. It is related to the other yews in the genera ''Taxus'' and '' Pseudotaxus''. It is endemic to New Caledonia, o ...

'' of

yew tree Yew is a common name given to various species of trees. It is most prominently given to any of various coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Taxus'': * European yew or common yew (''Taxus baccata'') * Pacific yew or western yew (''Taxus b ...

s. The taxoids class and the taxanes class both include paclitaxel (trade names Taxol, Abraxane, Onxol, Nov-Onxol) and

docetaxel Docetaxel (DTX or DXL), sold under the brand name Taxotere among others, is a chemotherapy medication used to treat a number of types of cancer. This includes breast cancer, head and neck cancer, stomach cancer, prostate cancer and non-small-cell ...

(trade names Taxotere, Docecad).

References

Mitotic inhibitors {{antineoplastic-drug-stub