ZD6126 is a vascular-targeting agent and a

prodrug A prodrug is a medication or compound that, after intake, is metabolized (i.e., converted within the body) into a pharmacologically active drug. Instead of administering a drug directly, a corresponding prodrug can be used to improve how the drug ...

of N-acetylcolchinol, related to

colchicine Colchicine is a medication used to treat gout and Behçet's disease. In gout, it is less preferred to NSAIDs or steroids. Other uses for colchicine include the management of pericarditis and familial Mediterranean fever. Colchicine is taken ...

. It has shown promising results on

tumor A neoplasm () is a type of abnormal and excessive growth of tissue. The process that occurs to form or produce a neoplasm is called neoplasia. The growth of a neoplasm is uncoordinated with that of the normal surrounding tissue, and persists ...

s in mice. A phase I

clinical trial Clinical trials are prospective biomedical or behavioral research studies on human participants designed to answer specific questions about biomedical or behavioral interventions, including new treatments (such as novel vaccines, drugs, dietar ...

identified gastrointestinal and cardiac effects as limiting dosing. Two phase II

s were suspended investigating ZD6126 in metastatic renal cell carcinoma and metastatic colorectal cancer. ZD6126 was being investigated by AstraZeneca as a

vascular disrupting agent A vascular-targeting agent (VTA) or vascular disrupting agent (VDA) is a drug designed to damage the vasculature (blood vessels) of cancer tumors causing central necrosis. VTAs can be small-molecule or ligand-based. Small-molecule VTAs include: * ...

(VDA). However, the trials were halted, after it became apparent that ZD6126 was too cardiotoxic at the required doses.

References

Phenol ethers Acetamides Abandoned drugs {{antineoplastic-drug-stub