A Phase 2 Trial of Ixabepilone in Asian Patients with Advanced Gastric Cancer Previously Treated with Fluoropyrimidine-Based Chemotherapy

ABSTRACT Background The highest rates of gastric cancer occur in Eastern Asia. Fluoropyrimidine-based therapy is used initially in unresectable and metastatic disease, following progression, 60–70% of patients in Asian countries subsequently receive second-line chemotherapy. However, there is no standard treatment in this setting. Ixabepilone, an epothilone B analog, is a non-taxane microtubule-stabilizing agent with clinical anti-tumor activity across multiple tumor types. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of single-agent ixabepilone as a second-line chemotherapy in Asian patients. Methods Asian patients with unresectable or metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma who had failed previous fluo…