Anastrozole

Anastrozole
Clinical data
Trade namesArimidex, Aremed, others[1]
Other namesAnastrazole; anastrozol; ICI-D1033; ZD-1033
AHFS/Drugs.comMonograph
MedlinePlusa696018
License data
Pregnancy
category
  • AU: C
Routes of
administration		By mouth
Drug classAromatase inhibitor; Antiestrogen
ATC code
Legal status
Legal status
  • AU: S4 (Prescription only)
  • UK: POM (Prescription only)
  • US: ℞-only
Pharmacokinetic data
BioavailabilityUnknown (but well-absorbed in animals)[2]
Protein binding40%[3][4]
MetabolismLiver (~85%) (N-dealkylation, hydroxylation, glucuronidation)[3][2][4]
Elimination half-life40–50 hours[3][2][4]
ExcretionUrine (11%)[3][2][4]
Identifiers
  • 2,2'-[5-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-ylmethyl)-1,3-phenylene]bis(2-methylpropanenitrile)[5]
CAS Number
PubChem CID
IUPHAR/BPS
DrugBank
ChemSpider
UNII
KEGG
ChEBI
ChEMBL
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
ECHA InfoCard100.129.723 Edit this at Wikidata
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC17H19N5
Molar mass293.374 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)
  • N#CC(C)(C)c1cc(Cn2cncn2)cc(c1)C(C)(C)C#N
  • InChI=1S/C17H19N5/c1-16(2,9-18)14-5-13(8-22-12-20-11-21-22)6-15(7-14)17(3,4)10-19/h5-7,11-12H,8H2,1-4H3 checkY
  • Key:YBBLVLTVTVSKRW-UHFFFAOYSA-N checkY
  (verify)

Anastrozole, sold under the brand name Arimidex among others, is an antiestrogenic medication used in addition to other treatments for breast cancer.[6][7] Specifically it is used for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer.[7] It has also been used to prevent breast cancer in those at high risk.[7] It is taken by mouth.[7]

Common side effects of anastrozole include hot flashes, altered mood, joint pain, and nausea.[7][6] Severe side effects include an increased risk of heart disease and osteoporosis.[7] Use during pregnancy may harm the baby.[7] Anastrozole is in the aromatase-inhibiting family of medications.[7] It works by blocking the production of estrogens in the body, and hence has antiestrogenic effects.[7]

Anastrozole was patented in 1987 and was approved for medical use in 1995.[8][9] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[10] Anastrozole is available as a generic medication.[7] In 2021, it was the 182nd most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 2 million prescriptions.[11][12]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Drugs.com was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference Lønning2003 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference Lonning2003 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference SanfordPlosker2008 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "anastrozole". Chemical Entities of Biological Interest (ChEBI). European Molecular Biology Laboratory. Archived from the original on 22 September 2011. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
  6. ^ a b "Highlights of Prescribing Information Anastrozole" (PDF). FDA. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Anastrozole". The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  8. ^ Fischer J, Ganellin CR (2006). Analogue-based Drug Discovery. John Wiley & Sons. p. 516. ISBN 9783527607495. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016.
  9. ^ Dukes M (1997). "The relevance of preclinical models to the treatment of postmenopausal breast cancer". Oncology. 54 (2): 6–10. doi:10.1159/000227748. PMID 9394853.
  10. ^ World Health Organization (2019). World Health Organization model list of essential medicines: 21st list 2019. Geneva: World Health Organization. hdl:10665/325771. WHO/MVP/EMP/IAU/2019.06. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
  11. ^ "The Top 300 of 2021". ClinCalc. Archived from the original on 15 January 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  12. ^ "Anastrozole - Drug Usage Statistics". ClinCalc. Retrieved 14 January 2024.