Erlonat Tablet - Erlotinib Hydrochloride, Targeted Cancer Therapy For Non-small Cell Lung Cancer, Apoptosis Induction Agent

Erlonat (Erlotinib hydrochloride) is a drug used to treat non-small cell lung cancer, pancreatic cancer and several other types of cancer. It is marketed in the United States by Genetech and OSI Pharmaceuticals and elsewhere.

Similar to Geftinat (gefitinib), Erlonat (Erlotinib) specifically targets theepidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase, which is highly expressed and occasionallymutated in various forms of cancer. It binds in a reversible fashion to the adenosine triphosphate(ATP) binding site of the receptor.[1] For the signal to be transmitted, two members of the EGFR family need to come together to form a homodimer. These then use the molecule of ATP to autophosphorylate each other, which causes a conformational changein their intracellular structure, exposing a further binding site for binding proteins that cause a signal cascade to the nucleus. By inhibiting the ATP, autophosphorylation is not possible and the signal is stopped.

Erlonat (Erlotinib) has shown a survival benefit in the treatment of lung cancer in phase III trials. It has been approved for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer that has failed at least one prior chemotherapy regimen.