Are palbociclib/palbociclib available in capsule form?

Palbociclib is indicated for the treatment of postmenopausal women with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative advanced breast cancer as initial endocrine therapy for metastatic disease. Palbociclib may be used in combination with an aromatase inhibitor (a type of hormone therapy) as initial endocrine therapy in postmenopausal women, or with fulvestrant in women whose disease has progressed after endocrine therapy.

Palbociclib is only available by prescription, and treatment should be started under the guidance of a doctor experienced in the use of cancer drugs. Palbociclibis available in capsules and tablets (75mg, 100mg and 125mg). The recommended dose is 125 mg once daily for 21 days, followed by a 7-day break to complete a 28-day treatment cycle. Treatment should be carried out at the same time every day. Capsules should be taken with food, tablets can be taken with or without food. Treatment should continue as long as the patient is benefiting from it and the side effects are tolerable. If patients experience certain side effects, treatment may need to be interrupted or stopped, or the dose reduced.

Palbociclib is an inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) 4 and 6. Before a cell divides, it must go through four stages. The first phase is the growth phase (G1 phase), the second phase is the synthesis phase (S phase), the third phase is another growth phase (G2 phase), and the last phase is the cell division phase (M phase). Cancer cells divide very quickly, passing through these four stages quickly. Palbociclib blocks the progression from the first G1 phase to the second S phase. It does this by inhibiting cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 (CDK4 and CDK6) , two proteins involved in entry into S phase.