Is enzalutamide/enzalutamide (Encotan) a chemotherapy drug or a targeted drug?

When many prostate cancer patients come into contact with Enzalutamide/Enzalutamide ( Enzalutamide), they often raise a question: Is this drug a chemotherapy drug or a targeted drug? In fact, enzalutamide is neither a chemotherapy drug in the traditional sense nor a targeted drug in the strict sense. It is more accurately classified as a new androgen receptor signaling inhibitor, which is a type of endocrine therapy drug.

The mechanism of action of chemotherapy drugs is mainly to directly kill tumor cells by interfering with the division and replication of cancer cells. However, this method often also causes some damage to normal cells, so the side effects are more obvious. Targeted drugs, on the other hand, precisely inhibit specific molecules or pathways, thereby reducing the impact on normal cells, and have the characteristics of "targeted strikes". Enzalutamide is different from these two types of drugs in that its main mechanism of action is to block the androgen receptor signaling pathway. The occurrence and progression of prostate cancer are highly dependent on androgen signals, and enzalutamide inhibits tumor development by preventing androgens from binding to receptors and interfering with the process of receptors entering the nucleus, ultimately cutting off the signal source on which tumor cells rely for growth.

Therefore, enzalutamide is usually classified as an endocrine therapy drug or a new generation androgen receptor inhibitor, which has a stronger inhibitory effect than traditional antiandrogens and can still exert its efficacy in the castration-resistant stage. This is why it has become one of the important choices for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer internationally.

It is important for patients to understand the drug properties of enzalutamide, as this means that its mode of use, spectrum of side effects, and efficacy assessment criteria are not the same as those of chemotherapy or targeted drugs. Enzalutamide is administered orally, is generally well tolerated, and can be used for a long time, which is significantly different from intravenous chemotherapy drugs.

Reference materials:https://www.xtandi.com/