Navelbine (vinorelbine)
Page Medically Reviewed and Edited by Kyle J. Becker, PharmD, MBA, BCOP This page has been fact checked by a Doctor of Pharmacy who specializes in Oncology. Sources of information are listed at the bottom of the article.
We make every attempt to keep our information accurate and up-to-date.
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Navelbine (vinorelbine) is a semi-synthetic compound thought to slow tumor growth by preventing cancer cells from dividing. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Navelbine for treating certain non-small cell lung cancer cases.
What Is Navelbine?
Navelbine is the brand name of the medication vinorelbine. It was initially manufactured by Pierre Fabre Pharmaceuticals in France and distributed in the U.S. It was first approved by the FDA in 1994 and is now available as a generic made by other drug manufacturers.
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The FDA approved venorelbine to treat non-small cell lung cancer as a chemotherapeutic agent. It is administered like most chemotherapy drugs through intravenous injection.[1] There is an oral formulation that has been developed and is used in Europe but has never been approved for use in the United States.
Vinorelbine may be used for non-small cell lung cancer (which may sometimes be caused by workplace asbestos exposure) as a first-line treatment in combination with cisplatin against advanced or metastatic cancer and also as a single-agent treatment.[1]
Although not approved for other uses, Navelbine is sometimes used off-label to treat breast cancer and some soft tissue sarcomas.[2] Researchers continue to test it in mesothelioma patients. In some other countries, particularly in Europe, Navelbine is already approved as a treatment for mesothelioma.
How It Works
Vinorelbine belongs to a class of drugs called the vinca alkaloids, which act on microtubules in cells to disrupt division into new cells.[2] Microtubules are proteins in all cells that must align in a specific way for cells to divide successfully.
Vinca alkaloids like vinorelbine disrupt this process, causing cancer cells to stop dividing and slowing tumor growth. Vinorelbine also targets other fast-growing cells in the body, including healthy cells. Vinorelbine was originally discovered in a plant called Madagascan periwinkle but is commercially made synthetically in the laboratory.
Side Effects of Navelbine
As with many types of chemotherapy drugs, Navelbine does not just target cancer cells. When given intravenously, it targets all fast-growing cells, those in the process of dividing, which means it harms healthy cells and causes side effects. The most common side effects of vinorelbine are:[2]
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Weakness
- Reaction at the injection site
- Constipation
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Elevated liver enzymes
- Anemia
- Low white blood cell count
- Mouth sores
- Dizziness
- Diarrhea
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Muscle, bone, and joint pain
- Hair loss
- Headaches
Navelbine also carries a black box warning, the FDA’s most severe warning about potentially life-threatening side effects. For Navelbine, this warns of bone marrow suppression.[1]
Because it targets fast-growing cells, the cells in the bone marrow that produce new blood cells can be damaged by the drug. These include cells that produce the white blood cells of the immune system. The risk is that vinorelbine can cause severe suppression of bone marrow, increasing the risk of serious and possibly fatal infections.
Doctors must monitor patients carefully for compromised immune systems, and white blood cell counts before and during treatment with this medication.
Navelbine and Mesothelioma
Vinorelbine may not be FDA approved for treating mesothelioma. Still, it is listed in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Guidelines as a recommended treatment, and it is under further study as a treatment for this cancer.
In one Phase II clinical trial, twenty-nine patients with pleural mesothelioma received weekly injections of the drug. The patients included were at various stages of the disease — from early to advanced — and the trial was to evaluate how the tumors responded and any impact on the patient’s quality of life.[3]
Sometimes chemotherapy drugs are given just to improve cancer symptoms to make patients more comfortable, especially with cancers that are tough to defeat with any treatment.
This small clinical trial had promising results. About one-quarter of the patients had a partial response, which means their tumors shrank to some degree. Another 55% of the participants experienced stable disease; their tumors did not shrink or grow during the study period. Twenty-one percent of patients’ disease progressed; their tumors grew.
The overall result on the quality of life was positive. Researchers concluded there should be more studies with vinorelbine because of the positive response despite this being a palliative treatment and because the side effects were minimal for the participants.[3]
Another clinical trial with Navelbine involved sixty-three patients with mesothelioma who received six weekly injections of the drug. These patients had already undergone chemotherapy, so Navelbine was used as a second-line treatment.
Sixteen percent of patients responded to treatment and their average survival time was over nine months. Toxicity was not a big issue for most patients, with bone marrow suppression being the most significant problem. Researchers concluded that vinorelbine should be studied further as a treatment for mesothelioma.[4]
Published in 2021, the results of a phase II clinical trial show even more promise for this drug. In the randomized trial, some patients received vinorelbine with symptom management, while others only received symptom management. Those getting vinorelbine had a longer survival time.[5]
Navelbine is a promising chemotherapy drug for patients with mesothelioma. The number of studies in the U.S. has been limited, but the results show that more study is needed and indicate that this drug could extend lives and improve the quality of life for many patients with mesothelioma. As it is already approved for use in Europe, there may be an opportunity for continued trials to help the FDA reconsider its use in the U.S. In the meantime, patients with mesothelioma can talk to their doctors about the possibility of enrolling in a clinical trial with this drug or others that are still being tested.
Page Medically Reviewed and Edited by Kyle J. Becker, PharmD, MBA, BCOP
Kyle J. Becker, PharmD is certified by the Board of Pharmacy Specialties in Oncology Pharmacy. Dr. Becker earned his pharmacy degree from Shenandoah University and he currently serves as an oncology pharmacist at Parkview Cancer Institute.