Vorinostat

Overview
Vorinostat (rINN) or suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA), brand name Zolinza®, is a drug currently under investigation for the treatment of cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL), a type of skin cancer, to be used when the disease persists, gets worse, or comes back during or after treatment with other medicines. It is the first in a new class of agents known as histone deacetylase inhibitors.

A recent study suggested that vorinostat also possesses some activity against recurrent glioblastoma multiforme, resulting in a median overall survival of 5.7 months (compared to 4 - 4.4 months in earlier studies). Further brain tumor trials are planned in which vorinostat will be combined with other drugs.

Zolinza was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of CTCL on October 6, 2006, and it is manufactured by Pantheon, Inc., in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, for Merck & Co., Inc., White House Station, New Jersey.