Savient Pharmaceuticals has been given the green light in the USA to start selling an oral liquid formulation of tamoxifen for the treatment and prevention of hormone-sensitive breast cancer in women.

The new product, Soltamox, is the first liquid formulation of the anti-oestrogen product to be cleared for marketing in the USA. It was developed by Rosemount Pharmaceuticals of the UK, a subsidiary of Savient, and is already on the market in the UK, Germany and Ireland.

Despite being around for decades, tamoxifen is still a primary component of breast cancer treatment strategies around the world, although its position is slowly being usurped by newer aromatase antagonists, such as AstraZeneca’s Arimidex (anastrozole), Pfizer’s Aromasin (exemestane) and Novartis’ Femara (letrozole) [[22/04/05g]].

Soltamox provides a new formulation of this mainstay drug that could help with issues of patient compliance, according to ORCA Pharmaceuticals, which sells the product in Germany.

Savient said it is now seeking a marketing partner for Soltamox in the USA, and hopes to have this alliance in place early next year.