Fondaparinux Subcutaneous and Toremifene Citrate

• Generic Name: fondaparinux
• Dosage Forms: n.a.
• Other Brand Names: Arixtra, Arixtra 5 mg/dose, Arixtra 75 mg/dose, Arixtra 10 mg/dose

Fondaparinux is used to prevent deep vein thrombosis, a condition in which harmful blood clots form in the blood vessels of the legs. These blood clots can travel to the lungs and can become lodged in the blood vessels of the lungs, causing a condition called pulmonary embolism. Fondaparinux is used for several days after hip fracture surgery, hip or knee replacement surgery, and in some cases following abdominal or stomach surgery, while you are unable to walk. It is during this time that blood clots are most likely to form.

Fondaparinux is also used together with warfarin to treat acute deep vein thrombosis (blood clot in the leg) and pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lung).

Fondaparinux is available only with your doctor's prescription.

• Generic Name: toremifene
• Dosage Forms: n.a.
• Other Brand Names: Fareston

Palliative treatment of metastatic breast cancer in postmenopausal women with estrogen-receptor positive or estrogen-receptor unknown tumors (designated an orphan drug by FDA for this use). Not recommended for treatment of estrogen-receptor negative breast tumors. Similar efficacy and toxicity as tamoxifen. Not known whether toremifene offers a therapeutic advantage over tamoxifen for the treatment of advanced breast cancer in eligible patients.

Under investigation for use as adjuvant therapy for early-stage breast cancer in node-positive postmenopausal women. Results from trials to date suggest similar efficacy and toxicity as tamoxifen.

Efficacy in treatment of advanced breast cancer in men not demonstrated.

Because of demonstrated cross-resistance with tamoxifen, usefulness of toremifene as second-line endocrine therapy for treatment of metastatic breast cancer refractory to tamoxifen appears to be limited.

Under investigation as a preventive agent for prostate cancer in men with high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and no evidence of prostate cancer.