anastrozole
View Patient InformationA nonsteroidal inhibitor of estrogen synthesis that resembles paclitaxel in chemical structure. As a third-generation aromatase inhibitor, anastrozole selectively binds to and reversibly inhibits aromatase, a cytochrome P-450 enzyme complex found in many tissues including those of the premenopausal ovary, liver, and breast; aromatase catalyzes the aromatization of androstenedione and testosterone into estrone and estradiol, the final step in estrogen biosynthesis. In estrogen-dependent breast cancers, ananstrozole may inhibit tumor growth.
| US brand name: | Arimidex |
|---|---|
| Code name: | ICI-D1033 ZD-1033 |
| Chemical structure: | 2,2'-[5-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-ylmethyl)-1,3-phenylene]di(2-methylpropionitrile) alpha,alpha,alpha', alpha'-tetramethyl-5-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-ylmethyl)-1,3-benzenediacetonitrile |