Breast Cancer Home > Halaven

What Is Halaven?

Halaven™ (eribulin mesylate) is a chemotherapy medication approved for the treatment of breast cancer. It is licensed to treat late-stage cancer that has not responded to certain other chemotherapy regimens.

 

 

Who Makes This Medication?

Halaven is made by Eisai, Inc.

 

How Does Halaven Work?

Halaven is part of a group of medications called microtubule inhibitors. It works by preventing cell division and, eventually, causing the cell to die.

 

While Halaven can kill both healthy and cancerous cells, it has a greater effect on cells that are multiplying rapidly. Generally, cancer cells multiply more rapidly than healthy cells and are, therefore, more affected by Halaven.

 

Effects of Halaven

One study looked at using Halaven to treat metastatic breast cancer (breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body) in people who had been unsuccessfully treated with certain other types of chemotherapy. People were given either Halaven or a different breast cancer treatment. Those who were given Halaven lived an average of 13.1 months, while those who received other types of treatments lived only 10.6 months, on average.