Actions and Spectrum:
lonafarnib is a drug that belongs to a class of medications called farnesyltransferase inhibitors (FTIs). It acts by generally inhibiting the activity of an enzyme called farnesyltransferase, which is involved in a process called protein prenylation. This process is necessary to activate specific proteins involved in the growth, proliferation of cells, including cancer cells.
By inhibiting farnesyltransferase, lonafarnib can block the activation of these proteins, leading to decreased cell growth and proliferation. lonafarnib has been studied as a potential treatment for several conditions, including cancer, progeria, and hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection.
In cancer, lonafarnib has been shown to inhibit the growth, proliferation of various cancer cells, including those in pancreatic, lung, and breast cancers. It has also been researched with promising results with other cancer treatments, like chemotherapy, radiation therapy.
In progeria, a rare genetic disorder that causes premature aging, lonafarnib has been shown to improve survival and reduce the incidence of certain complications associated with the disease.
In HDV infection, lonafarnib has been shown to inhibit the replication of the virus, which can lead to improved results for patients with this difficult-to-treat condition.
Overall, the action of lonafarnib is to inhibit the activity of farnesyltransferase, leading to decreased activation of specific proteins involved in the cell growth and proliferation. Its spectrum of activity includes cancer, progeria, and hepatitis delta virus infection.
