A team of researchers is helping revolutionize how Taxol, one of the world’s most popular cancer-fighting drugs, is produced. Their new biotechnological approach holds the potential to reduce production cost down to half. That’s what makes this innovation such a timely solution to the challenge ahead. By 2050, we can expect cancer cases to increase more than 55%, the increase in deaths from ovarian cancer being particularly alarming, with a projected increase of almost 70%. The development of a sustainable and cost-effective method for producing Taxol could make a substantial difference in accessibility for patients in need.
Taxol originally was derived from the Pacific yew tree, Taxus brevifolia. Pharmaceutical researchers have long hailed it as the “Holy Grail” for its complex and delicate molecular structure. The drug was originally isolated from the inner bark of yew trees, a method that quickly became unsustainable. The small amount of taxol produced per unit of bark made it necessary for us to strip all the bark from two trees to produce a single treatment. In a few years, however, those trees—some of which take 70-100 years to reach maturity—will be dead. As a result, the production of Taxol was not only ecologically harmful but economically costly, with a price tag of over USD 20,000 per kilogram.
Current Production Challenges
The outdated production techniques for Taxol not only proved a challenge for researchers, but for manufacturers as well. This extraction process raised significant environmental justice issues, while making reliable cancer treatment impossibly expensive for countless patients. Taxol mostly cures ovarian cancer, an illness that majorly impacts women. Its cost presents one of the most robust barriers to access for those who would use it.
Due to the difficulty in screening species, manufacturers have instead pivoted to harvesting a similar compound from yew needles for chemical synthesis. This approach provides a more sustainable solution than directly isolating Taxol from the bark of trees. Yet, it is still confronted with significant expensive production which makes it difficult for patients in especially developing nations.
“Taxol has been the Holy Grail in this research field for decades because it’s an exceptionally complex molecule. But with the discovery of the final two enzymes, we now fully understand how it’s formed. This has allowed us to develop a biotechnological method to produce taxol in yeast cells,” – Sotirios Kampranis
Biotechnological Breakthrough
A team of nonuniversity-based scientists achieved a stunning breakthrough. Their biotechnological approach is yielding Taxol made from yeast cells. This novel strategy takes advantage of a better understanding of the way Taxol is produced in nature. Years of careful research have gone into revealing the history of how this complicated molecule formed. Understanding these key enzymes has now opened exciting new opportunities to produce these compounds.
Through this innovative approach, we are able to offer a more environmentally friendly solution that has the ability to save money big-time.
“Using this method, we can produce Taxol cheaper than current conventional methods. Looking ahead, once we refine the process further, we expect to be able to reduce the cost by half,” – Feiyan Liang
The implications of this advancement are profound. Cheaper price would of course allow Taxol to be widely used. This would increase lifesaving competition that reaches patients who desperately need it but are unable to afford it today.
Future Implications and Accessibility
Cancer incidence is increasing around the world, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. In these areas, healthcare resources are frequently scarce, making the need for affordable treatment options crucial now more than ever. Their approach to synthesizing Taxol, which has implications for developing other medicines, can lead to wider access to effective treatments.
“We see increasing demand for Taxol in many developing countries, where the high price is a major barrier. We hope our work will contribute to lower-priced drugs so that more people can have access to cancer treatment,” – Feiyan Liang
Researchers behind a new study think their work has convincingly proved that it is possible to produce drugs sustainably. Beyond just drug access, this accomplishment unlocks new opportunities to manufacture drugs biotechnologically.
“We want to show that it’s possible to build a biotechnological drug production that is both sustainable and low-cost. There are very few examples of that today, but we now have the foundation to make it happen,” – Sotirios Kampranis