Clinical efficacy of eribulin mesylate for the treatment of metastatic soft tissue sarcoma

Introduction: Metastatic soft tissue sarcoma, a devastating disease, has a median overall survival of only 12-18months. Treatment options remain scarce. However, eribulin mesylate, a first-in-class halichondrin B-based microtubule dynamics inhibitor, has recently been approved for the management of patients with advanced liposarcoma.Areas covered: Based on a review of the literature between 2005 and 2017, we present a summary of eribulin mesylate's mechanism of action and the studies showing its clinical efficacy in locally advanced or metastatic sarcomas.Expert commentary: Future development includes the definition of a biomarker signature related to patient outcome with eribulin. Further investigation via controlled clinical trials is needed to identify combination regimens that can optimize the efficacy of eribulin while providing an acceptable safety profile in sarcoma patients.