Exemestane

Exemestane is an oral aromatase inhibitor used in the treatment of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer in postmenopausal women. It works by irreversibly inhibiting the aromatase enzyme, which converts androgens into estrogens, thereby lowering estrogen levels and slowing the growth of estrogen-dependent tumors. Developed in the 1990s as a steroidal aromatase inactivator, exemestane offered a more selective and effective alternative to earlier endocrine therapies. It received FDA approval in 1999 for advanced breast cancer in women previously treated with tamoxifen. Over time, it has become an important option in both adjuvant and metastatic breast cancer therapy, providing long-term estrogen suppression and representing a significant advancement in targeted hormonal treatment.