Halaven is a non-taxane, microtubule dynamics inhibitor that is a synthetic analog of halichondrin B, a natural product that was isolated from the marine sponge Halichondria okadai.
Halaven inhibits the growth phase of microtubule dynamics, which can cause a cell to stop dividing and self-destruct.
The injection was approved in November 2010 to treat metastatic breast cancer that has spread in patients who have received at least two other types of anticancer medicines.
The new J-code, J9179, became effective on 1 January 2012.