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Formulation Development and Antitumor Activity of a Filter-Sterilizable Emulsion of Paclitaxel

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Abstract

Purpose. Paclitaxel is currently administered i.v. as a slow infusion of asolution of the drug in an ethanol:surfactant:saline admixture. However,poor solubilization and toxicity are associated with this drug therapy.Alternative drug delivery systems, including parenteral emulsions, areunder development in recent years to reduce drug toxicity, improveefficacy and eliminate premedication.

Methods. Paclitaxel emulsions were prepared by high-shearhomogenization. The particle size of the emulsions was measured by dynamiclight scattering. Drug concentration was quantified by HPLC and invitro drug release was monitored by membrane dialysis. The physicalstability of emulsions was monitored by particle size changes in boththe mean droplet diameter and 99% cumulative distribution. Paclitaxelpotency and changes in the concentration of known degradants wereused as chemical stability indicators. Single dose acute toxicity studieswere conducted in healthy mice and efficacy studies in B16 melanomatumor-bearing mice.

Results. QW8184, a physically and chemically stable sub-micronoil-in-water (o/w) emulsion of paclitaxel, can be prepared at high drugloading (8-10 mg/mL) having a mean droplet diameter of <100 nmand 99% cumulative particle size distribution of <200 nm. In vitro release studies demonstrated low and sustained drug release both inthe presence and absence of human serum albumin. Based on singledose acute toxicity studies, QW8184 is well tolerated both in miceand rats with about a 3-fold increase in the maximum-tolerated-dose(MTD) over the current marketed drug formulation. Using the B16mouse melanoma model, a significant improvement in drug efficacywas observed with QW8184 over Taxol®.

Conclusions. QW8184, a stable sub-micron o/w emulsion of paclitaxelhas been developed that can be filter-sterilized and administered i.v.as a bolus dose. When compared to Taxol®, this emulsion exhibitedreduced toxicity and improved efficacy most likely due to thecomposition and dependent physicochemical characteristics of the emulsion.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. SONUS Pharmaceuticals, Bothell, Washington, 98021

    Panayiotis P. Constantinides

  2. SONUS Pharmaceuticals, Bothell, Washington, 98021

    Karel J. Lambert, Alex K. Tustian, Brian Schneider, Salima Lalji, Wenwen Ma, Bryan Wentzel, Dean Kessler, Dilip Worah & Steven C. Quay

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Constantinides, P.P., Lambert, K.J., Tustian, A.K. et al. Formulation Development and Antitumor Activity of a Filter-Sterilizable Emulsion of Paclitaxel. Pharm Res 17, 175–182 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007565230130

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