Nanoparticle Therapy Effective for Breast Cancer

The agent, Abraxene (paclitaxel protein-bound particles in an injectable suspension), is engineered using a proprietary process to create nanoparticles 100th the size of a red blood cell, in which the active chemotherapeutic drug, paclitaxel, is bound to a naturally occurring protein called albumin. Because Abraxene, manufactured by American Bioscience and marketed by Abraxis Oncology (Schaumburg, IL, USA), is solvent-free, solvent-related toxicities are not a problem and premedication is not needed.

This fast delivery of Abraxene is in contrast to another chemotherapeutic agent, Taxol, in which paclitaxel is dissolved in a toxic solvent, requires premedication with antihistamines and steroids to avoid hypersensitivity reactions, and must be given in infusions for up to three hours.

Researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (Chicago, IL, USA) discovered in their clinical studies that the response rate for all participants treated with Abraxene was nearly twice that of individuals receiving the solvent-based paclitaxel injection. Without toxic solvents, Abraxene could be delivered at higher doses than Taxol, which may in part account for the increased antitumor activity response of the participants.

Furthermore, albumin is a protein that typically transports nutrients to cells and has been shown to gather in the quickly growing tumors. Therefore, Abraxen's increased effectiveness may also be caused by the preferential delivery of albumin-bound paclitaxel to cancer cells. The agent was recently approved for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).



Related Links:
Northwestern U. Feinberg School of Medicine
Abraxis Oncology