Daryl C. Drummond
Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, USA
Title: Development and clinical translation of nanoliposomal chemotherapeutics
Biography
Biography: Daryl C. Drummond
Abstract
Highly stabilized sustained released liposomal formulations of chemotherapeutic drugs have been developed and currently being evaluated in the clinic. These novel drug delivery systems provide for extended circulation lifetimes, preferential distribution to sites of solid tumors, and the ability to mitigate certain dose limiting toxicities when administered as the free form of the drug. Our lead agent, nal-IRI or nanoliposomal Irinotecan (MM-398) has recently completed a successful Phase III clinical trial in gemcitabine refractory pancreatic cancer. A second ErbB2-antibody targeted immunoliposomal doxorubicin is being studied in a pivotal Phase II trial in ErbB2-overexpressing breast cancer patients. The development of these and similar drugs requires the careful optimization of a variety of parameters related to the encapsulated drug, physicochemical properties of the drug carrier system itself, drug entrapment and retention strategies, and the introduction of targeting ligands. Here we will discuss both the engineering considerations as well as the translation consideration for this promising class of drug carrier systems.