An Accurate Assay for Simultaneous Determination of Irinotecan and Its Active Metabolite SN-38 in Rat Plasma by LC with Fluorescence Detection

Development of a method to quantify total and free irinotecan and 7-ethyl-10-hydroxycamptothecin (SN-38) for pharmacokinetic and bio-distribution studies after administration of irinotecan liposomal formulation

In 2015, liposomal formulation of irinotecan (ONIVYDE) has been approved by FDA and widely applied in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. ONIVYDE is a novel liposome formulation, entrapping CPT-11 in the aqueous core of vesicles using a modified gradient loading method. Due to toxicity concerns, it is essential to explore a rapid and reliable method to effectively isolate and quantify the non-liposomal, namely, free CPT-11and total CPT-11 in plasma. This study focuses on separation of non-liposomal CPT-11, evaluation of the pharmacokinetics of free CPT-11 and total CPT-11 and bio-distribution after intravenous administration of CPT-11 liposome. Free CPT-11 in plasma was separated by solid-phase extraction (SPE). The amount of total CPT-11 and main metabolite 7-ethyl-10-hydroxycamptothecin (SN-38) in plasma was quantified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-MS/MS. The calibration curves fitted well and lower limit of quantitation for SN-38, free CPT-11, total CPT-11 and CPT-11 in tissue and were 5 ng/ml, 10 ng/ml, 4.44 ng/ml and 25 ng/ml respectively. The recoveries, precision and accuracy of the method appear satisfactory. Using this method, the pharmacokinetics and bio-distribution of CPT-11 liposome formulation after an intravenous dose of 2.5 mg/kg were then investigated.

Antineoplastic drugs and their analysis: a state of the art review

We provide an overview of the analytical methods available for the quantification of antineoplastic drugs in pharmaceutical formulations, biological and environmental samples.

Preparation of irinotecan-loaded folate-targeted liposome for tumor targeting delivery and its antitumor activity

The purpose of this study was to investigate the in vivo distribution and antitumor activity of irinotecan (camptothecin (CPT)-11)-loaded folate-targeted liposome (F-Lip) in tumor-bearing mice following i.v. administration. Folate-poly(ethylene glycol)-distearoylphosphatidylcholine (FA-PEG-DSPE) was synthesized by amide reaction of DSPE-PEG-NH(2) and FA. F-Lip modified by FA-PEG-DSPE was prepared by an ammonium sulfate gradient. The mean particle size and entrapment efficiency of F-Lip with negative charge were 197.8 ± 4.58 nm and 91.39 ± 2.34 %, respectively. The distributions of CPT-11 and SN-38 in the tumor after i.v. administration of F-Lip, CPT-11-loaded liposomes (C-Lip), and CPT-11 injection (C-Inj) were far greater with the F-Lip group in comparison to the C-Inj and C-Lip, which might contribute to folate-meditated targeting uptake by the folate receptor on the surface of the tumor cells. The uptake of CPT-11 in the liver and rectum for two liposome groups were all markedly increased as compared to the C-Inj. Moreover, F-Lip exhibited a dose-dependent tumor growth inhibition and superior anticancer activity to C-Lip and C-Inj after i.v. administration. It also showed no significant body weight loss and much lower toxicity on the center immune organs. Therefore, F-Lip may be presented as potential candidates for tumor targeting drug delivery.

Analysis of anticancer drugs: a review

In the last decades, the number of patients receiving chemotherapy has considerably increased. Given the toxicity of cytotoxic agents to humans (not only for patients but also for healthcare professionals), the development of reliable analytical methods to analyse these compounds became necessary. From the discovery of new substances to patient administration, all pharmaceutical fields are concerned with the analysis of cytotoxic drugs. In this review, the use of methods to analyse cytotoxic agents in various matrices, such as pharmaceutical formulations and biological and environmental samples, is discussed. Thus, an overview of reported analytical methods for the determination of the most commonly used anticancer drugs is given.