Albumin-bound paclitaxel: the benefit of this new formulation in the treatment of various cancers

Abstract

Paclitaxel and docetaxel are established as the standards of care, either as monotherapy or in combination with other cytotoxic agents in metastasic breast cancer. In order to improve the efficiency of solvent-based paclitaxel and to overcome its drawbacks in terms of safety, a solvent-free formulation has been developed. This work is a review of the albumin-bound paclitaxel data relative to its pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic profiles, its therapeutic efficiency and its safety of use. The activity of albumin-bound paclitaxel in phase II and III trials indicates its significant clinical efficiency in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. In lung and pancreatic cancer and in melanoma, the use of albumin-bound paclitaxel leads to interesting results which require further investigations. Preclinical and clinical studies have shown that albumin-bound paclitaxel is associated with a better tolerance compared to standard paclitaxel.