Anticancer therapies using cisplatin have usually involved intravenous delivery. This tends to cause debilitating side-effects due to the systemic administration of the drug. Broadly speaking the drug is transported not only to the tumor site but also to other tissues. Therapies targeting only certain tissues with drug carriers which release the drug in a controlled manner are therefore ideally suited to this technology.

Innovative Aspects:
This technology incorporates cisplatin into a phosphate-based glass that is biologically degradeable. The glass can provide continuous delivery at an appropriate rate directly to the tumour site, if inserted as a rod directly into the tumour or, in bead form, may be delivered to a desired site by injection into a blood vessel entering the tumour followed by entrapment of the beads in the blood vessels in the tumour. The rate of release can be modified by adaptation of the chemical content of the glass.

The physical form of the glass product can be selected according to the desired use. One suitable form is as small beads e.g. of micro or nano size, which are simple to deliver by injection. Larger beads of a suitable size may provide a second therapeutic effect of embolisation of blood vessels, in addition to the therapeutic effect of the released drug, for example the chemotherapy effect of a released platinum drug.

 

Patents/Rights: Patent(s) applied for but not yet granted

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