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Progress in the Development of Alternative Pharmaceutical Formulations of Taxanes

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Abstract

The currently available taxanes paclitaxel(Taxol®) and docetaxel(Taxotere®) are clinically effectiveagainst advanced breast, ovarian andnon-small cell lung cancer. Due to theirlow aqueous solubility, both taxanes poseddifficulties to the pharmaceuticalscientists with respect to the developmentof an intravenous dosage form. At present,paclitaxel is formulated in a mixture of50:50% (v/v) Cremophor EL and dehydratedethanol. However, this formulation vehicleis associated with a number ofpharmacological, pharmacokinetic andpharmaceutical concerns amongst whichserious hypersensitivity reactions. Thisreview deals with the attempts made intothe development of alternative dosage formsof paclitaxel devoid of the CremophorEL/ethanol excipients and potential futuretaxane formulations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Slotervaart Hospital/The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Bastiaan Nuijen, Marjan Bouma, Jan H.M. Schellens & Jos H. Beijnen

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  1. Bastiaan Nuijen
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  4. Jos H. Beijnen
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Nuijen, B., Bouma, M., Schellens, J.H. et al. Progress in the Development of Alternative Pharmaceutical Formulations of Taxanes. Invest New Drugs 19, 143–153 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010682916808

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