scholarly journals Microneedles Drug Delivery Systems for Treatment of Cancer: A Recent Update

Pharmaceutics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1101
Author(s):  
Aravindram Attiguppe Seetharam ◽  
Hani Choudhry ◽  
Muhammed A. Bakhrebah ◽  
Wesam H. Abdulaal ◽  
Maram Suresh Gupta ◽  
...  

Microneedles (MNs) are tiny needle like structures used in drug delivery through layers of the skin. They are non-invasive and are associated with significantly less or no pain at the site of administration to the skin. MNs are excellent in delivering both small and large molecules to the subjects in need thereof. There exist several strategies for drug delivery using MNs, wherein each strategy has its pros and cons. Research in this domain lead to product development and commercialization for clinical use. Additionally, several MN-based products are undergoing clinical trials to evaluate its safety, efficacy, and tolerability. The present review begins by providing bird’s-eye view about the general characteristics of MNs followed by providing recent updates in the treatment of cancer using MNs. Particularly, we provide an overview of various aspects namely: anti-cancerous MNs that work based on sensor technology, MNs for treatment of breast cancer, skin carcinoma, prostate cancer, and MNs fabricated by additive manufacturing or 3 dimensional printing for treatment of cancer. Further, the review also provides limitations, safety concerns, and latest updates about the clinical trials on MNs for the treatment of cancer. Furthermore, we also provide a regulatory overview from the “United States Food and Drug Administration” about MNs.

2018 ◽  
Vol 72 ◽  
pp. 1004-1017
Author(s):  
Bogusława Konopska ◽  
Krzysztof Gołąb ◽  
Katarzyna Juszczyńska ◽  
Jakub Gburek

Proteins are natural and safe substitutes of the synthetic polymers for the development of drug delivery systems (DDS). Few of proteins have been approved for drug delivery purposes by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Among them, albumin is the most explored carrier for synthesis of therapeutic nanoparticles. Its usefulness was determined by the common accessibility, biocompatibility and the feasibility of accumulation in tissues with increased metabolism. Albumin with its properties is particularly attractive carrier for anti-arthritis and anti-cancer drugs. It is mainly used to design delivery systems for poorly soluble substances with low permeability through biological membranes. The albumin nanoparticles are characterized by favourable pharmacokinetics, high drug delivery efficiency and low cytotoxicity. In addition, they are biodegradable, relatively easy to prepare and non-immunogenic. Interest in the exploration of clinical applications of albumin-based drug delivery carriers, especially for those at the nanoscale, has increased in recent years. A lot of research have been done to design multifunctional theranostic nanosystems that could be used for both imaging and cancer therapy. This article aims at providing an overview of already commercialized and just emerging applications of albumin-based nanosystems as drug delivery carriers.


1996 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 252-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Freedman ◽  
Kathleen Cranley Glass ◽  
Charles Weijer

Placebo-controlled trials are held by many, including regulators at agencies like the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to be the gold standard in the assessment of new medical interventions. Yet the use of placebo controls in clinical trials has been the focus of considerable controversy. In this two-part article, we challenge a number of common beliefs concerning the value of placebo controls. Part I critiques statistical and other scientific justifications for the use of placebo controls in clinical research. The continued use of placebo controls in clinical trials on diseases for which accepted treatment exists raises equally important ethical, legal, and regulatory issues for which various justifications have been given. Defense of this practice relies on normative as well as empirical myths.In their attack on the prevailing use of placebo controls, Kenneth Rothman and Karin Michels emphasize that this practice stands in violation of the World Medical Association's guidelines on the ethics of human experimentation, most commonly known as the Helsinki Declaration.


2002 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 879-881 ◽  
Author(s):  
John H. Powers ◽  
David B. Ross ◽  
Erica Brittain ◽  
Renata Albrecht ◽  
Mark J. Goldberger

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (20) ◽  
pp. 5065
Author(s):  
Albert Jang ◽  
David M. Adler ◽  
Grant P. Rauterkus ◽  
Mehmet A. Bilen ◽  
Pedro C. Barata

For decades, limited options existed to treat metastatic genitourinary cancers, including treatment options that could be classified as immunotherapy. Historically, immunotherapy centered on systemic cytokines for the treatment of metastatic kidney cancer, which had several adverse effects, as well as the Bacillus Calmette–Guérin vaccine for non-metastatic bladder cancer. Within the past decade, advances in immunotherapy have led to several approvals from the United States Food and Drug Administration, particularly in the field of immune checkpoint inhibition. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are now being used extensively to treat multiple solid tumors, including kidney and bladder cancers, and they are also being tested in many other cancers. Despite encouraging data from phase 2/3 clinical trials, less is known about biomarkers that may predict better response to ICIs. The effect of ICIs in genitourinary cancers is heterogeneous, with some tumor types having little clinical data available, or ICIs having limited activity in other tumors. In this review, we briefly discuss approved immunotherapy agents prior to the time of ICIs. Then, given the emergence of this class of agents, we summarize the several important ICIs and the clinical trials that led to their approval. Finally, we mention ongoing and future clinical trials.


Author(s):  
Xiang-Yuan Luo ◽  
Kong-Ming Wu ◽  
Xing-Xing He

AbstractAlthough hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the deadliest health burdens worldwide, few drugs are available for its clinical treatment. However, in recent years, major breakthroughs have been made in the development of new drugs due to intensive fundamental research and numerous clinical trials in HCC. Traditional systemic therapy schemes and emerging immunotherapy strategies have both advanced. Between 2017 and 2020, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a variety of drugs for the treatment of HCC, including multikinase inhibitors (regorafenib, lenvatinib, cabozantinib, and ramucirumab), immune checkpoint inhibitors (nivolumab and pembrolizumab), and bevacizumab combined with atezolizumab. Currently, there are more than 1000 ongoing clinical trials involving HCC, which represents a vibrant atmosphere in the HCC drug research and development field. Additionally, traditional Chinese medicine approaches are being gradually optimized. This review summarizes FDA-approved agents for HCC, elucidates promising agents evaluated in clinical phase I/II/III trials and identifies emerging targets for HCC treatment. In addition, we introduce the development of HCC drugs in China. Finally, we discuss potential problems in HCC drug therapy and possible future solutions and indicate future directions for the development of drugs for HCC treatment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 156-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah L. Sanchez ◽  
Adam J. Fusick ◽  
Steven R. Gunther ◽  
Michael J. Hernandez ◽  
Gregory A. Sullivan ◽  
...  

Background: Lamotrigine is a phenyltriazine medication that has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration as monotherapy and as an adjunctive agent for the treatment of seizure disorder. It was later approved by the FDA for the treatment of bipolar disorder. Lamotrigine is generally well tolerated by patients, but some serious symptoms can occur during treatment. These severe side effects include rashes and multi-organ failure. Lamotrigine has also been associated with the development of mental status changes, frequently when used concurrently with other medications that may impact the metabolism of lamotrigine. Objective: To present the case of a 65-year-old man being treated with lamotrigine and valproic acid who developed mental status changes after the addition of sertraline to his medication regimen, and to compare this case to existing cases reported in the literature. Discussion: Our case adds to the existing literature by demonstrating that patients may experience adverse medication effects despite lamotrigine levels that are normally considered to be in the therapeutic range, highlighting the importance of clinical correlation when obtaining medication levels. Conclusion: Clinicians should use caution interpreting lamotrigine levels when working up delirium, as normal levels may not rule out the development of lamotrigine toxicity.


Medicina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 257
Author(s):  
Livius Tirnea ◽  
Felix Bratosin ◽  
Iulia Vidican ◽  
Bianca Cerbu ◽  
Mirela Turaiche ◽  
...  

Background and Objectives: On 24 March 2020, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the approval of convalescent plasma therapy for critically ill patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as an emergency investigational new drug. This pilot study from Romania aimed to determine if convalescent plasma transfusion can be beneficial in the treatment of selected critically ill patients diagnosed with a SARS-CoV-2 infection. Materials and Methods: Donor and receiver eligibility for critically ill coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients was based on Romanian guidelines issued at the time of the study. Here, we describe the evolution of a total of five eligible patients diagnosed with COVID-19 who received convalescent plasma (CP) in Romania. Results: In spite of our efforts and convalescent plasma administration, three of the five patients did not survive, while the other two recovered completely. Over the course of our five-day laboratory record, the surviving patients had significantly lower values for C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and white blood cells. Conclusions: This pilot study provides insufficient evidence to determine the efficacy of convalescent plasma use as a therapeutic option for critically ill COVID-19 patients.


2021 ◽  
pp. 089719002110096
Author(s):  
Shyh Poh Teo

The United States Food and Drug Administration recently issued emergency use authorization for 2 mRNA vaccines for preventing COVID-19 disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus infections. BNT162b2 from Pfizer-BioNTech and mRNA-1273 by Moderna are planned for use in mass-immunization programs to curb the pandemic. A brief overview of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines is provided, describing the SARS-CoV-2 RNA, how mRNA vaccines work and the advantages of mRNA over other vaccine platforms. The Pfizer-BioNTech collaboration journey to short-list mRNA vaccine candidates and finally selecting BNT162b2 based on safety data is outlined, followed by the Phase 3 study of BNT162b2 demonstrating 95% efficacy in preventing COVID-19 infections. Studies regarding mRNA-1273 (Moderna) are described, including extended immunogenicity data up to 119 days. The Phase 3 COVE study of mRNA-1273 eventually showed vaccine efficacy of 94.5%. Recommendations for future mRNA vaccine development are provided, including ongoing safety surveillance, evaluation in under-represented groups in previous studies and improving mRNA vaccine thermostability. Finally, further logistical considerations are required for manufacturing, storing, distribution and implementing mass vaccination programs to curb the pandemic.


2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claus M Escher ◽  
Lejla Paracka ◽  
Dirk Dressler ◽  
Katja Kollewe

Chronic migraine (CM) is a severely disabling neurological condition characterized by episodes of pulsating unilateral or bilateral headache. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox®) for the prophylactic treatment of CM in 2010. It has been shown that onabotulinumtoxinA is effective in the reduction of headache frequency and severity in patients with CM. Treatment is well tolerated by the patients. This review reports on the history of botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) in CM and presents the current clinical evidence for the use of onabotulinumtoxinA in the treatment of CM.


1994 ◽  
Vol 5 (suppl a) ◽  
pp. 5A-8A
Author(s):  
Jay P Siegel

OBJECTIVE: To present perspectives on selected issues that frequently arise during the clinical development of biological response modifier (BRM) therapies.DATA SOURCES: The perspectives and opinions presented herein were developed over several years of reviewing and consulting on the clinical development of BRM therapies at the United States Food and Drug Administration.CONCLUSIONS: BRM therapies encompass a broad spectrum of products used to treat a wide variety of diseases. Due to this diversity. most principles of clinical trial design and conduct applicable to the majority of BRMS are those that are applicable to all therapies. Nevertheless, the clinical development of BRM therapies often raises specific issues and problems in the areas of selecting animal models, defining the study population, adverse reactions, dosing and defining end-points. Over 10 years’ experience in testing biotechnology derived BRMS in clinical trials has created a database from which we can draw valuable generalizations for guidance in future studies.


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