In accordance with the present invention, there are provided compositions and methods useful for the in vivo delivery of substantially water-insoluble pharmacologically active agents (such as the anticancer drug paclitaxel) in which the pharmacologically active agent is delivered in the form of suspended particles coated with protein (which acts as a stabilizing agent).
In particular, protein and pharmacologically active agent in a biocompatible dispersing medium are subjected to high shear, in the absence of any conventional surfactants, and also in the absence of any polymeric core material for the particles. The procedure yields particles with a diameter of less than about 1 micron. The use of specific composition and preparation conditions (e.g., addition of a polar solvent to the organic phase), and careful selection of the proper organic phase and phase fraction, enables the reproducible production of unusually small nanoparticles of less than 200 nm diameter, which can be sterile-filtered.
The particulate system produced according to the invention can be converted into a redispersible dry power comprising nanoparticles of water-insoluble drug coated with a protein, and free protein to which molecules of the pharmacological agent are bound. This results in a unique delivery system, in which part of the pharmacologically active agent is readily bioavailable (in the form of molecules bound to the protein), and part of the agent is present within particles without any polymeric matrix therein.
根据本发明,提供了用于体内输送基本不溶于
水的药理活性剂(如抗癌药物
紫杉醇)的组合物和方法,其中药理活性剂以涂覆有蛋白质(作为稳定剂)的悬浮颗粒的形式输送。
特别是,在不使用任何常规表面活性剂,也不使用任何聚合物核心材料的情况下,对
生物相容性分散介质中的蛋白质和药理活性剂进行高剪切。该过程可产生直径小于约 1 微米的颗粒。使用特定的成分和制备条件(例如,在有机相中加入极性溶剂),并仔细选择适当的有机相和相组分,可重复生产出直径小于 200 纳米的超小型纳米颗粒,这些颗粒可进行无菌过滤。
根据本发明生产的微粒系统可转化为可再分散的干粉,其中包括包覆有蛋白质的
水不溶性药物纳米颗粒,以及与药剂分子结合的游离蛋白质。这就形成了一种独特的给药系统,其中部分药理活性剂易于
生物利用(以分子与蛋白质结合的形式),而部分药剂则存在于颗粒中,不含任何聚合物基质。