Iv administration of a water-insoluble antimitotic compound entrapped in liposomes. Preliminary report on infusion of large volumes of liposomes to man

Five patients with advanced multiresistant neoplasms were infused with NSC-251635 (a water-insoluble antimitotic agent) entrapped in egg yolk lecithin, cholesterol, and stearylamine liposomes. The maximum volume injected was 400 ml containing 8 g of lipids, ie, a dose of 135 mg/kg of body weight. Overall tolerance of the treatment was excellent. This study indicates that liposomes may be used safely as carriers for the iv administration of water-insoluble drugs to humans.