irinotecan-hyaluronic acid complex

The irinotecan-hyaluronic acid complex is a combination drug in which the chemotherapeutic agent irinotecan is conjugated or formulated with hyaluronic acid (hyaluronan). This formulation aims to enhance the delivery and accumulation of irinotecan in tumor tissues by exploiting the affinity of hyaluronic acid for CD44 receptors, which are overexpressed on many cancer cells. The conjugation improves water solubility and stability of the active metabolite SN-38 and may reduce systemic toxicity while increasing antitumor efficacy. The primary mechanism of action remains inhibition of DNA topoisomerase I by irinotecan. This combination has been investigated primarily for colorectal cancer and small cell lung cancer[2][3][4][5].

Brand names

HyCAMP

Other names

hyaluronan + irinotecanirinotecan-hyaluronic acid conjugate