polifeprosan 20 with carmustine

Polifeprosan 20 with carmustine, marketed under the brand name Gliadel, is a biodegradable polymer wafer implant designed for the localized delivery of chemotherapy to the brain. Each wafer contains 3.85% carmustine (BCNU), a nitrosourea alkylating agent that cross-links DNA to inhibit replication and transcription. The wafers are surgically implanted into the resection cavity following the removal of a brain tumor, where they slowly degrade to release carmustine directly into the surrounding tissue, thereby bypassing the blood-brain barrier and reducing systemic side effects. It is FDA-approved for use in newly diagnosed high-grade glioma (including glioblastoma multiforme and anaplastic astrocytoma) as an adjunct to surgery and radiation, as well as for recurrent glioblastoma. Duke University has conducted Phase I clinical research investigating the combination of Gliadel wafers with other agents, such as irinotecan, to enhance therapeutic efficacy in patients with recurrent supratentorial high-grade glioma.

Brand names

Gliadel

Other names

polifeprosan 20 with carmustine implantpolifeprosan20 with carmustine implantpolifeprosan-20 with carmustine implantcarmustine wafer