Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin is an effective treatment for HIV-related Kaposi's sarcoma with a higher response rate than the BV combination. It is well tolerated but more myelosuppressive.

Caelyx is an active agent in advanced breast cancer with a safety profile that differs markedly from nonliposomal doxorubicin. A regimen of 45 mg/m2 every 4 weeks was well tolerated in this cohort of women with advanced poor-prognosis breast cancer. The mild myelosuppression seen with this regimen would favor its use in combination chemotherapy.

ABSTRACT:Vaccination against nicotine is being studied as a potential treatment for nicotine dependence. Some of the limitations of vaccination, such as variability in antibody titer and affinity, might be overcome by instead using passive immunization with nicotinespecific monoclonal antibodies. The effects of antibodies on nicotine distribution to brain were studied using nicotine-specific monoclonal antibodies (NICmAbs) with K d values ranging from 60 to 250 nM and a high-affinity polyclonal rabbit antiserum (K d ‫؍‬ 1.6 nM). Pretreatment with NICmAbs substantially increased the binding of nicotine in serum after a single nicotine dose, reduced the unbound nicotine concentration in serum, and reduced the distribution of nicotine to brain. Efficacy was directly related to antibody affinity for nicotine. Efficacy of the highest affinity NICmAb, NICmAb311, was dose-related, with the highest dose reducing nicotine distribution to brain by 78%. NICmAb311 decreased nicotine clearance by 90% and prolonged the terminal half-life of nicotine by 120%. At equivalent doses, NICmAb311 was less effective than the higher affinity rabbit antiserum but comparable efficacy could be achieved by increasing the NICmAb311 dose. These data suggest that passive immunization with nicotinespecific monoclonal antibodies substantially alters nicotine pharmacokinetics in a manner similar to that previously reported for vaccination against nicotine. Antibody efficacy is a function of both dose and affinity for nicotine.

Twenty-four patients with persistent epithelial ovarian cancer after chemotherapy with or without external beam irradiation, were treated with intraperitoneally administered 131I-labeled monoclonal antibodies HMFG1, HMFG2, AUA1, H17E2, directed against tumor-associated antigens. Acute side effects were mild abdominal pain, pyrexia, diarrhea, and moderate reversible pancytopenia. One patient developed a subphrenic abscess requiring surgical drainage. Eight patients with large volume disease, ie, greater than 2 cm tumor diameter, did not respond to antibody-guided irradiation and died of progressive disease within 9 months of treatment. Sixteen patients had small-volume (less than 2 cm) disease at the time of treatment with radiolabeled antibody. Seven patients failed to respond, and of nine initial responders, four patients remain alive and free from disease 6 months to 3 years from treatment. Analysis of the data on relapse indicated that doses greater than 140 mCi were more effective than lower doses. We conclude that the intraperitoneal administration of 140 mCi or more of 131I-labeled tumor-associated monoclonal antibodies represents a new and potentially effective form of therapy for patients with small-volume stage III ovarian cancer.