The true measure of nanotechnology success in medicine and oncology lies in effectively translating research discoveries into the clinic for improved disease diagnosis and treatment. Although the use of nanotechnology for cancer diagnosis and treatment is largely still in the development phase, several nanocarrier-based drugs are already available, and many more nano-based therapeutics are undergoing clinical trials. Nanotechnology in oncology includes the use of precisely engineered materials to develop novel therapies and devices that may reduce toxicity as well as enhance the efficacy and delivery of treatments. Notably, Doxil® and Abraxane®, the most well known nano-based drugs, were approved by FDA several years ago and have been used successfully in clinical practice. A complete list of cancer nano-therapeutics approved by FDA and regulatory agencies of other countries is given below. Access a comprehensive list of the current U.S. clinical trials involving cancer nanotechnology.
Approved Cancer Drug Therapies Based on Nanotechnology (EMA: European Medicines Agency; FDA: US Food and Drug Administration; Adapted from Andreas Wicki, et al., J Control Release, 2015 and Francisco Rodriguez, et al., Biomolecules, 2022)
| Approval (year) | Product | Company | Nanoparticle material | Drug/Mechanism | Indication |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EMA (2019) | Hensify (NBTXR3) | Nanobiotix | Hafnium oxide nanoparticle | Radiotherapy | Locally advanced soft tissue sarcoma (STS) |
| EMA (2019) | Pazenir | Ratiopharm GmbH | Nanoparticle-bound albumin | Paclitaxel | Metastatic breast cancer, metastatic adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, non-small cell lung cancer |
| FDA (2017) EMA (2018) | Vyxeos | Celator/Jazz Pharma | Liposome | Cytarabine/Daunorubicin | Acute myeloid leukemia |
| FDA (2015) | Onivyde | Merrimack Pharma | Liposome | Irinotecan | Pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer |
| EMA (2010, 2013) | NanoTherm | MagForce Nanotechnologies AG | Iron oxide nanoparticles | Thermal ablation with magnetic field | Glioblastoma, prostate, and pancreatic cancer |
| FDA (2012) | Marqibo | Talon Therapeutics/ Spectrum Pharmaceuticals | Liposome | Vincristine | Acute lymphoblastic leukemia |
| EMA (2009) | Mepact | Takeda Pharmaceuticals | Liposome | Mifamurtide MTP-PE | Osteosarcoma |
| South Korea (2007) | Genexol-PM | Samyang Biopharmaceuticals | PEG-PLA polymeric micelle | Paclitaxel | Breast, lung, ovarian cancer |
| FDA (1994, 2006) | Oncaspar | Enzon-Sigma-tau | Polymer protein conjugate | Pegaspargase/L-asparaginase | Acute lymphoblastic leukemia |
| FDA (2005) | Abraxane | Abraxis/Celgene | Nanoparticle-bound albumin | Paclitaxel | Breast and pancreatic cancer, non-small-cell lung cancer |
| FDA (1999) | DepoCyt | Pacira Pharmaceuticals | Liposome | Cytarabine | Neoplastic meningitis |
| FDA (1996) | DaunoXome | Gilead Sciences | Liposome | Daunorubicin | Kaposi’s sarcoma |
| FDA (1995, 1999, 2007), EMA (1996, 2000), Taiwan (1998) | Doxil, Caelyx, Myocet, and Lipo-Dox | Johnson and Johnson, Schering-Plough, Teva UK, and TTY Biopharm | Liposome | Doxorubicin | Metastatic breast cancer, ovarian cancer, Kaposi’s sarcoma, multiple myeloma |