METHOD FOR DELIVERING HYDROPHOBIC DRUGS VIA NANOCRYSTAL FORMULATIONS

摘要

This invention provides nanocrystals or polymer doped nanocrystals of hydrophobic drug molecules as stably dispersed in an aqueous system which are prepared without stabilizers like surfactants and the like. In one embodiment, the drug is a tetra-pyrrole compound. An example is the hydrophobic photosensitizing anticancer drug 2-devinyl-2-(l - hexyloxyethyl) pyropheophorbide (HPPH). Pharmaceutical compositions comprising nanocrystals or polymer doped nanocrystals of hydrophobic drugs can be used for therapeutic purposes. For example pyropheophorbides such as HPPH can be used for photodynamic therapy. Drug efficacy of these nanocrystals were found to be comparable with that of same drug formulated in conventional delivery vehicles under in vitro and in vivo conditions.