Nanoparticle-Based Laboratory Immunoassay Determines 5-FU Plasma Levels

A nanoparticle-based laboratory immunoassay provides oncologists with a new tool for monitoring blood levels of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. The test is faster than currently available methods, enabling personalized dose management with the goal of minimizing toxicity and maximizing the therapeutic benefit of 5-FU treatment.

5-FU alone, or in combination with other drugs, is an important chemotherapeutic agent for treatment of colorectal cancer, the third most diagnosed cancer worldwide. The therapeutic window between toxicity and efficacy of 5-FU is very narrow and very difficult to maintain through clinical examination alone. Current dosing is based on body surface area (BSA), which can result in up to 50-fold variability in patient blood levels. While BSA is the standard, studies report that there is no correlation between plasma clearance of the drug, exposure to the drug, and BSA.

Saladax Biomedical (Bethlehem, PA, USA) has signed an agreement with Karolinska University Hospital (Stockholm, Sweden to supply the novel 5-FU personalized chemotherapy management (PCM) reagent kits. Karolinska is the first European institution to offer the novel, nanoparticle-based laboratory immunoassay for determining 5-FU plasma levels (for continuous infusion regimens) with advantages of speed and small sample size. Automation and rapid turnaround time will enable efficient routine monitoring of 5-FU concentrations in clinical practice for therapeutic drug monitoring.

Dr. Hakan Gadler, chief medical officer at Saladax, commented, "The ability to personalize chemotherapy is a significant advance in the treatment of cancer and one that will lead to improved efficacy and fewer side effects for patients. Individually adjusted chemotherapy dosing provides great benefits to patients, a meaningful new tool for oncologists, and cost savings to the healthcare system."

Related Links:
Saladax Biomedical
Karolinska University Hospital