Synthesis of a gemcitabine-modified phospholipid and its subsequent incorporation into a single microbubble formulation loaded with paclitaxel for the treatment of pancreatic cancer using ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction

Gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane®) is a standard of care chemotherapy combination used in the treatment of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. While the combination has shown a survival benefit when compared to gemcitabine monotherapy, it is associated with significant off-target toxicity. Ultrasound targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD) has emerged as an effective strategy for the site-specific deposition of drug-payloads....