Bench-to-clinic development of imageable drug-eluting embolization beads: finding the balance

• Published in: Future oncology (London, England) England), 2018-11, Vol.14 (26), p.2741-2760
• Main Authors: Lewis, Andrew L, Willis, Sean L, Dreher, Matthew R, Tang, Yiqing, Ashrafi, Koorosh, Wood, Bradford J, Levy, Elliot B, Sharma, Karun V, Negussie, Ayele H, Mikhail, Andrew S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alcohol; Animals; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - administration & dosage; Barium; Biocompatibility; Biomedical materials; Chemoembolization, Therapeutic - instrumentation; Chemoembolization, Therapeutic - methods; cone-beam computed tomography; Contrast Media - chemistry; Disease Models, Animal; Drug Carriers - chemistry; Drug Development; Drug dosages; drug-eluting bead; Embolization; Humans; Iodine; Liver cancer; Liver Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Liver Neoplasms - therapy; Microspheres; Patient safety; radiopacity; radiopaque bead; Review; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; transarterial chemoembolization; Treatment Outcome; X-rays
• ISSN: 1479-6694; 1744-8301
• DOI: 10.2217/fon-2018-0196

This review describes the historical development of an imageable spherical embolic agent and focuses on work performed in collaboration between Biocompatibles UK Ltd (a BTG International group company) and the NIH to demonstrate radiopaque bead utility and bring a commercial offering to market that meets a clinical need. Various chemistries have been investigated and multiple prototypes evaluated in search of an optimized product with the right balance of handling and imaging properties. Herein, we describe the steps taken in the development of DC Bead LUMI™, the first commercially available radiopaque drug-eluting bead, ultimately leading to the first human experience of this novel embolic agent in the treatment of liver tumors.