Dr. Wang-Gillam Discusses the Mechanism of Action of MM-398

Andrea Wang-Gillam, MD, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Medicine, Oncology Division, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, discusses the mechanism of action of MM-398, a novel encapsulation of irinotecan in a long-circulating nanoliposome.

Wang-Gillam says the agent consists of approximately 80,000 irinotecan molecules packed into a stable, liposomal-based nanopartical. This special delivery system allows the drug to stay in the circulation longer and results in a much higher AUC — 70-times higher AUC than conventional irinotecan.

Another feature of MM-398, Wang-Gillam says, is that it allows higher uptake of the drug at the tumor site. When patients who received MM-398 had their tumor biopsied, a 5-times higher active metabolite SM38 was seen compared to what they find in the patients’ blood at baseline.

These two key features make this delivery system much more attractive than conventional irinotecan, Wang-Gillam says.