Cancer nanomedicines: oversold or underappreciated?

Abstract

Since the approval of liposomal doxorubicin (Doxil) and daunorubicin (DaunoXome) 20 years ago for the treatment of (HIV-related) Kaposi’s sarcoma, significant investment and research efforts have been geared toward the development of nanomedicines for cancer treatment. The benefits of formulating cancer drugs in lipid- and polymer-based nanocarrier systems regarding drug solubility, circulation time, biodistribution, and toxicity while maintaining (or even enhancing) therapeutic efficacy, have led to the approval of about a dozen cancer nanomedicines, including antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs)