Compatibility and Stability of Nab-Paclitaxel in Combination with Other Drugs

Albumin-bound paclitaxel (Abraxane®, nab-paclitaxel) is not recommended to be administered concurrently or sequentially with other drugs due to concern for instability. The need to administer drugs separately increases infusion time. We evaluated the compatibility and stability of solutions containing nab-paclitaxel and other drugs, including gemcitabine hydrochloride, carboplatin, dexamethasone sodium phosphate, granisetron hydrochloride, and palonosetron hydrochloride. We visually examined changes in appearance, pH, and concentration of the mixed solutions of nab-paclitaxel and other drugs for up to 24 h. Concentration was measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The appearance and pH of the mixed solutions did not change for up to 24 h. The change in concentration up to 24 h was within 2%. The chromatogram did not change until 8 h. The results showed that the physical compatibility and chemical stability of nab-paclitaxel were not influenced when it was combined with other drugs until 8 h. This study suggests that nab-paclitaxel could be administered in a mixture or sequentially with other drugs to reduce administration time.