Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin for myeloid neoplasms

Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (Peg-Dox) treatment resulted in a good outcome for patients with lymphoma and multiple myeloma, with reduced cardiotoxicity and an improved pharmacokinetic profile when compared to those of conventional doxorubicin. However, the use of Peg-Dox in myeloid neoplasms remains poorly studied. In this study, we first tested the role of Peg-Dox in the killing of myeloid cell lines and of primary myeloid leukemia cells. Then, a Peg-Dox-based protocol was used to treat patients with myeloid neoplasms. The results showed that the Peg-Dox and Peg-Dox-based protocols had a similar killing ability in myeloid cell lines and in primary myeloid leukemia cells compared to that of conventional doxorubicin. The complete remission rate was 87.5% and 100% for patients with refractory/relapsed acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome with excess blasts, respectively, after treatment with Peg-Dox. All patients developed grade 3 or 4 hematological toxicity and recovered approximately 2 weeks after completing chemotherapy. No deaths or other severe complications were reported. Our results showed that Peg-Dox can be used in the treatment of myeloid neoplasms with high rates of complete remission and with mild complications.