Comparison of Liposome Entrapped Paclitaxel Easy to Use (LEP-ETU) and Taxol® Pharmacokinetics in Patients With Advanced Cancer

In this study, Liposome Entrapped Paclitaxel Easy to Use (LEP-ETU) is being compared to Taxol® to examine whether the paclitaxel in these 2 formulations undergoes similar processing by the body. Safety and tolerability of LEP-ETU and Taxol will also be assessed. In this study, each patient will receive one intravenous infusion of LEP-ETU or Taxol, followed 3 weeks later by an infusion of the other drug, at the same dose and infusion duration. Multiple blood samples will be taken for analysis before, during, and after both drug infusions. Upon completing these 2 Cycles of treatment, eligible patients may enroll in an extension study (LEP-ETU-102B) to continue treatment with LEP-ETU. LEP-ETU is a liposomal formulation of paclitaxel, a widely used anti-cancer drug. This LEP-ETU formulation of paclitaxel is being developed to potentially reduce toxicities associated with Taxol, by eliminating the drug formulation component polyoxyethylated castor oil (Cremophor® EL). In LEP-ETU, paclitaxel is associated with liposomes, which are microscopic membrane-like structures created from lipids (fats). Thus, the LEP-ETU formulation could potentially have reduced toxicity, while maintaining or enhancing efficacy.