Abstract: A- and/or B-ring substituted camptothecin derivatives, which are poorly water soluble (less than 5 micrograms per milliliter of water), are highly lipophilic camptothecin derivatives (HLCD) and are very active against a variety of human cancers. Because of their very poor water solubility, HLCD have not been used to treat human patients with cancer due to the inability to administer sufficient quantities of the HLCD dissolved in a pharmaceutical formulation. This invention overcomes these limitations by teaching novel pharmaceutically acceptable HLCD formulations for the direct administration of HLCD to human patients with cancer. The claimed invention also describes the methods to create solutions of HLCD and antitumor compositions of HLCD to allow the administration of HLCD in sufficient amounts to treat human patients with various types of cancer.

Abstract: 7-ethyl-10-hydroxy camptothecin (HECPT), an active metabolite of the camptothecin analog CPT-11 which is used as an anticancer drug, is poorly soluble in water. Because of its poor water solubility, HECPT has not been directly administered by parenteral or oral routes in human patients for the purpose of inhibiting the growth of cancer cells. There is also unpredictable interpatient variability in the metabolic production of HECPT from CPT-11 which limits the utility of CPT-11. This invention overcomes these limitations by teaching novel pharmaceutically acceptable lactone stable HECPT formulations for the direct administration of lactone stable HECPT formulations orally or parenterally to patients with various forms of cancer.

Abstract: 10-hydroxy 7-ethyl camptothecin (HECPT), an active metabolite of the camptothecin analog CPT-11, is poorly soluble in water. Because of its poor water solubility, HECPT has not been directly administered by parenteral or oral routes in human patients for the purpose of inhibiting the growth of cancer cells. There is also unpredictable interpatient variability in the metabolic production of HECPT from CPT-11 which limits the utility of CPT-11. This invention overcomes these limitations by teaching novel pharmaceutically acceptable lactone stable HECPT formulations for the direct administration of HECPT. The claimed invention also describes novel dosages, schedules, and routes of administration of the lactone stable HECPT formulations to patients with various forms of cancer.

Abstract: The novel compounds 11-hydroxy-7-ethyl camptothecin and 11-hydroxy-7-methoxy camptothecin (11,7-HECPT and 11,7-HMCPT) are active anticancer compounds which are poorly soluble in water. Because of their novelty, 11,7-HECPT and 11,7-HMCPT derivatives have not been directly administered by parenteral or oral routes to human subjects as an antitumor composition for the purpose of inhibiting the growth of cancer cells. The claimed compositions are useful as compared to the water soluble camptothecin derivatives, such as CPT-11, in clinical trials. The unpredictable interpatient variability in the metabolic production of an active metabolite from CPT-11 limits the utility of CPT-11. This invention overcomes these limitations by claiming novel pharmaceutically acceptable lactone stable formulations of 11,7-HECPT or 11,7-HMCPT, to directly administer to patients.

Abstract: 7-ethyl camptothecin (ECPT), an active metabolite of the camptothecin analog CPT-11, is poorly soluble in water. Because of its poor water solubility, ECPT has not been directly administered by parenteral or oral routes in human patients for the purpose of inhibiting the growth of cancer cells. There is also unpredictable interpatient variability in the metabolic production of ECPT from CPT-11 which limits the utility of CPT-11. This invention overcomes these limitations by teaching novel pharmaceutically acceptable lactone stable ECPT formulations for the direct administration of ECPT. The claimed invention also describes novel dosages, schedules, and routes of administration of the lactone stable ECPT formulations to patients with various forms of cancer.

Abstract: Camptothecin (CPT) an anticancer drug is poorly soluble in water. This invention overcomes this limitation by teaching novel pharmaceutically acceptable lactone stable CPT formulations for the direct administration of CPT to human subjects with cancer. The claimed invention also describes novel dosages, schedules, and routes of administration of the lactone stable CPT formulations to patients with various forms of cancer.

Abstract: The novel compounds 11-hydroxy-7-ethyl camptothecin and 11-hydroxy-7-methoxy camptothecin (11,7-HECPT and 11,7-HMCPT) are active anticancer compounds which are poorly soluble in water. Because of their novelty, 11,7-HECPT and 11,7-HMCPT derivatives have not been directly administered by parenteral or oral routes to human subjects as an antitumor composition for the purpose of inhibiting the growth of cancer cells. The claimed compositions are useful as compared to the water soluble camptothecin derivatives, such as CPT-11, in clinical trials. The unpredictable interpatient variability in the metabolic production of an active metabolite from CPT-11 limits the utility of CPT-11. This invention overcomes these limitations by claiming novel pharmaceutically acceptable lactone stable formulations of 11,7-HECPT or 11,7-HMCPT, to directly administer to patients.

Abstract: 10-hydroxy 7-ethyl camptothecin (HECPT), an active metabolite of the camptothecin analog CPT-11, is poorly soluble in water. Because of its poor water solubility, HECPT has not been directly administered by parenteral or oral routes in human patients for the purpose of inhibiting the growth of cancer cells. There is also unpredictable interpatient variability in the metabolic production of HECPT from CPT-11 which limits the utility of CPT-11. This invention overcomes these limitations by teaching novel pharmaceutically acceptable lactone stable HECPT formulations for the direct administration of HECPT. The claimed invention also describes novel dosages, schedules, and routes of administration of the lactone stable HECPT formulations to patients with various forms of cancer.