Liposomal Anthracycline Chemotherapy in the Treatment of AIDS-Related Kaposi's Sarcoma

The treatments employed for Kaposi's sarcoma in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS-KS) have been limited in their usefulness by toxicities and underlying immunodeficiency in this patient population. Recently, liposomal anthracycline chemotherapeutic agents have been developed and used in AIDS-KS. Liposomal encapsulation may provide greater concentration of anthracycline in the KS lesions when compared with standard anthracycline administration. Also, the favorable pharmacokinetic parameters of the encapsulated formulations - longer half-life, greater area under the concentration-time curve (AUC), and slower clearance-may allow the lesions to be exposed to these cytotoxic agents for longer periods of time. Phase II and III studies testing the safety and efficacy of liposomal anthracyclines demonstrate that they are at least as efficacious as standard regimens, with a better safety profile.