Open AccessPaper Analytic Device to Detect the Presence of Four Chemotherapy Drugs
Author(s) -
M. F. Smith,
Ayenew Ashenef,
Marya Lieberman
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of global oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.002
H-Index - 17
ISSN - 2378-9506
DOI - 10.1200/jgo.18.00198
Subject(s) - medicine , oxaliplatin , cisplatin , drug , chemotherapy , methotrexate , dosage form , wax , active ingredient , cancer chemotherapy , standard of care , pharmacology , medical physics , cancer , surgery , colorectal cancer , chemistry , organic chemistry
A paper analytic device, the chemoPAD, was developed and validated to visually detect methotrexate, doxorubicin, cisplatin, and oxaliplatin at concentrations commonly found in injectable dosage forms. By testing residual solution after patient treatment, the chemoPAD can be used to monitor drug quality without restriction of patient access to medication. The chemoPAD is produced by wax printing on Ahlstrom paper to create separate reaction areas and deposits small amounts of chemicals to create color changes in response to different active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). This creates a unique color bar code to identify each medication. Internal validation studies show that the chemoPAD has excellent sensitivity and specificity to differentiate between samples of 100% and 0% API, which is the distinction relevant to the majority of reported falsified chemotherapy cases. The platinum-containing drugs, cisplatin and oxaliplatin, can be detected semiquantitatively. The cards can be read either visually by comparison with a standard image or by using computer image analysis. Dosage forms were collected from the Ethiopian health care system and analyzed with the chemoPAD followed by high-performance liquid chromatography. A substandard sample was discovered and reported to the Ethiopian Food Medicine and Healthcare Administration and Control Authority.