Pharmaceutical development of a lyophilised dosage form for the investigational anticancer agent Imexon using dimethyl sulfoxide as solubilising and stabilising agent.

Imexon is a member of the class of 2-cyanoaziridine derivatives, which have been of interest as immunomodulators and anticancer agents since the late 1970s. For the scheduled phase I clinical trials a stable, sterile, injectable pharmaceutical dosage form containing 100 mg Imexon was required. Despite adequate solubility, its instability in aqueous media seriously hampered the pharmaceutical development of Imexon.