Doxorubicin-Eluting Beads

**Semantic type:** Pharmacologic Substance

**Definition:** A drug-device combination product consisting of small polymeric beads impregnated with the anthracycline antibiotic doxorubicin with potential antineoplastic activity. The beads consist of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) microspheres modified with sulfonic acid groups and loaded with doxorubicin. During transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), doxorubicin-eluting beads embolize to the tumor vasculature and release cytotoxic doxorubicin, which may result in both ischemic necrosis of tumor tissue due to mechanical blockage of the tumor vasculature and doxorubicin-mediated inhibition of tumor cell proliferation.