We work on development of new Paclitaxel Nano-Delivery Systems. We would like to know if we need special refrigerator and freezer for Paclitaxel or other cytotoxic drugs? If we need a special refrigerator and freezer, witch criteria should be taken in consideration in comparison with conventional pharmaceutical refrigerator and freezer?
Choices based on temperature requirements are primary in choosing the system. The freezer and cooler parts (if separate, preferred to be one - either cooling or freezing!) should not have temperature fluctuations, especially the cooling system. At higher freezing (usually > -60 dC the small fluctuations are bearable by the samples). Usual trend is a machine providing -80 dC freezing. Needless to say that uninterrupted power supply through stable current is the basic requirement in running these machines. Multiple systems are available from different vendors, internationally. The machine needs to be robust enough to carry the longer periods of trouble-free, temperature-fluctuations free service. The freeze-thaw cycle is detrimental to the sample. For cytotoxic taxoids, the sampling, packing, and placement in the refrigerator (usually dedicated area) is equally important. Thank you.
Usually the storage temperature is written on the drug itself. Some drugs are stored at -20 C freezer, while others are stored in refrigerator at 2 C to 8 C. Therefore check the storage conditions of the product.
We worked, some years ago with PTX and we used a "regular" refrigerator/freezer. The alcoholic and hydroalcoholic PTX solutions were frozen and no instability was found after the freeze/thaw cycles. I do not remember about freezing the samples (solid lipid nanoparticles) as the long-term stability was assessed at 25C. Be aware that these nano-systems are likely to be physically affected by the freezing process (speed and T), as already stressed by Riaz A. Khan. Special operating procedures, regarding the manipulation of the drug and samples, were enforced due to the PTX toxicity.
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