A form of the anticancer drug irinotecan hydrochloride that is contained in very tiny, fat-like particles. Liposome-encapsulated irinotecan hydrochloride PEP02 is used together with fluorouracil and leucovorin to treat a certain type of pancreatic cancer that has spread to other parts of the body and has gotten worse after treatment with gemcitabine anticancer therapy. It is also being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer. Irinotecan hydrochloride blocks certain enzymes needed for cell division and DNA repair, and it may kill cancer cells. Liposome-encapsulated irinotecan hydrochloride PEP02 may have fewer side effects and work better than irinotecan hydrochloride. It is a type of topoisomerase inhibitor and a type of camptothecin analog. Also called irinotecan hydrochloride liposome, Onivyde, and PEP02.
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