Artemisinins, compounds extracted from the herb Artemisia annua, are safe and effective FDA-approved antimalarial drugs. Recent studies have suggested that artemisinins also exert anti-angiogenic and cytotoxic effects on human cancer cells. Artesunate (ART) is a water soluble semisynthetic artemisinin with improved pharmacokinetic properties.~A single-center phase I dose-escalation study evaluating the safety and pharmacokinetics of oral Artesunate in patients with Advanced HCC.~Approximately 15 patients will be enrolled in this trial. Dose-escalation protocol: The first patient will receive 200 mg Artesunate once-daily for 14 days. If no dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) is observed after 14 days, the next patient will start at a daily dose of 300 mg Artesunate. If no DLT is observed after 14 days, a cohort of 3 patients will receive 400 mg once-daily for 14 days. For each subsequent cohort of 3 patients 200 mg will be added to the dose, until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is determined.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the Safety and Pharmacokinetics of Oral Artesunate in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)