Characterization of nelfinavir binding to plasma proteins and the lack of drug displacement interactions.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the characteristics of the binding of nelfinavir and active M8 to alpha1-acid glycoprotein (AAG) and human serum albumin (HSA), and to examine the displacement effects of drugs binding extensively to AAG (ritonavir and saquinavir) or to HSA (salicylic acid and valproic acid). METHODS: Free drugs were separated by equilibrium dialysis after incubation with human plasma or purified plasma proteins and after co-incubation with potential displacers. Association constants were estimated from double-reciprocal plots of the data. RESULTS: Nelfinavir and M8 free fractions [fractions of unbound drug (fus)] were 0.42+/-0.08% (mean+/-standard deviation) and 0.64+/-0.07%, respectively. For the two analytes, respectively, association constants were 7.25 x 10(7)/m and 3.33 x 10(7)/m for AAG and 1.11 x 10(6)/m and 7.92 x 10(5)/m for HSA. Nelfinavir fu in an AAG solution was significantly (P < 0.01) increased by the addition of ritonavir or saquinavir, whereas it was unaltered by addition of these drugs to whole plasma. Similarly, fu in an HSA solution was significantly increased (P < 0.01) by the addition of salicylic acid or valproic acid, whereas there was no difference in the free fraction in plasma. CONCLUSIONS: The affinity of nelfinavir for human plasma proteins was higher than that of M8, and both nelfinavir and M8 showed higher affinity to AAG than to HSA. The free fraction of nelfinavir was not affected by drugs that bind extensively to AAG or albumin when these drugs were added to whole plasma in combination, suggesting a compensatory effect of alternate binding proteins.

Altered pharmacokinetics of indinavir by a novel nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (HBY-097): a pharmacokinetic evaluation in HIV-positive patients.

HBY-097 (HBY), an investigational nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI), and indinavir (IDV) share a common metabolic pathway, cytochrome P4503A4 (CYP3A4), and may clinically be used together as well as with zidovudine (ZDV). Thus, the potential pharmacokinetic (PK) interaction between these drugs was evaluated. HBY (500 mg Q8H), IDV (800 mg Q8H), and ZDV (200 mg Q8H) were given to 8 HIV-infected subjects. Serial plasma samples were collected at baseline (ZDV and IDV alone) and day 11 (all 3 drugs) to determine PK parameters using noncompartmental analysis. PK parameters for ZDV in the presence and absence of HBY were not appreciably different. However, both the maximum (Cmax) and minimum (Cmin) concentrations of IDV were significantly reduced, from a mean of 7514 +/- 1636 and 146 +/- 81 mcg/L to 4725 +/- 2494 mcg/L and 54 +/- 24 mcg/L (p < .05) after addition of HBY. Furthermore, apparent clearance (CL/F) of IDV before and after 11 days of concomitant HBY administration was significantly higher, from 0.69 +/- 0.14 to 1.94 +/- 0.63 L/h/kg (p < .05) with an associated reduction in area under the curve (AUC0-8) from 16,034 +/- 4903 to 6134 +/- 2701 mg/L/h (p < .05). The increase in IDV CL/F is consistent with the observed metabolic induction effects of other NNRTIs. The results of this trial showed that HBY significantly alters the pharmacokinetic parameters of IDV at the dose studied.