A comparison of branched DNA and reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction methodologies for quantitation of lipid nanoparticle encapsulated mRNA.

Messenger RNA (mRNA)-based therapeutics have emerged as a promising modality for various clinical applications, necessitating robust methods for mRNA quantification. This biodistribution study compares the performance of branched DNA and reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assays for measuring lipid nanoparticle-encapsulated mRNA. Following intravenous administration of nascent peptide imaging luciferase mRNA (1 mg/kg) to rats, mRNA levels in various tissues and serum were quantified using both assays. Statistical analyses, including Bland-Altman, Deming regression and Passing-Bablok regression, were employed to assess method comparability and reproducibility. The results indicated that mRNA pharmacokinetics measured by branched DNA and RT-qPCR were largely consistent across tissues, with RT-qPCR showing greater reproducibility across multiple laboratories. RT-qPCR also demonstrated a wider dynamic range and higher sensitivity, making it a more versatile option for large-scale studies. Despite some differences in data due to tissue types and timepoints, both methods provided comparable pharmacokinetic profiles for mRNA quantification. This study underscores the importance of selecting an appropriate quantification method based on study requirements and highlights RT-qPCR's adaptability for multisite research, especially for the clinical development of mRNA-based therapeutics.

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Translational kinetic-pharmacodynamics of mRNA-6231, an investigational mRNA therapeutic encoding mutein interleukin-2.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are essential for maintaining immune homeostasis by serving as negative regulators of adaptive immune system effector cell responses. Reduced production or function of Tregs has been implicated in several human autoimmune diseases. The cytokine interleukin 2 plays a central role in promoting Treg differentiation, survival, and function in vivo and may therefore have therapeutic benefits for autoimmune diseases. mRNA-6231 is an investigational, lipid nanoparticle-encapsulated, mRNA-based therapy that encodes a modified human interleukin 2 mutein fused to human serum albumin (HSA-IL2m). Herein, we report the development of a semi-mechanistic kinetic-pharmacodynamic model to quantify the relationship between subcutaneous dose(s) of mRNA-6231, HSA-IL2m protein expression, and Treg expansion in nonhuman primates. The nonclinical kinetic-pharmacodynamic model was extrapolated to humans using allometric scaling principles and the physiological basis of pharmacological mechanisms to predict the clinical response to therapy a priori. Model-based simulations were used to inform the dose selection and design of the first-in-human clinical study (NCT04916431). The modeling approach used to predict human responses was validated when data became available from the phase I clinical study. This validation indicates that the approach is valuable in informing clinical decision-making.

Systemic Exposure, Metabolism, and Elimination of [14C]-Labeled Amino Lipid, Lipid 5, after a Single Administration of mRNA Encapsulating Lipid Nanoparticles to Sprague-Dawley Rats.

The emerging therapeutic modality of lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-encapsulated mRNAs has demonstrated promising clinical results when used as vaccines and is currently being tested in formulations for a wide range of targeted chronic disease treatments. These therapeutics are multicomponent assemblages of well-characterized naturally occurring molecules in addition to xenobiotic molecules, whose in vivo distributions are poorly understood. Here, the metabolic outcome and in vivo elimination of heptadecan-9-yl 8-((2-hydroxyethyl) (8-(nonyloxy)-8-oxooctyl)amino)octanoate (Lipid 5), a key xenobiotic amino lipid in LNP formulations, were assessed after intravenous administration of 14C-labeled Lipid 5 to Sprague-Dawley rats. Intact Lipid 5 was predominantly cleared from plasma within 10 hour after dosing, with only small quantities (<1% of 14C dose) of a single diacid metabolite detected after 10 hour. Lipid 5 was rapidly metabolized via ester hydrolysis into aliphatic alcohols and diacidic amino head group moieties, which were further metabolized via ß-oxidation. Overall, >90% of the administered Lipid 5-derived 14C was recovered in urine (65%) and feces (35%), predominantly as oxidative metabolites, within 72 hour after dosing, indicating rapid renal and hepatic elimination. In vitro metabolite identification after incubation with human, nonhuman primate, and rat hepatocytes showed similar metabolites to those found in vivo. No meaningful differences were observed in Lipid 5 metabolism or elimination by sex. In conclusion, Lipid 5, a critical amino lipid component of LNPs for mRNA therapeutic delivery, showed minimal exposure, rapid metabolism, and near-complete elimination of 14C metabolites in rats. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Heptadecan-9-yl 8-((2-hydroxyethyl) (8-(nonyloxy)-8-oxooctyl)amino)octanoate (Lipid 5) is a key component of lipid nanoparticles used for the delivery of mRNA-based medicines; understanding the rates and routes of its clearance is crucial to assessing its long-term safety in lipid nanoparticle technology. This study conclusively established the rapid metabolism, and near-complete elimination of intravenously administered [14C]Lipid 5 in rats via both liver and kidney as oxidative metabolites derived from ester hydrolysis and subsequent ß-oxidation.

Biodistribution of Lipid 5, mRNA, and Its Translated Protein Following Intravenous Administration of mRNA-Encapsulated Lipid Nanoparticles in Rats.

RNA-based therapeutics and vaccines represent a novel and expanding class of medicines, the success of which depends on the encapsulation and protection of mRNA molecules in lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-based carriers. With the development of mRNA-LNP modalities, which can incorporate xenobiotic constituents, extensive biodistribution analyses are necessary to better understand the factors that influence their in vivo exposure profiles. This study investigated the biodistribution of heptadecan-9-yl 8-((2-hydroxyethyl)(8-(nonyloxy)-8-oxooctyl)amino)octanoate (Lipid 5)-a xenobiotic amino lipid-and its metabolites in male and female pigmented (Long-Evans) and nonpigmented (Sprague Dawley) rats by using quantitative whole-body autoradiography (QWBA) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) techniques. After intravenous injection of Lipid 5-containing LNPs, 14C-containing Lipid 5 ([14C]Lipid 5) and radiolabeled metabolites ([14C]metabolites) were rapidly distributed, with peak concentrations reached within 1 hour in most tissues. After 10 hours, [14C]Lipid 5 and [14C]metabolites concentrated primarily in the urinary and digestive tracts. By 24 hours, [14C]Lipid 5 and [14C]metabolites were localized almost exclusively in the liver and intestines, with few or no concentrations detected in non-excretory systems, which is suggestive of hepatobiliary and renal clearance. [14C]Lipid 5 and [14C]metabolites were completely cleared within 168 hours (7 days). Biodistribution profiles were similar between QWBA and LC-MS/MS techniques, pigmented and nonpigmented rats, and male and female rats, excluding the reproductive organs. In conclusion, the rapid clearance through known excretory systems, with no evidence of redistribution for Lipid 5 or accumulation of [14C]metabolites, provides confidence for the safe and effective use of Lipid 5-containing LNPs. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: This study demonstrates the rapid, systemic distribution of intact and radiolabeled metabolites of Lipid 5, a xenobiotic amino lipid component of novel mRNA-LNP medicines, and its effective clearance without substantial redistribution after intravenous administration; additionally, findings were consistent between different mRNAs encapsulated within LNPs of similar composition. This study confirms the applicability of current analytical methods for lipid biodistribution analyses, and taken together with appropriate safety studies, supports the continued use of Lipid 5 in mRNA-medicines.

PF-03475952: a potent and neutralizing fully human anti-CD44 antibody for therapeutic applications in inflammatory diseases.

INTRODUCTION: CD44 is a cell adhesion molecule believed to play a critical role in T cell and monocyte infiltration in the inflammatory process. The reduction of CD44 expression or its ability to properly interact with its key ligand, hyaluronic acid (HA), inhibits migration and subsequent activation of cells within sites of inflammation. CD44-deficient mice exhibit decreased disease in a mouse arthritis model. METHODS: Accordingly, we developed PF-03475952, a fully human IgG2 anti-CD44 monoclonal antibody (mAb). RESULTS: Binding of PF-03475952 to CD44 inhibits binding of HA and induces loss of CD44 from the cell surface. PF-03475952 also passed a series of safety pharmacology assays designed to assess the risk of the mAb to bind Fc gamma receptors, stimulate cytokine release from human whole blood, and stimulate cytokine release from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) using plate-bound antibodies. The latter assay was designed specifically to evaluate the risk of cytokine storm that had been observed with TGN1412 (immunostimulatory CD28 superagonist mAb). PF-003475952 exhibits high-affinity binding to both human and cynomolgus monkey CD44, but does not cross-react with rodent CD44. Thus, a rat anti-mouse CD44 mAb was used to demonstrate a dose-dependent decrease of disease in mouse collagen-induced arthritis. Importantly, efficacy was correlated with >50% loss of cell surface CD44 on circulating cells. Loss of CD44 expression on CD3+ lymphocytes was monitored following a single dose of PF-03475952 in cynomolgus monkeys as a pharmacodynamic marker. The recovery of CD44 expression was found to be dose-dependent. PF-03475952 doses of 1, 10, and 100 mg/kg reduced CD44 expression below 50% for 218, 373, and >504 hours, respectively. CONCLUSION: Targeting of CD44 is a unique mechanism of action in the treatment of inflammatory diseases and is expected to reduce joint damage induced by inflammatory mediators, resulting in disease modification in inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Development of an in vitro drug-drug interaction assay to simultaneously monitor five cytochrome P450 isoforms and performance assessment using drug library compounds.

INTRODUCTION: Inhibition of cytochrome P450 (CYP) is a principal mechanism for metabolism-based drug-drug interactions (DDIs). This article describes a robust, high-throughput CYP-mediated DDI assay using a cocktail of 5 clinically relevant probe substrates with quantification by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS-MS). METHODS: The assay consisted of human liver microsomes and a cocktail of probe substrates metabolized by the five major CYP isoforms (tacrine for CYP1A2, diclofenac for CYP2C9, (S)-mephenytoin for CYP2C19, dextromethorphan for CYP2D6 and midazolam for CYP3A4). The assay was fully automated in both 96- and 384-well formats. RESULTS: A series of experiments were conducted to define the optimal kinetic parameters and solvent concentrations, as well as, to assess potential reactant and product interference. The assay was validated against known CYP inhibitors (miconazole, sulfaphenazole, ticlopidine, quinidine, ketoconazole, itraconazole, fluoxetine) and evaluated in a screening environment by testing 9494 compounds. DISCUSSION: Our findings show that this assay has application in early stage drug discovery to economically, reliably and accurately assess compounds for DDIs.

A novel method for assessing inhibition of ibuprofen chiral inversion and its application in drug discovery.

An inhibition assay to assess the potential for chiral inversion of compounds was developed using R(-)-ibuprofen as the probe substrate. Inhibition of the chiral inversion of R(-)-ibuprofen by structurally similar compounds in cyropreserved rat hepatocytes was studied using chiral HPLC and LC/MS methods for the chromatographic separation and detection of enantiomers. Concept validation of this assay was performed with three commercially available compounds and four Pfizer compounds. The results of these studies demonstrated that compounds that are structurally similar to ibuprofen inhibited the formation of S(+)-ibuprofen, suggesting that they may undergo similar enzymatic chiral inversion pathways or compete for the same enzyme active sites. Additionally, an application of this assay in early drug discovery for a specific class of compounds was demonstrated. Thirty-three in-house compounds were screened for their chiral inversion potential utilizing this assay to investigate the structure activity relationship (SAR) for this class of compounds.