Effect of Carbamazepine on the Pharmacokinetics of Erdafitinib in Healthy Participants.

Erdafitinib, a selective and potent oral pan-FGFR inhibitor, is metabolized mainly through CYP2C9 and CYP3A4 enzymes. This phase 1, open-label, single-sequence, drug-drug interaction study evaluated the pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of a single oral dose of erdafitinib alone and when co-administered with steady state oral carbamazepine, a dual inducer of CYP3A4 and CYP2C9, in 13 healthy adult participants (NCT04330248). Compared with erdafitinib administration alone, carbamazepine co-administration decreased total and free maximum plasma concentrations of erdafitinib (Cmax) by 35% (95% CI 30%-39%) and 22% (95% CI 17%-27%), respectively. The areas under the concentration-time curve over the time interval from 0 to 168 hours, to the last quantifiable data point, and to time infinity (AUC168h, AUClast, AUCinf), were markedly decreased for both total erdafitinib (56%-62%) and free erdafitinib (48%-55%). The safety profile of erdafitinib was consistent with previous clinical studies in healthy participants, with no new safety concerns when administered with or without carbamazepine. Co-administration with carbamazepine may reduce the activity of erdafitinib due to reduced exposure. Concomitant use of strong CYP3A4 inducers with erdafitinib should be avoided.

Pharmacokinetics of Nasal Esketamine in Patients with Allergic Rhinitis with and Without Nasal Decongestant Pretreatment and in Healthy Subjects with and Without Nasal Corticosteroid Pretreatment.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Nasal esketamine is indicated for the treatment of adults with treatment-resistant depression and depressive symptoms in adults with major depressive disorder with acute suicidal ideation or behavior. Primary objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of nasal decongestant pretreatment in patients with allergic rhinitis and the impact of daily nasal corticosteroid administration by healthy subjects on nasal esketamine pharmacokinetics. METHODS: Patients with allergic rhinitis self-administered 56 mg of nasal esketamine after pretreatment with nasal oxymetazoline (0.05%) at 1 h before esketamine and without oxymetazoline pretreatment. They were exposed to grass pollen in an allergen challenge chamber to induce allergic rhinitis symptoms at approximately 2 h before each esketamine administration until 1 h after. Healthy subjects self-administered esketamine (56 mg) before and after administration for 16 consecutive days of mometasone (200 µg), with the second esketamine dose administered 1 h after the last mometasone dose. The plasma pharmacokinetics of esketamine and noresketamine were assessed after each esketamine administration. The tolerability of esketamine, including effects on dissociative and potential psychotomimetic symptoms and level of sedation and suicidal ideation and behavior, was evaluated. RESULTS: The rate of esketamine absorption was slightly greater in patients exhibiting symptoms of allergic rhinitis (decrease in median tmax from 32 min to 22 min). Increases in esketamine Cmax and AUC were also small (mean, ≤ 21%). The pharmacokinetics of esketamine was not affected by oxymetazoline or mometasone pretreatment. Esketamine was well tolerated when it was administered with or without pretreatment of oxymetazoline or mometasone. CONCLUSIONS: Patients exhibiting symptoms of rhinitis may receive nasal esketamine spray without dose adjustment. In addition, esketamine may be administered 1 h after using a nasal decongestant or corticosteroid. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered in the Clinical Trials (NCT02154334) and EudraCT (2014-000534-38) registries.

Niraparib with androgen receptor-axis-targeted therapy in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: safety and pharmacokinetic results from a phase 1b study (BEDIVERE).

PURPOSE: To assess the safety and pharmacokinetics and determine the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) of niraparib with apalutamide or abiraterone acetate plus prednisone (AAP) in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). METHODS: BEDIVERE was a multicenter, open-label, phase 1b study of niraparib 200 or 300 mg/day with apalutamide 240 mg or AAP (abiraterone acetate 1000 mg; prednisone 10 mg). Patients with mCRPC were previously treated with ≥ 2 lines of systemic therapy, including ≥ 1 androgen receptor-axis-targeted therapy for prostate cancer. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients were enrolled (niraparib-apalutamide, 6; niraparib-AAP, 27). No dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were reported when combinations included niraparib 200 mg; five patients receiving niraparib 300 mg experienced DLTs [niraparib-apalutamide, 2/3 patients (66.7%); niraparib-AAP, 3/8 patients (37.5%)]. Although data are limited, niraparib exposures were lower when given with apalutamide compared with historical niraparib monotherapy exposures in patients with solid tumors. Because of the higher incidence of DLTs, the niraparib-apalutamide combination and niraparib 300 mg combination with AAP were not further evaluated. Niraparib 200 mg was selected as the RP2D with AAP. Of 19 patients receiving niraparib 200 mg with AAP, 12 (63.2%) had grade 3/4 treatment-emergent adverse events, the most common being thrombocytopenia (26.3%) and hypertension (21.1%). Five patients (26.3%) had adverse events leading to treatment discontinuation. CONCLUSIONS: These results support the choice of niraparib 200 mg as the RP2D with AAP. The niraparib-AAP combination was tolerable in patients with mCRPC, with no new safety signals. An ongoing phase 3 study is further assessing this combination in patients with mCRPC. TRIAL REGISTRATION NO: NCT02924766 (ClinicalTrials.gov).

Effect of Fluconazole and Itraconazole on the Pharmacokinetics of Erdafitinib in Healthy Adults: A Randomized, Open-Label, Drug-Drug Interaction Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Erdafitinib, an oral selective pan-fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) kinase inhibitor, is primarily metabolized by cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C9 and 3A4. The aim of this phase 1 study was to assess the pharmacokinetics and safety of erdafitinib in healthy participants when coadministered with fluconazole (moderate CYP2C9 and CYP3A inhibitor), and itraconazole (a strong CYP3A4 and P-glycoprotein inhibitor). The effect of CYP2C9 genotype variants (*1/*1, *1/*2, *1/*3) on the pharmacokinetics of erdafitinib was also investigated. METHODS: In this open-label, parallel-group, single-center study, eligible healthy adults were randomized by CYP2C9 genotype to receive Treatment A (single oral dose of erdafitinib 4 mg) on day 1, Treatment B (fluconazole 400 mg/day orally) on days 1-11, or Treatment C (itraconazole 200 mg/day orally) on days 1-11. Healthy adults randomized to Treatment B and C received a single oral 4-mg dose of erdafitinib on day 5. The pharmacokinetic parameters, including mean maximum plasma concentration (Cmax), area under the curve (AUC) from time 0 to 168 h (AUC168h), AUC from time 0 to the last quantifiable concentration (AUClast), and AUC from time 0 to infinity (AUC∞) were calculated from individual plasma concentration-time data using standard non-compartmental methods. RESULTS: Coadministration of erdafitinib with fluconazole increased Cmax of erdafitinib by approximately 21%, AUC168h by 38%, AUClast by 49%, and AUC∞ by 48% while coadministration with itraconazole resulted in no change in erdafitinib Cmax and increased AUC168h by 20%, AUClast by 33% and AUC∞ by 34%. Erdafitinib exposure was comparable between participants with CYP2C9 *1/*2 or *1/*3 and with wild-type CYP2C9 genotype. The ratio of total amount of erdafitinib excreted in the urine (inhibited to non-inhibited) was 1.09, the ratio of total amount of excreted metabolite M6 was 1.21, and the ratio of the metabolite to parent ratio in the urine was 1.11, when coadministration of erdafitinib with itraconazole was compared with single-dose erdafitinib. Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were generally Grade 1 or 2 in severity; the most commonly reported TEAE was headache. No safety concerns were identified with single-dose erdafitinib when administered alone and in combination with fluconazole or itraconazole in healthy adults. CONCLUSION: Coadministration of fluconazole or itraconazole or other moderate/strong CYP2C9 or CYP3A4 inhibitors may increase exposure to erdafitinib in healthy adults and thus may warrant erdafitinib dose reduction or use of alternative concomitant medications with no or minimal CYP2C9 or CYP3A4 inhibition potential. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier number: NCT03135106.

Population Pharmacokinetics of Paliperidone Palmitate (Once-Monthly Formulation) in Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese Patients With Schizophrenia.

The paliperidone pharmacokinetics after intramuscular administration of once-monthly paliperidone palmitate in Japanese patients were studied in 3 phase 1 studies and in 2 phase 3 studies performed in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. These data (Japanese, n = 509; Korean, n = 31; Taiwanese, n = 47) were used to describe the paliperidone palmitate pharmacokinetics in Japanese, to compare with non-Japanese, and to validate the historical population pharmacokinetic (Pop-PK) model for paliperidone palmitate, developed using data from studies in patients with schizophrenia outside Japan. The final historical Pop-PK model, including all significant patient covariates of Japanese studies, was used to simulate paliperidone plasma concentration-time data using nonlinear mixed effects, followed by comparison with actual data. Visual predictive checks displayed considerable overlap between predicted and actual plasma concentrations; the majority of observations were within the 90% prediction interval. Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese patients had comparable plasma concentrations. Covariate distributions demonstrated comparatively lower median body mass index in Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese patients versus rest-of-world population. Prediction errors for the data set used for external validation were within cutoff values, confirming accuracy/precision of the model. Paliperidone pharmacokinetics were adequately predicted for Japanese studies using the historical Pop-PK model, confirming its robustness. Pharmacokinetics in Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese patients with schizophrenia were comparable with rest-of-world population.

Integrating Duodenal Sampling in a Human Mass Balance Study to Quantify the Elimination Pathways of JNJ-53718678, a Respiratory Syncytial Virus Fusion Protein Inhibitor.

INTRODUCTION: The study objective was to characterize the excretion and metabolic profile of the respiratory syncytial virus fusion protein inhibitor, JNJ-53718678. Prior animal and in vitro studies suggested three main elimination pathways: N-glucuronidation to M8; CYP(3A4) metabolism leading to circulating metabolites M5, M12, M19 and M37; and JNJ-53718678 biliary excretion. To gain insight into the relative contribution of JNJ-53718678 and M8 biliary excretion, duodenal fluid sampling was incorporated into this mass balance study. METHODS: A single oral dose of 500 mg 14C-JNJ-53718678 was administered to six healthy male subjects. Four hours after study drug intake, gallbladder contraction was stimulated and duodenal fluid samples were collected. JNJ-53718678, its key circulating metabolites and total radioactivity (TR) were quantified in plasma, feces, urine and duodenal fluid. Safety was monitored throughout. RESULTS: JNJ-53718678 and M12 represented 47.4% and 17.8%, respectively, of TR area under the curve (AUC)∞ in plasma. M37 (9.6%), M19 (5.2%), M5 (4.3%) and M8 (1.4%) were minor metabolites; 70.6% of TR was recovered in feces and 19.9% in urine. Duodenal fluid concentrations (% of TR) were highest for JNJ-53718678 (11.6%) followed by M8 (10.4%), M5 (5.9%) and M12 (1.1%). In feces, 10-16% of TR was JNJ-53718678, 5-8% M5, < 1% M12 and < 1% M8. N-glucuronidation to M8 and direct biliary excretion of JNJ-53718678 represented 7% and 8% of drug clearance, respectively. JNJ-53718678 was safe and well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: JNJ-53718678 is primarily eliminated through CYP3A4-mediated metabolism. By integrating duodenal sampling, N-glucuronidation was confirmed as another metabolic pathway despite the low amount of M8 excreted in urine and feces. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Eudract no. 2016-002664-14.

Comparison of Capillary and Venous Drug Concentrations After Administration of a Single Dose of Risperidone, Paliperidone, Quetiapine, Olanzapine, or Aripiprazole.

Risperidone, paliperidone, quetiapine, olanzapine, and aripiprazole are antipsychotic drugs approved for treating various psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. The objective of this randomized, parallel-group, open-label study was to compare finger-stick-based capillary with corresponding venous whole-blood and plasma concentrations for these drugs after administration of a single dose to healthy volunteers. All whole-blood and plasma drug concentrations were measured with validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry methods. Capillary and venous concentrations (both in plasma and whole blood) were in close agreement, although a time-dependent difference was observed, most obviously for olanzapine and paliperidone, with slightly higher capillary versus venous drug concentrations during the first hours after administering a single dose. The observed difference between capillary and venous plasma drug concentrations is expected not to be relevant in clinical practice, considering the wide window of therapeutic concentrations and the wide range of drug concentrations in the patient population for a given dose. Based on these results, finger-stick-based capillary drug concentrations have been shown to approximate venous drug concentrations.

Comparison of Capillary and Venous Plasma Drug Concentrations After Repeated Administration of Risperidone, Paliperidone, Quetiapine, Olanzapine, or Aripiprazole.

Quantification of blood levels of antipsychotic drugs may be useful for managing medication therapy. This open-label, parallel-group study was performed to compare finger-stick-based capillary with corresponding venous plasma concentrations for risperidone, paliperidone, quetiapine, olanzapine, and aripiprazole and their major metabolites after repeated dosing in patients with schizophrenia or related illnesses. Finger-stick-based capillary and venous blood samples were collected at various times within a dosing interval. All drug concentration measurements in the derived plasma samples were performed with validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry methods. Finger-stick-based capillary and venous plasma drug concentrations after repeated dosing were generally similar. Olanzapine capillary plasma concentrations, however, were on average approximately 20% higher than venous concentrations, with a trend for a relatively greater difference occurring shortly after dosing. In addition, smaller capillary-venous differences were observed for extended-release and long-acting intramuscular formulations and for aripiprazole, a drug with a long half-life, compared with drugs administered as an immediate-release formulation (risperidone, olanzapine). After repeated dosing, plasma derived from finger-stick-based blood was observed to be predictive of the venous concentrations. Capillary sampling may be an appropriate alternative to venous sampling to readily evaluate systemic drug concentrations.

The effect of macrophage and angiogenesis inhibition on the drug release and absorption from an intramuscular sustained-release paliperidone palmitate suspension.

The intramuscular (IM) administration of long-acting injectable (LAI) aqueous nano-/microsuspensions elicits a chronic granulomatous injection site reaction, which recently has been hypothesized to drive the (pro)drug dissolution and systemic absorption resulting in flip-flop pharmacokinetics. The goal of this mechanistic study was to investigate the effects of the local macrophage infiltration and angiogenesis on the systemic drug exposure following a single IM administration of a paliperidone palmitate (PP) LAI nano-/microsuspension in the rat. Liposomal clodronate (CLO) and sunitinib (SNT) were co-administered to inhibit the depot infiltration and nano-/microparticle phagocytosis by macrophages, and the neovascularization of the depot, respectively. Semi-quantitative histopathology of the IM administration sites at day 1, 3, 7, 14, 21 and 28 after dosing with PP-LAI illustrated that CLO significantly decreased the rate and extent of the granulomatous inflammatory reaction. The macrophage infiltration was slowed down, but only partially suppressed by CLO and this translated in paliperidone (PAL) plasma concentration-time profiles that resembled those observed upon injection of PP-LAI only, albeit with a lower PAL input rate and delayed maximum plasma concentration (CMAX). Conversely, SNT treatment completely suppressed the granulomatous reaction, besides effectively inhibiting the neovascularization of the PP-LAI depot. This resulted in an even slower systemic PAL input with delayed and lower maximum PAL CMAX. The reduced PP-LAI lymph node retention after CLO and SNT treatment, as well as pharmacokinetic drug-drug interactions were rejected as possible sources of the observed pharmacokinetic differences. The biphasic PAL plasma concentration-time profiles could best be described by an open first-order disposition model with parallel fast (first-order) and slow (sequential zero-first-order) absorption. The correlation of the pharmacokinetic data with the histopathological findings indicated that the macrophage infiltration, with subsequent phagocytosis of an important fraction of the PP-LAI dose, actively contributed to the observed PAL plasma exposures by promoting the prodrug dissolution and conversion to the active. An initial fast PP dissolution of individual nano-/microcrystals present in the interstitium was followed by a second, slower, but dominating input process that was driven by the PAL formation rate in the infiltrated portions of the LAI depot. The present work provides new fundamental insights into the influence of the local tissue response to IM LAI (pro)drug suspensions on the systemic drug exposure. This knowledge might support the future development of predictive in vitro and in silico models, which could help guide the LAI formulation design.

Development and validation of HILIC-ESI/MS/MS methods for simultaneous quantitation of several antipsychotics in human plasma and blood.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge of antipsychotic drug levels at point of care (POC) may significantly aid therapeutic decision-making. To support the development of future POC devices and to validate the use of fingerstick capillary blood sampling, two robust hydrophilic interaction LC-ESI/MS/MS methods were developed and validated. Two PK studies were completed evaluating the correlation between fingerstick blood and plasma concentrations with corresponding venous blood and plasma concentrations for several commonly prescribed atypical antipsychotics and selected metabolites. Sensitive and reliable LC-MS/MS bioanalytical assays were developed to support these studies. RESULTS: Three methods, requiring only 25-µl matrix volumes, were developed using supported liquid extraction with hydrophilic interaction LC-MS/MS detection and validated according to regulatory guidance. CONCLUSION: Robust and efficient LC-MS/MS assays were established and were effective in providing antipsychotic drug matrix comparator results in the intended clinical studies.

Drug-Drug Interaction Studies of Paliperidone and Divalproex Sodium Extended-Release Tablets in Healthy Participants and Patients with Psychiatric Disorders.

The objective of these 2 phase 1, open-label, 2-treatment, single-sequence studies was to evaluate the effect of repeated oral doses of divalproex sodium extended-release (ER) on the pharmacokinetics (PK) of a single dose of paliperidone ER in healthy participants (study 1), and the effect of multiple doses of paliperidone ER on the steady-state PK of valproic acid (VPA) in patients with psychiatric disorders (study 2), respectively. In study 1 healthy participants received, in a fixed sequential order, treatment A, paliperidone ER 12 mg (day 1); treatment B, VPA 1000 mg (2 × 500 mg divalproex sodium ER) once daily (days 5 to 18) and paliperidone ER 12 mg (day 15). In study 2 patients received treatment A, VPA (days 1-7); treatment B, VPA + paliperidone ER 12 mg (days 8-12). Divalproex sodium ER doses (study 2) were individualized such that systemic therapeutic VPA exposure from prior treatment was maintained on entry into the study. PK assessments were performed at prespecified time points (paliperidone days 1 and 15 [study 1]; VPA days 7 and 12 [study 2]). The oral bioavailability of paliperidone was increased by an estimated 51% (Cmax ) and 51%-52% (AUCs) when coadministered with divalproex sodium ER. No effect on the steady-state plasma concentration of VPA was observed following repeated coadministration with paliperidone ER: the 90%CI around the VPA exposure ratios for the 2 treatments was within the 80%-125% bioequivalence criteria for Cmax,ss and AUCτ . Both VPA and paliperidone ER were well tolerated, and no new safety concerns were identified.

Pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of paliperidone palmitate 3-month formulation in patients with schizophrenia: A phase-1, single-dose, randomized, open-label study.

This multicenter, randomized, open-label, parallel-group, phase-1 study assessed the pharmacokinetics (PK), safety, and tolerability of the investigational intramuscular paliperidone palmitate 3-month (PP3M) formulation in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. A total of 328 patients (men or women, aged 18-65 years) were enrolled in 1 of 4 separately conducted panels (A to D). Each panel had 2 single-dose treatment periods (period 1, 1 mg intramuscular paliperidone immediate release [IR]; period 2, intramuscular PP3M 75-525 mg eq) separated by a washout of 7-21 days. Overall, 245 of 308 (79.5%) PP3M-dosed patients completed the study. Because the PK studies of panels A and C were compromised by incomplete injection in some patients, PK data from only panels B and D are presented. Safety data from all panels are presented. Peak paliperidone plasma concentration was achieved between 23 and 34 days, and apparent half-life was ∼2-4 months. Mean plasma AUC∞ and Cmax of paliperidone appeared to be dose-proportional. Relative bioavailability in comparison with paliperidone was ∼100% independent of the dose and injection site. Headache and nasopharyngitis were the most common (>7%) treatment-emergent adverse events. Overall, safety and tolerability were similar to those of the 1-month formulation. Results support a once-every-3-months dosing interval in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.

Modeling the Time Course of the Tissue Responses to Intramuscular Long-acting Paliperidone Palmitate Nano-/Microcrystals and Polystyrene Microspheres in the Rat.

Long-acting injectable (LAI) drug suspensions consist of drug nano-/microcrystals suspended in an aqueous vehicle and enable prolonged therapeutic drug exposure up to several months. The examination of injection site reactions (ISRs) to the intramuscular (IM) injection of LAI suspensions is relevant not only from a safety perspective but also for the understanding of the pharmacokinetics. The aim of this study was to perform a multilevel temporal characterization of the local and lymphatic histopathological/immunological alterations triggered by the IM injection of an LAI paliperidone palmitate suspension and an analog polystyrene suspension in rats and identify critical time points and parameters with regard to the host response. The ISRs showed a moderate to marked chronic granulomatous inflammation, which was mediated by multiple cyto-/chemokines, including interleukin-1ß, monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1, and vascular endothelial growth factor. Lymphatic uptake and lymph node retention of nano-/microparticles were observed, but the contribution to the drug absorption was negligible. A simple image analysis procedure and empirical model were proposed for the accurate evaluation of the depot geometry, cell infiltration, and vascularization. This study was designed as a reference for the evaluation and comparison of future LAIs and to support the mechanistic modeling of the formulation-physiology interplay regulating the drug absorption from LAIs.

Safety, Tolerability and Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Learnings from a Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Sequential Group First-in-Human Study of the TRPV1 Antagonist, JNJ-38893777, in Healthy Men.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Nociceptive and neuropathic pain, one of common reasons of disability and loss of quality life, are often undertreated due to safety concerns with current therapies. This study assessed the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of JNJ-38893777, a potent and selective transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) channel antagonist in healthy men. METHODS: In a single-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled, sequential group, single-ascending-dose phase 1 study, 80 healthy men (18-45 years old; body mass index 18.5 to <30 kg/m(2)), randomized to two groups, received either JNJ-38893777 (n = 6) or placebo (n = 2) in a dose-escalation manner. The study was designed in two parts: Part 1, an early tablet formulation was administered under fasting conditions at 5, 15, 45, 125, 250, or 500 mg; Part 2, a new tablet formulation was administered in a fasting state (250 mg) and a high-fat fed state (250 mg, 375 mg, or 500 mg). Serial plasma and urine samples (collected over 120 h post-dose) were analyzed using LC-MS/MS for pharmacokinetic evaluations. RESULTS: JNJ-38893777 concentrations peaked from 3.0 to 5.5 h (median) post-administration, and then declined multi-exponentially with a prolonged terminal phase. Renal clearance was negligible. Maximum concentration (C max) and area under the concentration-time curve from time zero to infinity (AUC∞) of the early formulation increased with increasing doses but less than dose-proportionally over 5-500 mg (fasted) doses. The new tablet formulation showed no improvements in the fasting state but showed an 11- to 22-fold increase in JNJ-38893777 exposure; interindividual variability reduced from 73-85% to 23-24%, and a significant increase (P < 0.05) in heat pain detection threshold (~3 °C) was observed in the fed state. Mild to moderate adverse events were observed, with no evidence of exposure dependence up to 500 mg (fed). Concentration-related increases in body temperature or changes in Fridericia-corrected QT interval (QTcF) were not observed. CONCLUSION: JNJ-38893777 was tolerated at single doses up to 500 mg (fed) and is suitable for further clinical development.

Intracisternal cyclodextrin prevents cerebellar dysfunction and Purkinje cell death in feline Niemann-Pick type C1 disease.

Niemann-Pick type C1 (NPC) disease is a lysosomal storage disease caused by mutations in the NPC1 gene, leading to an increase in unesterified cholesterol and several sphingolipids, and resulting in hepatic disease and progressive neurological disease. We show that subcutaneous administration of the pharmaceutical excipient 2-hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin (HPßCD) to cats with NPC disease ameliorated hepatic disease, but doses sufficient to reduce neurological disease resulted in pulmonary toxicity. However, direct administration of HPßCD into the cisterna magna of presymptomatic cats with NPC disease prevented the onset of cerebellar dysfunction for greater than a year and resulted in a reduction in Purkinje cell loss and near-normal concentrations of cholesterol and sphingolipids. Moreover, administration of intracisternal HPßCD to NPC cats with ongoing cerebellar dysfunction slowed disease progression, increased survival time, and decreased the accumulation of brain gangliosides. An increase in hearing threshold was identified as a potential adverse effect. These studies in a feline animal model have provided critical data on efficacy and safety of drug administration directly into the central nervous system that will be important for advancing HPßCD into clinical trials.

Pharmacokinetic profile after multiple deltoid or gluteal intramuscular injections of paliperidone palmitate in patients with schizophrenia.

Paliperidone palmitate (PP) is a once-monthly long-acting injectable antipsychotic approved for the treatment of schizophrenia in many countries. To evaluate the different injection-site options, we compared the pharmacokinetic profile of paliperidone after multiple injections of PP 100 mg eq. (156 mg of PP, equivalent to 100 mg of paliperidone) on days 1, 8, 36, and 64 into the deltoid (n = 24) or gluteal muscle (n = 25) in patients with schizophrenia. After four injections in the deltoid muscle, paliperidone exposure was higher for AUCτ and Cmax , compared with the gluteal muscle (geometric mean AUCτ -based ratio: 120% [90% CI: 93.1-154.7%], and geometric mean Cmax -based ratio: 130% [90% CI: 100.6-168.9%]). The mean [SD] fluctuation index was higher, with a larger interpatient variability, after deltoid-injections (75.9% [30.9%]) than gluteal-injections (58.5% [14.3%]). The median tmax was similar for both sites. PP was generally tolerable in patients, with more favorable local-site tolerability for gluteal-injection. In conclusion, to achieve therapeutic-concentrations quickly, the first-two injections of PP are best administered into the deltoid muscle, whereas thereafter maintenance-injections can be administered either in the deltoid or gluteal muscle.

Feedback from a European Bioanalysis Forum survey on bioanalysis of drugs in tissues.

Tissue analysis has always been a difficult discipline of bioanalysis. Laboratories that perform bioanalysis in tissue are facing a lot of challenges and questions before starting experiments, from a scientific/technical point of view regarding more regulated aspects. Actually, literature is poor regarding the more technical and scientific aspects but also beyond that no clear guidance is available on this topic and laboratories performing tissue analysis face real ambiguity regarding regulatory requirements, always with the risk of under- or over-validation of the assay. For all of these reasons bioanalysis in tissue became a frequently discussed topic within the European Bioanalytical Forum (EBF) organization. The EBF then decided to treat this as a specific topic, and carried out a survey that was done in two steps between 2012 and 2013. This paper represents an exhaustive summary of the result of this survey that includes themost important aspects of tissue bioanalysis. This survey provided the team a good starting point for their discussions and resulted in an EBF recommendation paper published separately.

Recommendations from the European Bioanalysis Forum on method establishment for tissue homogenates.

Tissue analysis has always been a difficult discipline of bioanalysis. Differences in scientific approaches or level of adherence to regulated guidelines have led to a growing ambiguity on how to perform tissue analysis, an ambiguity that starts with the question of if we analyze tissue or tissue homogenates. The European Bioanalysis Forum (EBF) is proposing a recommendation on how to perform method establishment and analysis of tissue homogenates. The recommendation is based on broad discussions and survey data from the EBF community and, as for many EBF recommendations, focuses on finding the right balance between science, technology and regulations.

Development and validation of sensitive LC-MS/MS assays for quantification of HP-ß-CD in human plasma and CSF.

2-Hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin (HP-ß-CD), a widely used excipient for drug formulation, has emerged as an investigational new drug for the treatment of Niemann-Pick type C1 (NPC1) disease, a neurodegenerative cholesterol storage disorder. Development of a sensitive quantitative LC-MS/MS assay to monitor the pharmacokinetics (PKs) of HP-ß-CD required for clinical trials has been challenging owing to the dispersity of the HP-ß-CD. To support a phase 1 clinical trial for ICV delivery of HP-ß-CD in NPC1 patients, novel methods for quantification of HP-ß-CD in human plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) using LC-MS/MS were developed and validated: a 2D-LC-in-source fragmentation-MS/MS (2D-LC-IF-MS/MS) assay and a reversed phase ultra performance LC-MS/MS (RP-UPLC-MS/MS) assay. In both assays, protein precipitation and "dilute and shoot" procedures were used to process plasma and CSF, respectively. The assays were fully validated and in close agreement, and allowed determination of PK parameters for HP-ß-CD. The LC-MS/MS methods are ∼100-fold more sensitive than the current HPLC assay, and were successfully employed to analyze HP-ß-CD in human plasma and CSF samples to support the phase 1 clinical trial of HP-ß-CD in NPC1 patients.