Safety and Antitumor Activity of Repeated ASP3026 Administration in Japanese Patients with Solid Tumors: A Phase I Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Anaplastic lymphoma kinase gene rearrangements (ALKr) resulting in EML4-ALK proteins occur in a subset of solid tumors and are targeted by ALK inhibitors. Given the development of drug resistance to ALK inhibitors, ALK inhibitors with different kinase selectivity are required. METHODS: This phase I, non-randomized, open-label study evaluated the dose-limiting toxicity (DLT), safety, pharmacokinetics, and antitumor activity of ASP3026, a second-generation ALK inhibitor, in Japanese patients with solid tumors. Between 1 June 2011 and 20 January 2014, 29 patients received different daily doses of ASP3026 in the escalation (25 mg, n = 3; 50 mg, n = 3; 75 mg, n = 3; 125 mg, n = 4; 200 mg, n = 3; or 325 mg, n = 7) and expansion (200 mg, n = 6) cohorts. RESULTS: Three patients had DLTs at the 325-mg dose: cataract exacerbation, increased aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase, and impaired hepatic function (all Grade 3 severity). Thus, the maximum tolerated dose was 200 mg. The treatment-emergent adverse event incidence was 100%; the most common events were nausea (n = 8, 27.6%), decreased appetite (n = 10, 34.5%), and fatigue (n = 9, 31.0%) of mild or moderate severity. Six patients were positive for ALK protein and three had ALKr. Two patients achieved partial responses: one with Ewing sarcoma (75-mg dose group) and one with an ALKr-positive inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (125-mg dose group). CONCLUSION: ASP3026 at a 200-mg dose may provide therapeutic benefit for patients with solid tumors, with a tolerable safety profile. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under the identifier NCT01401504 on July 25, 2011.

Clinical profile of gilteritinib in Japanese patients with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia: An open-label phase 1 study.

Gilteritinib, a novel, highly specific, potent fms-like tyrosine kinase 3/AXL inhibitor, demonstrated antileukemic activity in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In this open-label phase 1 study (NCT02181660), Japanese patients (aged ≥18 years) with R/R AML received once-daily gilteritinib, escalating from 20 to 300 mg/d. Primary endpoints were safety/tolerability, including the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and the recommended dose (RD); secondary endpoints were antileukemic activity and pharmacokinetics (PK). Twenty-four Japanese patients with R/R AML received once-daily oral gilteritinib in 1 of 6 dose-escalation cohorts (20, 40, 80, 120, 200, and 300 mg/d). Gilteritinib was well tolerated. The MTD was 200 mg/d; dose-limiting toxicities were grade 3 tumor lysis syndrome (120 mg/d; n = 1); and grade 3 elevated blood lactate dehydrogenase, amylase, blood creatine phosphokinase levels, and syncope (all n = 2; 300 mg/d). The RD was 120 mg/d. The most common drug-related grade ≥3 adverse events were thrombocytopenia (n = 4 [16.7%]) and increased blood creatine phosphokinase (n = 3 [12.5%]). Gilteritinib had a dose-proportional PK profile. Among patients with mutated fms-like tyrosine kinase 3, the overall response rate (ORR) was 80% (n = 4 of 5; complete remission [CR] with incomplete platelet recovery, 1 [20%]; CR with incomplete hematologic recovery, 2 [40%]; partial remission (PR), 1 [20%]). Among patients with wild-type fms-like tyrosine kinase 3, ORR was 36.4%; (n = 4 of 11; CR, 1 [9.1%]; CR with incomplete platelet recovery, 2 [18.2%]; PR, 1 [9.1%]). In conclusion, gilteritinib was well tolerated and demonstrated antileukemic activity in a Japanese R/R AML population.

Bhlhe40, a potential diabetic modifier gene on Dbm1 locus, negatively controls myocyte fatty acid oxidation.

We have previously identified significant quantitative trait loci (QTL) Dbm1 (diabetic modifier QTL 1) on chromosome 6, affecting plasma glucose and insulin concentrations and body weight on F(2) progeny of hypoinsulinemic diabetic Akita mice, with the heterozygous Ins2 gene Cys96Tyr mutation, and non-diabetic A/J mice. To discover diabetic modifier genes on Dbm1, we constructed congenic strain for Dbm1 using the Akita allele as donor in A/J allele genetic background, and compared diabetes-related phenotypes to control mice. The homozygote for Akita allele of Dbm1 was associated with lower plasma glucose concentrations in glucose tolerance test (GTT) in the hypoinsulinemic condition derived from the Ins2 mutation and lower plasma insulin concentrations and body weight in the normoinsulinemic condition without the Ins2 mutation than the homozygote for A/J allele, as we performed QTL analysis on F(2) intercross mice. The Akita allele also decreased the epididymal white adipose tissue (EWAT) weight. According to the analysis of sub-congenic strains, we narrowed down the responsible diabetic modifier region to 9 Mb. As fourteen candidate genes exist in this region, we analyzed genomic variants of these genes and gene expression in the muscle, liver, and EWAT and identified that Bhlhe40 gene expression in muscle is decreased in congenic mice. According to the in vitro functional analyses, Bhlhe40 was shown to negatively control fatty acid oxidation in cultured myocyte. Based on these, we conclude that Bhlhe40 is a possible candidate diabetic modifier gene responsible for Dbm1 locus affecting diabetes and/or obesity through negatively controlling fatty acid oxidation in muscle.

Diabetic modifier QTL, Dbm4, affecting elevated fasting blood glucose concentrations in congenic mice.

We have previously identified four significant quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting plasma glucose concentrations on F(2) progeny of hypoinsulinemic diabetic Akita mice, heterozygous for the Ins2 gene Cys96Tyr mutation, and non-diabetic A/J mice, one of which on chromosome 15 named Dbm4 (diabetic modifier QTL 4) was shown to affect fasting plasma glucose concentrations with a maximum LOD score of 6.17. To estimate the influence of Dbm4 itself to the diabetes-related phenotypes, we constructed congenic strain with heterozygous Ins2 mutation using the Akita allele as donor of Dbm4 locus in the A/J genetic background, and measured quantitative traits including plasma glucose concentrations in glucose tolerance test (GTT). In this study, we found the Akita allele in Dbm4 was associated with higher fasting plasma glucose concentrations as in previous QTL analysis. According to gene expression assay, key enzymes of hepatic gluconeogenesis were expressed to the more increased degree in the liver of congenic mice compared to the A/J allele based control mice. Based on these results, we concluded that diabetic modifier gene(s) exist on Dbm4 locus affecting fasting plasma glucose concentrations via regulation of gluconeogenic gene expression in the hypoinsulinemic diabetic condition. Identification of the modifier gene responsible for Dbm4 would provide new drug development targets for human type 2 diabetes with hepatic insulin resistance.

Diabetic modifier QTLs identified in F2 intercrosses between Akita and A/J mice.

To identify novel genetic modifiers of type 2 diabetes (T2D), we performed quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis on F(2) progeny of hypoinsulinemic diabetic Akita mice, heterozygous for the Ins2 gene Cys96Tyr mutation, and nondiabetic A/J mice. We generated 625 heterozygous (F(2)-Hetero) and 338 wild-type (F(2)-Wild) mice with regard to the Ins2 mutation in F(2) intercross progeny. We measured quantitative traits, including plasma glucose and insulin concentrations during the intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT), and body weight (BW). We observed three significant QTLs in hypoinsulinemic hyperglycemic male F(2)-Hetero mice, designated Dbm1, Dbm3, and Dbm4 on Chromosomes 6, 14, and 15, respectively. They showed linkage to plasma glucose concentrations, with significant maximum logarithm of odds (LOD) scores of 4.12, 4.17, and 6.17, respectively, all exceeding threshold values by permutation tests. In normoinsulinemic normoglycemic male F(2)-Wild mice, Dbm1 on Chromosome 6 showed linkage to both plasma insulin concentrations and BW, and Dbm2 on Chromosome 11 showed linkage to plasma glucose concentrations only, with LOD scores of 4.52 and 6.32, and 5.78, respectively. Based on these results, we concluded that Dbm1, Dbm2, Dbm3, and Dbm4 represent four major modifier QTLs specifically affecting T2D-related traits and that these diabetic modifier QTLs are conditional on the heterozygous Ins2 gene mutation and sex to exert their modifier functions. Identification of the genes responsible for these QTLs would provide new drug development targets for human T2D.

Ameliorating effect of FK614, a novel nonthiazolidinedione peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma agonist, on insulin resistance in Zucker fatty rat.

Effect of 3-(2,4-dichlorobenzyl)-2-methyl-N-(pentylsulfonyl)-3H-benzimidazole-5-carboxamide (FK614), a novel nonthiazolidinedione peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) gamma agonist, on glucose tolerance and insulin resistance in peripheral tissues and in liver using Zucker fatty rats (genetically obese and insulin-resistant) was evaluated and compared to other insulin sensitizers. FK614 (0.32, 1 and 3.2 mg/kg), two thiazolidinedione PPAR gamma agonists, rosiglitazone (0.1, 0.32, 1 and 3.2 mg/kg) and pioglitazone (1, 3.2 and 10 mg/kg), and a biguanide, metformin (320 and 1000 mg/kg), were orally administered to Zucker fatty rats once a day for 14 days. Zucker fatty rats treated with FK614 and rosiglitazone were subjected to evaluation by oral glucose tolerance test. Ameliorating effect of each compound on peripheral and hepatic insulin resistance was evaluated using a euglycemic-hyperinsulineamic clamp procedure. FK614 and rosiglitazone dose-dependently improved impaired glucose tolerance in Zucker fatty rats. In addition, FK614 dose-dependently ameliorated peripheral and hepatic insulin resistance in Zucker fatty rats, with the degree of its effect in peripheral tissues almost equivalent to that in liver when compared at each dose tested. Similar data indicating ameliorating effects on insulin resistance was obtained for rosiglitazone and pioglitazone. Metformin showed less potent effects than other insulin sensitizers and its effect in liver tended to be greater than that in peripheral tissues. These findings suggest clinical potential for FK614 as a treatment of type 2 diabetes, acting by ameliorating insulin resistance both in peripheral tissues and liver.

Pharmacological characteristics of a novel nonthiazolidinedione insulin sensitizer, FK614.

We evaluated antidiabetic effects of 3-(2,4-dichlorobenzyl)-2-methyl-N-(pentylsulfonyl)-3 H-benzimidazole-5-carboxamide (FK614), a benzimidazole derivative without a thiazolidinedione structure, which was obtained using C57BL/KsJ-db/db mice (db/db mice). In db/db mice, the potency of FK614 for hypoglycemic effect was comparable to that of rosiglitazone and approximately 15-fold greater than that of pioglitazone. FK614 also showed a potent attenuating effect on hypertriglyceridemia in db/db mice, as well as rosiglitazone and pioglitazone. In C57BL/6J-ob/ob mice (ob/ob mice), ED(50) values of FK614 and pioglitazone for hypoinsulinemic effect were 1.3 and 11.8 mg/kg, respectively. FK614 also improved the impaired glucose tolerance in ob/ob mice. In normal rats, FK614 did not influence plasma glucose and insulin levels but significantly decreased both plasma triglyceride and nonesterified fatty acid levels. FK614 was found to activate peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)gamma-mediated transcriptional activity in the reporter gene assay as well as thiazolidinedione derivatives, although its maximum effect was less than that of thiazolidinedione derivatives. In rat toxicity studies, hemodilution effects for FK614 were less than that for rosiglitazone. Overall, these studies suggest that FK614 improves insulin resistance in such animal models through activation of PPARgamma-mediated transcriptional activity and that it would be a new therapeutic candidate with potential for the treatment of type 2 diabetic patients.

Choleretic actions of insulin-like growth factor-I, prednisolone, and ursodeoxycholic acid in rats.

A recent study by our group demonstrated that a 1-week infusion of insulin-like growth factor-I increases bile flow volume and bile acid secretion in rats, suggesting it is important in in vivo choleresis. In the present study, the effect in rats of a single administration of insulin-like growth factor-I on bile flow volume was investigated and compared with the choleretic drugs prednisolone and ursodeoxycholic acid. A significant and long-lasting increase in bile flow volume was observed in rats treated with insulin-like growth factor-I or prednisolone. Ursodeoxycholic acid significantly, but transiently increased. Combined treatment using insulin-like growth factor-I with prednisolone or ursodeoxycholic acid additively increased bile flow volume. Overall, this study demonstrated that the stimulatory effect of insulin-like growth factor-I on bile flow volume is almost equally potent to that of prednisolone and ursodeoxycholic acid, indicating the possible therapeutic potential of insulin-like growth factor-I in cholestatic liver diseases.