Safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of obeticholic acid in subjects with fibrosis or cirrhosis from NASH.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Fibrosis stage is a strong predictor of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) outcomes. Two blinded studies evaluated the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and safety of obeticholic acid (OCA) in subjects with staged NASH fibrosis or cirrhosis. METHODS: Study 747-117 randomized 51 subjects with NASH (fibrosis stages F1-F4) to daily placebo, OCA 10 or OCA 25 mg (1:2:2) for 85 days. Study 747-118 randomized 24 subjects with NASH cirrhosis (F4; Child-Pugh [CP]-A) and normal liver control subjects matched for similar body weight to daily OCA 10 or OCA 25 mg (1:1) for 28 days. Individual and combined study data were analysed. RESULTS: No severe or serious adverse events (AEs) or AEs leading to discontinuation or death occurred. Pruritus was the most frequent AE. Plasma OCA exposure (dose-normalized area under the curve) increased with fibrosis stage but was a relatively poor predictor of hepatic OCA exposure (primary site of action), which remained constant across fibrosis stages F1-F3 and increased 1.8-fold compared with F1 in subjects with cirrhosis due to NASH. Both cohorts showed robust changes in farnesoid X receptor activation markers with OCA treatment and marked decreases in alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase and gamma-glutamyltransferase. CONCLUSIONS: Despite higher drug exposures in subjects with NASH cirrhosis, short-term daily treatment with OCA 10 or 25 mg was generally safe and well tolerated in subjects with NASH fibrosis or NASH CP-A cirrhosis. Both cohorts experienced improvements in nonhistologic pharmacodynamic markers consistent with previously conducted OCA phase 2 and phase 3 studies in NASH fibrosis.

A phase 1 dose-escalation study of ARRY-520, a kinesin spindle protein inhibitor, in patients with advanced myeloid leukemias.

BACKGROUND: ARRY-520 selectively inhibits the mitotic kinesin spindle protein (KSP), which leads to abnormal monopolar spindle formation and apoptosis. METHODS: A phase 1 trial was conducted to establish the safety and the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of ARRY-520 given as a 1-hour infusion in either a single dose or on a day 1, 3, and 5 divided-dose schedule per cycle in patients with advanced or refractory myeloid leukemias. Additional objectives were to characterize pharmacokinetics, assess preliminary clinical activity, and explore biomarkers of KSP inhibition with ARRY-520. A total of 36 patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (n = 34) or myelodysplastic syndromes (n = 2) with a median age of 66 years (range, 21-88 years) were enrolled: 15 in the single-dose schedule (dose levels: 2.5, 3.75, 4.5, and 5.6 mg/m(2)) and 21 in the divided-dose schedule (dose levels: 0.8, 1.2, 1.5, and 1.8 mg/m(2)/day). RESULTS: The MTD was 4.5 mg/m(2) total dose per cycle for both dose schedules. Dose-limiting toxicities included mucositis, exfoliative rash, hand-foot syndrome, and hyperbilirubinemia. Grades 3 or 4 reversible drug-related myelosuppression were observed in 33 of 36 patients. Plasma pharmacokinetic analyses revealed low clearance of ARRY-520 (~3 L/hour), a volume of distribution of ~450 L, and a median terminal half-life of >90 hours. Monopolar spindles were observed in blood mononuclear cells, through use of 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole nucleic acid stain and antitubulin antibodies. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of the relative lack of clinical activity, further development of ARRY-520 as an antileukemic agent was halted. (Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT00637052).

Assessment of Pharmacokinetic Interactions Between Obeticholic Acid and Caffeine, Midazolam, Warfarin, Dextromethorphan, Omeprazole, Rosuvastatin, and Digoxin in Phase 1 Studies in Healthy Subjects.

INTRODUCTION: Obeticholic acid (OCA), a potent and selective farnesoid X receptor agonist, is indicated for the treatment of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). We investigated the potential drug-drug interaction effect of OCA on metabolic CYP450 enzymes and drug transporters. METHODS: Five phase 1 single-center, open-label, fixed-sequence, inpatient studies were conducted in healthy adult subjects to evaluate the effect of oral daily doses of 10 or 25 mg OCA on single-dose plasma pharmacokinetics of specific probe substrates for enzymes CYP1A2 (caffeine, R-warfarin), CYP3A (midazolam, R-warfarin), CYP2C9 (S-warfarin), CYP2D6 (dextromethorphan), CYP2C19 (omeprazole), and drug transporters, BCRP/OATP1B1/OATP1B3 (rosuvastatin), and P-gp (digoxin). RESULTS: OCA showed no substantial suppression/inhibition of S-warfarin, digoxin, and dextromethorphan and weak interactions with caffeine, omeprazole, rosuvastatin, and midazolam. The maximal pharmacodynamic responses (E max) to warfarin-based INR, PT, and aPTT were reduced by 11%, 11%, and 1%, respectively, for the 10-mg dose group and by 7%, 7% and 0%, respectively, for the 25-mg dose group. Overall, drugs dosed in combination with OCA were well tolerated, and most adverse events were mild in severity. No clinically important trends were noted in laboratory evaluations, vital signs, or 12-lead ECGs. CONCLUSION: In these studies, OCA showed weak to no suppression/inhibition of metabolic enzymes and drug transporters at the highest recommended therapeutic dose in patients with PBC. On the basis on these analyses, monitoring and maintenance of target INR range are required during coadministration of OCA with drugs that are metabolized by CYP1A2 (R-warfarin). FUNDING: Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Parent-Metabolite Pharmacokinetic Modeling and Pharmacodynamics of Veliparib (ABT-888), a PARP Inhibitor, in Patients With BRCA 1/2-Mutated Cancer or PARP-Sensitive Tumor Types.

Veliparib (ABT-888) is a novel oral poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor that is being developed for the treatment of hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. Although the pharmacokinetics of veliparib have been studied in combination with cytotoxic agents, limited information exists regarding the pharmacokinetics (PK) of chronically dosed single-agent veliparib in patients with either BRCA 1/2-mutated cancer or PARP-sensitive tumors. The objectives of the current analysis were to characterize the population pharmacokinetics of veliparib and its primary, active metabolite, M8, and to evaluate the relationship between veliparib and M8 concentrations and poly-ADP-ribose (PAR) level observed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Seventy-one subjects contributed with veliparib plasma concentrations, M8 plasma concentrations, and PAR levels in PBMCs. Veliparib and M8 concentrations were modeled simultaneously using a population PK approach. A 2-compartment model with delayed first-order absorption and the elimination parameterized as renal (CLR /F) and nonrenal clearance (CLNR /F) adequately described veliparib pharmacokinetics. The pharmacokinetics of the M8 metabolite was described with a 2-compartment model. Creatinine clearance(CLCR ) and lean body mass (LBM) were identified as significant predictors of veliparib CLR /F and central volume of distribution, respectively. For a typical subject (LBM, 48 kg; CLCR , 95 mL/min), total clearance (CLR /F + CLNR /F), and central and peripheral volume of distribution for veliparib were estimated as 17.3 L/h, 98.7 L, and 48.3 L, respectively. At least 50% inhibition of PAR levels in PBMCs was observed at dose levels ranging from 50 to 500 mg.