Double-blind study of the actively transported levodopa prodrug XP21279 in Parkinson's disease.

The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics of XP21279-carbidopa in patients with Parkinson's disease who experience motor fluctuations compared with immediate-release carbidopa-levodopa tablets. XP21279 is a levodopa prodrug that is actively absorbed by high-capacity nutrient transporters expressed throughout the gastrointestinal tract and then rapidly converted to levodopa by carboxylesterases. XP21279-carbidopa sustained-release bilayer tablets were developed to overcome pharmacokinetic limitations of levodopa by providing more continuous exposure. Patients with motor fluctuations who required carbidopa-levodopa four or five times daily were optimized for 2 weeks each on carbidopa-levodopa four or five times daily and XP21279-carbidopa three times daily in a randomized sequence. Next, they received each optimized treatment for 2 weeks in a double-blind/double-dummy, randomized sequence. The primary outcome measure was change from baseline in daily off time at the end of each double-blind treatment period. All patients at 2 sites underwent pharmacokinetic analyses. Twenty-eight of 35 enrolled patients completed both double-blind treatments. The mean total daily off time was reduced from baseline by a mean (± standard error) of 2.7 hours (± 0.48 hours) for immediate-release carbidopa-levodopa and 3.0 hours (± 0.57 hours) for XP21279-carbidopa (P = 0.49). Among 11 patients who completed pharmacokinetic sampling on each optimized treatment, the percentage deviation from the mean levodopa concentration was lower (P < 0.05) for XP21279-carbidopa than carbidopa-levodopa. Both treatments had a similar incidence of new or worsening dyskinesias. XP21279-carbidopa administered three times daily produced a reduction in off time similar to that of carbidopa-levodopa administered four or five times daily, and the difference was not statistically significant. XP21279-carbidopa significantly reduced variability in levodopa concentrations compared with carbidopa-levodopa.

Efficacy of gabapentin enacarbil vs placebo in patients with postherpetic neuralgia and a pharmacokinetic comparison with oral gabapentin.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of gabapentin in some patients with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) may be limited by suboptimal drug exposure from unpredictable and saturable absorption. Gabapentin enacarbil (GEn) was designed for absorption by high-capacity transporters expressed throughout the intestine and undergoes rapid postabsorption hydrolysis to gabapentin. GEn extended-release tablets provide sustained, dose-proportional gabapentin exposure. This study assessed the efficacy of GEn vs placebo and compared the pharmacokinetics of gabapentin after oral dosing of GEn or gabapentin in patients with PHN. METHODS: In this double-blind, randomized study, 115 patients with PHN completed a 7-day baseline period and 11-day gabapentin run-in period. Eligible patients were randomized and 101 received double-blind GEn 1,200 mg (624 mg-equivalents gabapentin) (n = 47) or placebo (n = 54), twice daily for 14 days. We evaluated patient-reported pain, sleep, mood, global improvement, and adverse events, plus gabapentin pharmacokinetics. RESULTS: The improvement in mean weekly pain scores from baseline to the end of treatment (primary endpoint) was significantly greater for GEn (-2.1) vs placebo (-1.2), P = 0.0321. Significant improvements from GEn vs placebo were also seen in sleep, mood, and patient global assessment (P < 0.05). With a 31% lower daily dose of gabapentin equivalents, GEn tablets provided a significant increase in average steady state gabapentin concentrations vs gabapentin capsules in the same patients (n = 42; P = 0.0050). CONCLUSIONS: GEn was effective in providing PHN pain relief, improved gabapentin exposure compared with gabapentin capsules, and was generally safe and well tolerated in patients with PHN.

Clinical pharmacokinetic drug interaction studies of gabapentin enacarbil, a novel transported prodrug of gabapentin, with naproxen and cimetidine.

AIM: Gabapentin enacarbil, a transported prodrug of gabapentin, provides sustained, dose-proportional exposure to gabapentin. Unlike gabapentin, the prodrug is absorbed throughout the intestinal tract by high-capacity nutrient transporters, including mono-carboxylate transporter-1 (MCT-1). Once absorbed, gabapentin enacarbil is rapidly hydrolyzed to gabapentin, which is subsequently excreted by renal elimination via organic cation transporters (OCT2). To examine the potential for drug-drug interactions at these two transporters, the pharmacokinetics of gabapentin enacarbil were evaluated in healthy adults after administration alone or in combination with either naproxen (an MCT-1 substrate) or cimetidine (an OCT2 substrate). METHODS: Subjects (n= 12 in each study) received doses of study drug until steady state was achieved; 1200 mg gabapentin enacarbil each day, followed by either naproxen (500 mg twice daily) or cimetidine (400 mg four times daily) followed by the combination. RESULTS: When gabapentin enacarbil was co-administered with naproxen, gabapentin C(ss,max) increased by, on average, 8% and AUC by, on average, 13%. When gabapentin enacarbil was co-administered with cimetidine, gabapentin AUC(ss) increased by 24% and renal clearance of gabapentin decreased. Co-administration with gabapentin enacarbil did not affect naproxen or cimetidine exposure. Gabapentin enacarbil was generally well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: No gabapentin enacarbil dose adjustment is needed with co-administration of naproxen or cimetidine.

Arbaclofen placarbil, a novel R-baclofen prodrug: improved absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination properties compared with R-baclofen.

Baclofen is a racemic GABA(B) receptor agonist that has a number of significant pharmacokinetic limitations, including a narrow window of absorption in the upper small intestine and rapid clearance from the blood. Arbaclofen placarbil is a novel transported prodrug of the pharmacologically active R-isomer of baclofen designed to be absorbed throughout the intestine by both passive and active mechanisms via the monocarboxylate type 1 transporter. Arbaclofen placarbil is rapidly converted to R-baclofen in human and animal tissues in vitro. This conversion seems to be primarily catalyzed in human tissues by human carboxylesterase-2, a major carboxylesterase expressed at high levels in various tissues including human intestinal cells. Arbaclofen placarbil was efficiently absorbed and rapidly converted to R-baclofen after oral dosing in rats, dogs, and monkeys. Exposure to R-baclofen was proportional to arbaclofen placarbil dose, whereas exposure to intact prodrug was low. Arbaclofen placarbil demonstrated enhanced colonic absorption, i.e., 5-fold higher R-baclofen exposure in rats and 12-fold higher in monkeys compared with intracolonic administration of R-baclofen. Sustained release formulations of arbaclofen placarbil demonstrated sustained R-baclofen exposure in dogs with bioavailability up to 68%. In clinical use, arbaclofen placarbil may improve the treatment of patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease, spasticity, and numerous other conditions by prolonging exposure and decreasing the fluctuations in plasma levels of R-baclofen.

Clinical pharmacokinetics of XP13512, a novel transported prodrug of gabapentin.

Gabapentin absorption occurs in only a limited region of the small intestine and saturates at doses used clinically, resulting in dose-dependent pharmacokinetics, high interpatient variability, and potentially ineffective drug exposure. XP13512/GSK1838262 is a novel transported prodrug of gabapentin that is absorbed throughout the entire length of the intestine by high-capacity nutrient transporters. In 4 studies of healthy volunteers (136 subjects total), the pharmacokinetics of XP13512 immediate- and extended-release formulations were compared with those of oral gabapentin. XP13512 immediate-release (up to 2800 mg single dose and 2100 mg twice daily) was well absorbed (>68%, based on urinary recovery of gabapentin), converted rapidly to gabapentin, and provided dose-proportional exposure, whereas absorption of oral gabapentin declined with increasing doses to <27% at 1200 mg. Compared with 600 mg gabapentin, an equimolar XP13512 extended-release dose provided extended gabapentin exposure (time to maximum concentration, 8.4 vs 2.7 hours) and superior bioavailability (74.5% vs 36.6%). XP13512 may therefore provide more predictable gabapentin exposure and decreased dosing frequency.

Population pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of gabapentin after administration of gabapentin enacarbil.

Gabapentin enacarbil (GEn) is an actively transported prodrug of gabapentin that provides sustained dose-proportional exposure to gabapentin and predictable bioavailability. Gabapentin enacarbil is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of moderate-to-severe primary restless legs syndrome (RLS) in adults. Using plasma gabapentin concentration data obtained after administration of GEn in 12 phase 1 to 3 GEn studies in healthy adults or patients with RLS (dose range, 300-2400 mg/d), a population pharmacokinetic (PK) model was developed by nonlinear mixed-effect modeling using NONMEM. Data were similar in subjects with and without RLS. Population PK-pharmacodynamic (PD) models were evaluated using gabapentin exposure and change from baseline in investigator- or patient-rated Clinical Global Impression of Improvement (CGI-I) or International Restless Legs Scale (IRLS) total score. Potential PK-PD models for sleep outcomes and safety parameters were also explored. The CGI-I response increased with increasing GEn dose, whereas the IRLS total score was similar at all exposures tested. Early adverse events of dizziness or somnolence/sedation were more frequent for GEn 600 mg than higher doses; however, this is confounded by the fact that all subjects received the 600-mg dose for 3 days prior to titration to higher dosages.

Clinical pharmacokinetics of gabapentin after administration of gabapentin enacarbil extended-release tablets in patients with varying degrees of renal function using data from an open-label, single-dose pharmacokinetic study.

BACKGROUND: Gabapentin enacarbil, a transported acyloxyalkylcarbamate prodrug of gabapentin, provides predictable and dose-proportional gabapentin exposure (AUC). Gabapentin is cleared via renal excretion, and its elimination is proportional to creatinine clearance (CrCL); CrCL can, therefore, be used as a predictor of gabapentin renal clearance. Gabapentin produced from hydrolysis of gabapentin enacarbil is also eliminated via the renal clearance pathway. It was, therefore, anticipated that the pharmacokinetics of gabapentin derived from gabapentin enacarbil would also be affected by renal function. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to describe a population pharmacokinetic analysis of gabapentin enacarbil in patients with varying degrees of renal function, using data from an open-label study of gabapentin enacarbil in patients with renal impairment (XenoPort, Inc. protocol XP066), to determine whether dosage adjustments are necessary in patients with renal impairment. METHODS: Men and women >18 years of age with a body mass index ≤34 kg/m(2) and who were, in general, healthy with the exception of renal impairment were enrolled All patients received a single 600-mg gabapentin enacarbil extended-release tablet under fed conditions. After dosing, plasma, urine, and dialysate samples were analyzed. Safety profile evaluations included adverse events, vital signs, ECGs, and laboratory values. Pharmacokinetic data were compared with those from Phase I-III studies in subjects with normal renal function to evaluate the relationship between gabapentin oral clearance (CL/F) and CrCL. RESULTS: Fifteen patients (11 men and 4 women) were enrolled. One patient had moderate renal impairment (CrCL 30-59 mL/min), 7 patients had severe renal impairment (CrCL <30 mL/min), and 7 patients had end-stage renal disease (CrCL <15 mL/min). Ten patients were white, 4 were African American, and 1 was American Indian or Alaskan Native. Their mean (range) age was 55 (28-76) years, weight was 85.6 (62-134) kg, and body mass index was 28.3 (22-34) kg/m(2). Mean maximum plasma gabapentin concentration was 5.77 µg/mL in patients with moderate and severe renal impairment, and 5.59 µg/mL in patients with end-stage renal disease who were undergoing hemodialysis. Based on the population pharmacokinetic analysis, gabapentin CL/F after administration of gabapentin enacarbil was proportionally related to CrCL, with an approximately 1.6-fold decrease in CL/F for every 2-fold decrease in CrCL. The most frequent adverse event was dizziness (4 of 15 patients). Other adverse events that were assessed as possibly or probably related to treatment were defecation urgency, extremity pain, feeling of relaxation, and muscle weakness; each occurred in 1 patient only. All events were mild or moderate and resolved without sequelae. CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that dosage adjustment for gabapentin enacarbil is necessary in patients with impaired renal function. Gabapentin enacarbil, 600 mg, seemed to be well tolerated in this small selected population.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-response study to assess the pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety of gabapentin enacarbil in subjects with restless legs syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine steady-state gabapentin exposures and corresponding relief of symptoms and safety profile produced by 4 dose levels of gabapentin enacarbil (GEn) in subjects with restless legs syndrome (RLS). METHODS: Subjects with RLS (n = 217) were randomized to receive once-daily, orally administered GEn 600 (n = 48), 1200 (n = 45), 1800 (n = 38), or 2400 mg (n = 45) or placebo (n = 41) in this 12-week, double-blind, multicenter study (NCT01332305). Clinic visits were at screening, baseline, and weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12; plasma gabapentin concentrations were measured by a validated liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry method at weeks 4 and 12. RESULTS: Exposure to gabapentin was proportional to GEn dose. Time to maximum plasma concentration was 7 to 9 hours, and elimination half-life was ~6 hours. The mean reduction from baseline to week 12 in International Restless Legs Syndrome Rating Scale total score and proportions of subjects with "much improved"/"very much improved" Clinical Global Impression-Improvement scores (investigator and patient ratings) ranged from -12.9 to -13.9 for GEn treatment groups versus -9.3 for placebo. The 2 most commonly reported adverse events were somnolence and dizziness. CONCLUSIONS: Gabapentin exposure was approximately proportional to GEn dose. Efficacy data showed that a once-daily dose of GEn 600 to 2400 mg provides greater relief of RLS symptoms than placebo; GEn was generally well tolerated with an adverse event profile consistent with gabapentin.

Pharmacokinetics and tolerability of single escalating doses of gabapentin enacarbil: a randomized-sequence, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study in healthy volunteers.

BACKGROUND: Gabapentin enacarbil is an actively transported prodrug of gabapentin that provides predictable dose-proportional gabapentin exposure with high (> or =68%) oral bioavailability. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to investigate the pharmacokinetics and tolerability of gabapentin enacarbil up to supratherapeutic doses and the effects of gabapentin enacarbil on cardiac repolarization in healthy volunteers, and to provide a dose reference for a future definitive QT/corrected QT (QTc) study. METHODS: This was a randomized-sequence, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single escalating-dose, crossover study of gabapentin enacarbil 600-mg extended-release tablets administered as a single oral dose of 2400, 3600, 4800, or 6000 mg or placebo, with a 1-week washout between administrations. Blood samples were collected over a period of 36 hours after administration and were analyzed using a validated method of liquid chromatography/tandem mass spec-trometry. Blood gabapentin enacarbil and gabapentin concentrations were analyzed using noncompartmental methods. Tolerability was assessed by monitoring adverse events (AEs) (using subject interview/reporting), laboratory parameters, vital sign measurements, and 12-lead electrocardiography (ECG). Holter ECG was also performed. RESULTS: Thirty-two healthy volunteers were included in the study (18 women, 14 men; mean [SD] age, 31.2 [11.4] years; body mass index, 24.9 [3.04] kg/m(2)). Gabapentin enacarbil was converted rapidly to gaba-pentin after absorption. Gabapentin exposure in blood was proportional to gabapentin enacarbil dose over the range of 2400 to 6000 mg (1250-3125 mg-equivalent gabapentin). Blood concentrations of intact gabapen-tin enacarbil were low and transient (< or =0.5% of the released gabapentin concentration at all doses). The most commonly reported AEs were dizziness and nausea (50% and 25% of subjects, respectively). All but 4 AEs were mild to moderate in intensity. Two subjects experienced treatment-emergent AEs rated as severe: psychomotor retardation, vertigo, and sedation (4800-mg dose) and somnolence (6000 mg). All treatment-emergent AEs resolved without medical intervention. No serious AEs were reported, and none of the AEs led to study withdrawal. There were no clinically significant changes in laboratory parameters, vital sign measurements, or ECG values; QTc intervals did not exceed 480 msec or change from baseline >30 msec at any gabapentin enacarbil dose. CONCLUSIONS: Gabapentin enacarbil was associated with dose-proportional gabapentin exposure at doses up to 6000 mg and was generally well tolerated in these healthy subjects. These findings support the use of 6000-mg gabapentin enacarbil in a definitive QT/QTc study.

Selective intracellular activation of a novel prodrug of the human immunodeficiency virus reverse transcriptase inhibitor tenofovir leads to preferential distribution and accumulation in lymphatic tissue.

An isopropylalaninyl monoamidate phenyl monoester prodrug of tenofovir (GS 7340) was prepared, and its in vitro antiviral activity, metabolism, and pharmacokinetics in dogs were determined. The 50% effective concentration (EC(50)) of GS 7340 against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in MT-2 cells was 0.005 microM compared to an EC(50) of 5 microM for the parent drug, tenofovir. The (L)-alaninyl analog (GS 7340) was >1,000-fold more active than the (D)-alaninyl analog. GS 7340 has a half-life of 90 min in human plasma at 37 degrees C and a half-life of 28.3 min in an MT-2 cell extract at 37 degrees C. The antiviral activity (>10 x the EC(50)) and the metabolic stability in MT-2 cell extracts (>35 x) and plasma (>2.5 x) were also sensitive to the stereochemistry at the phosphorus. After a single oral dose of GS 7340 (10 mg-eq/kg tenofovir) to male beagle dogs, the plasma bioavailability of tenofovir compared to an intravenous dose of tenofovir was 17%. The total intracellular concentration of all tenofovir species in isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells at 24 h was 63 microg-eq/ml compared to 0.2 microg-eq/ml in plasma. A radiolabeled distribution study with dogs resulted in an increased distribution of tenofovir to tissues of lymphatic origin compared to the commercially available prodrug tenofovir DF (Viread).

XP13512 [(+/-)-1-([(alpha-isobutanoyloxyethoxy)carbonyl] aminomethyl)-1-cyclohexane acetic acid], a novel gabapentin prodrug: II. Improved oral bioavailability, dose proportionality, and colonic absorption compared with gabapentin in rats and monkeys.

The absorption of gabapentin (Neurontin) is dose-dependent and variable between patients. Rapid clearance of the drug necessitates dosing three or more times per day to maintain therapeutic levels. These deficiencies appear to result from the low capacity, limited intestinal distribution, and variable expression of the solute transporter responsible for gabapentin absorption. Saturation of this transporter at doses used clinically leads to unpredictable drug exposure and potentially ineffective therapy in some patients. XP13512 [(+/-)-1-([(alpha-isobutanoyloxyethoxy)carbonyl]aminomethyl)-1-cyclohexane acetic acid] is a novel prodrug of gabapentin designed to be absorbed by high-capacity nutrient transporters located throughout the intestine. XP13512 was efficiently absorbed and rapidly converted to gabapentin after oral dosing in rats and monkeys. Exposure to gabapentin was proportional to prodrug dose, whereas exposure to intact XP13512 was low. In rats, >95% of an oral dose of (14)C-XP13512 was excreted in urine in 24 h as gabapentin. In monkeys, oral bioavailability of gabapentin from XP13512 capsules was 84.2% compared with 25.4% after a similar oral Neurontin dose. Compared with intracolonic gabapentin, intracolonic XP13512 gave a 17-fold higher gabapentin exposure in rats and 34-fold higher in monkeys. XP13512 may therefore be incorporated into a sustained release formulation to provide extended gabapentin exposure. XP13512 demonstrated improved gabapentin bioavailability, increased dose proportionality, and enhanced colonic absorption. In clinical use, XP13512 may improve the treatment of neuropathic pain, epilepsy, and numerous other conditions by increasing efficacy, reducing interpatient variability, and decreasing frequency of dosing.

XP13512 [(+/-)-1-([(alpha-isobutanoyloxyethoxy)carbonyl] aminomethyl)-1-cyclohexane acetic acid], a novel gabapentin prodrug: I. Design, synthesis, enzymatic conversion to gabapentin, and transport by intestinal solute transporters.

Gabapentin is thought to be absorbed from the intestine of humans and animals by a low-capacity solute transporter localized in the upper small intestine. Saturation of this transporter at doses used clinically leads to dose-dependent pharmacokinetics and high interpatient variability, potentially resulting in suboptimal drug exposure in some patients. XP13512 [(+/-)-1-([(alpha-isobutanoyloxyethoxy)carbonyl] aminomethyl)-1-cyclohexane acetic acid] is a novel prodrug of gabapentin designed to be absorbed throughout the intestine by high-capacity nutrient transporters. XP13512 was stable at physiological pH but rapidly converted to gabapentin in intestinal and liver tissue from rats, dogs, monkeys, and humans. XP13512 was not a substrate or inhibitor of major cytochrome P450 isoforms in transfected baculosomes or liver homogenates. The separated isomers of XP13512 showed similar cleavage in human tissues. The prodrug demonstrated active apical to basolateral transport across Caco-2 cell monolayers and pH-dependent passive permeability across artificial membranes. XP13512 inhibited uptake of (14)C-lactate by human embryonic kidney cells expressing monocarboxylate transporter type-1, and direct uptake of prodrug by these cells was confirmed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. XP13512 inhibited uptake of (3)H-biotin into Chinese hamster ovary cells overexpressing human sodium-dependent multivitamin transporter (SMVT). Specific transport by SMVT was confirmed by oocyte electrophysiology studies and direct uptake studies in human embryonic kidney cells after tetracycline-induced expression of SMVT. XP13512 is therefore a substrate for several high-capacity absorption pathways present throughout the intestine. Therefore, administration of the prodrug should result in improved gabapentin bioavailability, dose proportionality, and colonic absorption compared with administration of gabapentin.