Recommendations and feedback from the European Bioanalysis Forum Workshop: 1 year into ICH M10 - keeping our finger on the pulse.

The ICH M10 guideline on bioanalytical method validation and sample analysis is being adopted since 2023. However, and inevitably, some paragraphs or requirements remain ambiguous and are open for different interpretations. In support of a harmonized interpretation by the industry and health authorities, the European Bioanalysis Forum organized a workshop on 14 November 2023 in Barcelona, Spain, to discuss unclear and/or ambiguous paragraphs which were identified by the European Bioanalysis Forum community and delegates of the workshop prior to the workshop. This manuscript reports back from the workshop with recommendations and aims at continuing an open scientific discussion within the industry and with regulators in support of a science-driven guideline for the bioanalytical community and in line with the ICH mission - that is, achieve greater harmonization worldwide to ensure that safe, effective and high-quality medicines are developed and registered in the most resource-efficient manner.

Pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of olaparib and temozolomide for recurrent glioblastoma: results of the phase I OPARATIC trial.

BACKGROUND: The poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor olaparib potentiated radiation and temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy in preclinical glioblastoma models but brain penetration was poor. Clinically, PARP inhibitors exacerbate the hematological side effects of TMZ. The OPARATIC trial was conducted to measure penetration of recurrent glioblastoma by olaparib and assess the safety and tolerability of its combination with TMZ. METHODS: Preclinical pharmacokinetic studies evaluated olaparib tissue distribution in rats and tumor-bearing mice. Adult patients with recurrent glioblastoma received various doses and schedules of olaparib and low-dose TMZ in a 3 + 3 design. Suitable patients received olaparib prior to neurosurgical resection; olaparib concentrations in plasma, tumor core and tumor margin specimens were measured by mass spectrometry. A dose expansion cohort tested tolerability and efficacy of the recommended phase II dose (RP2D). Radiosensitizing effects of olaparib were measured by clonogenic survival in glioblastoma cell lines. RESULTS: Olaparib was a substrate for multidrug resistance protein 1 and showed no brain penetration in rats but was detected in orthotopic glioblastoma xenografts. Clinically, olaparib was detected in 71/71 tumor core specimens (27 patients; median, 496 nM) and 21/21 tumor margin specimens (9 patients; median, 512.3 nM). Olaparib exacerbated TMZ-related hematological toxicity, necessitating intermittent dosing. RP2D was olaparib 150 mg (3 days/week) with TMZ 75 mg/m2 daily for 42 days. Fourteen (36%) of 39 evaluable patients were progression free at 6 months. Olaparib radiosensitized 6 glioblastoma cell lines at clinically relevant concentrations of 100 and 500 nM. CONCLUSION: Olaparib reliably penetrates recurrent glioblastoma at radiosensitizing concentrations, supporting further clinical development and highlighting the need for better preclinical models.

Determination of avibactam and ceftazidime in human plasma samples by LC-MS.

AIM: Avibactam, a novel non-ß-lactam ß-lactamase inhibitor co-administrated with the ß-lactam antibiotic ceftazidime, is in clinical development. The need to evaluate its PK and PD requires accurate and reliable bioanalytical methods. METHODS: We describe LC-MS/MS methods for the determination of avibactam and ceftazidime in human plasma. Avibactam was extracted using weak anionic exchange solid-phase extraction and analyzed on an amide column. Ceftazidime was extracted using protein precipitation and analyzed on a C18 column. Calibration curves were established over 10-10,000 ng/ml (avibactam) and 43.8-87,000 ng/ml (ceftazidime). RESULTS & CONCLUSION: Method validation, cross-validation between three laboratories and incurred sample re-analysis demonstrated method robustness. The methods were successfully applied to multiple clinical studies.