Evaluation of a Three-Dimensional Primary Human Hepatocyte Spheroid Model: Adoption and Industrialization for the Enhanced Detection of Drug-Induced Liver Injury.

Drug-induced liver injury is a leading cause of compound attrition during both preclinical and clinical drug development, and early strategies are in place to tackle this recurring problem. Human-relevant in vitro models that are more predictive of hepatotoxicity hazard identification, and that could be employed earlier in the drug discovery process, would improve the quality of drug candidate selection and help reduce attrition. We present an evaluation of four human hepatocyte in vitro models of increasing culture complexity (i.e., two-dimensional (2D) HepG2 monolayers, hepatocyte sandwich cultures, three-dimensional (3D) hepatocyte spheroids, and precision-cut liver slices), using the same tool compounds, viability end points, and culture time points. Having established the improved prediction potential of the 3D hepatocyte spheroid model, we describe implementing this model into an industrial screening setting, where the challenge was matching the complexity of the culture system with the scale and throughput required. Following further qualification and miniaturization into a 384-well, high-throughput screening format, data was generated on 199 compounds. This clearly demonstrated the ability to capture a greater number of severe hepatotoxins versus the current routine 2D HepG2 monolayer assay while continuing to flag no false-positive compounds. The industrialization and miniaturization of the 3D hepatocyte spheroid complex in vitro model demonstrates a significant step toward reducing drug attrition and improving the quality and safety of drugs, while retaining the flexibility for future improvements, and has replaced the routine use of the 2D HepG2 monolayer assay at GlaxoSmithKline.

Disposition and metabolism of darapladib, a lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 inhibitor, in humans.

The absorption, metabolism, and excretion of darapladib, a novel inhibitor of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2, was investigated in healthy male subjects using [(14)C]-radiolabeled material in a bespoke study design. Disposition of darapladib was compared following single i.v. and both single and repeated oral administrations. The anticipated presence of low circulating concentrations of drug-related material required the use of accelerator mass spectrometry as a sensitive radiodetector. Blood, urine, and feces were collected up to 21 days post radioactive dose, and analyzed for drug-related material. The principal circulating drug-related component was unchanged darapladib. No notable metabolites were observed in plasma post-i.v. dosing; however, metabolites resulting from hydroxylation (M3) and N-deethylation (M4) were observed (at 4%-6% of plasma radioactivity) following oral dosing, indicative of some first-pass metabolism. In addition, an acid-catalyzed degradant (M10) resulting from presystemic hydrolysis was also detected in plasma at similar levels of ∼5% of radioactivity post oral dosing. Systemic exposure to radioactive material was reduced within the repeat dose regimen, consistent with the notion of time-dependent pharmacokinetics resulting from enhanced clearance or reduced absorption. Elimination of drug-related material occurred predominantly via the feces, with unchanged darapladib representing 43%-53% of the radioactive dose, and metabolites M3 and M4 also notably accounting for ∼9% and 19% of the dose, respectively. The enhanced study design has provided an increased understanding of the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) properties of darapladib in humans, and substantially influenced future work on the compound.

Preclinical strategy to reduce clinical hepatotoxicity using in vitro bioactivation data for >200 compounds.

Drug-induced liver injury is the most common cause of market withdrawal of pharmaceuticals, and thus, there is considerable need for better prediction models for DILI early in drug discovery. We present a study involving 223 marketed drugs (51% associated with clinical hepatotoxicity; 49% non-hepatotoxic) to assess the concordance of in vitro bioactivation data with clinical hepatotoxicity and have used these data to develop a decision tree to help reduce late-stage candidate attrition. Data to assess P450 metabolism-dependent inhibition (MDI) for all common drug-metabolizing P450 enzymes were generated for 179 of these compounds, GSH adduct data generated for 190 compounds, covalent binding data obtained for 53 compounds, and clinical dose data obtained for all compounds. Individual data for all 223 compounds are presented here and interrogated to determine what level of an alert to consider termination of a compound. The analysis showed that 76% of drugs with a daily dose of <100 mg were non-hepatotoxic (p < 0.0001). Drugs with a daily dose of ≥100 mg or with GSH adduct formation, marked P450 MDI, or covalent binding ≥200 pmol eq/mg protein tended to be hepatotoxic (∼ 65% in each case). Combining dose with each bioactivation assay increased this association significantly (80-100%, p < 0.0001). These analyses were then used to develop the decision tree and the tree tested using 196 of the compounds with sufficient data (49% hepatotoxic; 51% non-hepatotoxic). The results of these outcome analyses demonstrated the utility of the tree in selectively terminating hepatotoxic compounds early; 45% of the hepatotoxic compounds evaluated using the tree were recommended for termination before candidate selection, whereas only 10% of the non-hepatotoxic compounds were recommended for termination. An independent set of 10 GSK compounds with known clinical hepatotoxicity status were also assessed using the tree, with similar results.

The identification of clinical candidate SB-480848: a potent inhibitor of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2.

Modification of the pyrimidone 5-substituent in clinical candidate SB-435495 has given a series of inhibitors of recombinant lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A(2) with sub-nanomolar potency. Cyclopentyl fused derivative 21, SB-480848, showed an enhanced in vitro and in vivo profile versus SB-435495 and has been selected for progression to man.

The discovery of SB-435495. A potent, orally active inhibitor of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A(2) for evaluation in man.

The introduction of a functionalised amido substituent into a series of 1-(biphenylmethylacetamido)-pyrimidones has given a series of inhibitors of recombinant lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A(2) with sub-nanomolar potency and very encouraging developability properties. Diethylaminoethyl derivative 32, SB-435495, was selected for progression to man.