In Vitro and Clinical Evaluations of the Drug-Drug Interaction Potential of a Metabotropic Glutamate 2/3 Receptor Agonist Prodrug with Intestinal Peptide Transporter 1.

Despite peptide transporter 1 (PEPT1) being responsible for the bioavailability for a variety of drugs, there has been little study of its potential involvement in drug-drug interactions. Pomaglumetad methionil, a metabotropic glutamate 2/3 receptor agonist prodrug, utilizes PEPT1 to enhance absorption and bioavailability. In vitro studies were conducted to guide the decision to conduct a clinical drug interaction study and to inform the clinical study design. In vitro investigations determined the prodrug (LY2140023 monohydrate) is a substrate of PEPT1 with Km value of approximately 30 µM, whereas the active moiety (LY404039) is not a PEPT1 substrate. In addition, among the eight known PEPT1 substrates evaluated in vitro, valacyclovir was the most potent inhibitor (IC50 = 0.46 mM) of PEPT1-mediated uptake of the prodrug. Therefore, a clinical drug interaction study was conducted to evaluate the potential interaction between the prodrug and valacyclovir in healthy subjects. No effect of coadministration was observed on the pharmacokinetics of the prodrug, valacyclovir, or either of their active moieties. Although in vitro studies showed potential for the prodrug and valacyclovir interaction via PEPT1, an in vivo study showed no interaction between these two drugs. PEPT1 does not appear to easily saturate because of its high capacity and expression in the intestine. Thus, a clinical interaction at PEPT1 is unlikely even with a compound with high affinity for the transporter.

The effects on metabolic clearance when administering a potent CYP3A autoinducer with the prototypic CYP3A inhibitor, ketoconazole.

Ketoconazole is recognized as the prototypical CYP3A inhibitor and is often used to determine the metabolic CYP3A liabilities of new chemical entities in preclinical and clinical studies. Ketoconazole has been commercially available for approximately 30 years and was marketed before drug-metabolizing enzymes were well characterized; consequently, little is known about its metabolic profile. Semagacestat, a γ-secretase inhibitor investigated as a potential therapy for Alzheimer's disease, was determined to be a potent CYP3A autoinducer in human hepatocytes. Two human studies were conducted to assess the induction potential of semagacestat. In the first study (study 1, n = 20), semagacestat increased the mean apparent clearance (CL/F) of oral midazolam (76-324 l/h) and nifedipine (63-229 l/h) as predicted from hepatocytes. In a second (steady-state) study (study 2, n = 20), semagacestat CL/F increased from 22 after a single dose to 31 l/h. Ketoconazole decreased semagacestat CL/F by 32% after a single dose of semagacestat [geometric means ratio estimate, 0.68; 90% confidence interval (CI). 0.64, 0.73] and 46% at steady state (geometric means ratio estimate. 0.54; 90% CI, 0.51, 0.58). Ketoconazole area under the concentration-time curve over 8 h decreased 49% from first to last day of semagacestat dosing. Semagacestat significantly increases the oral clearance of CYP3A substrates, confirming its inducer designation. More importantly, when administered with a potent CYP3A inducer at steady state, ketoconazole's plasma exposure decreased, indicating that it may also be cleared by CYP3A, other inducible enzymes or transporters, or both.

Disposition and metabolism of semagacestat, a {gamma}-secretase inhibitor, in humans.

Semagacestat is a functional gamma-secretase inhibitor that has been shown to reduce the rate of formation of amyloid-beta in vitro and in vivo. This study was conducted to characterize the disposition of semagacestat in humans. After a single 140-mg dose of [(14)C]semagacestat administered as an oral solution to six healthy male subjects, semagacestat was rapidly absorbed (T(max) approximately 0.5 h) and eliminated from the systemic circulation (terminal t(1/2) approximately 2.4 h). The major circulating metabolites of semagacestat, M2 (hydrolysis of the amide bond proximal to the benzazepine ring) and M3 (benzylic hydroxylation of the benzazepine ring), accounted for approximately 27 and 10% of total radioactivity exposure, respectively, as calculated from relative area under the plasma concentration versus time curve from 0 to 24 h derived from the plasma radiochromatograms. The radioactive dose was almost completely recovered after 7 days postdose, with 87% of the dose in urine and 8% in feces. Unchanged [(14)C]semagacestat in urine accounted for approximately 44% of the dose, which indicates that renal excretion played an important role in elimination. Metabolites M2 and M3, with their related secondary metabolites, each accounted for approximately 20% of the dose in excreta. In vitro data indicate the formation of M3 is primarily mediated by CYP3A, with cDNA-expressed CYP3A5 approximately 2 times more efficient than CYP3A4 in forming M3. Thus, the relative content of CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 in humans will likely determine the formation clearance of M3 after exposure to semagacestat.

Clinically Negligible Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Interactions Between Lanabecestat and Dabigatran Etexilate, a Prototypical P-gp Substrate.

Lanabecestat, a novel ß-site amyloid precursor protein-cleaving enzyme 1 inhibitor evaluated for Alzheimer treatment, inhibits P-glycoprotein (P-gp) activity in vitro. After oral 50-mg lanabecestat administration, gastric fluid lanabecestat concentrations exceed half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50 ), suggesting P-gp inhibition at the intestinal wall. Plasma drug concentrations following 50 mg lanabecestat administered once daily are <10% of IC50 , suggesting minimal systemic P-gp interaction. Dabigatran etexilate (DE) is the prodrug of dabigatran, a thrombin inhibitor and P-gp substrate, making dabigatran exposure an intestinal P-gp activity indicator. This study (NCT02568397) was conducted in 60 healthy subjects receiving a single dose of 150 mg DE alone or during a lanabecestat treatment regimen. On day 16, lanabecestat and DE were coadministered; on day 20, DE was dosed 4 hours after lanabecestat. Safety was assessed using clinical labs, electrocardiogram, vital signs, Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale scores, adverse events, and eye and skin examinations. Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic samples were collected up to 36 hours postdose. Geometric mean plasma dabigatran area under the curve from time 0 to infinity (AUC0-∞ ) and the maximum plasma drug concentration (Cmax ) increased by 15% and 17%, respectively, when coadministered with lanabecestat. When DE was dosed 4 hours after lanabecestat, there was no effect on plasma dabigatran AUC0-∞ , Cmax , or thrombin time. DE had no effect on lanabecestat's AUC0-∞ and Cmax at steady state (day 16) versus lanabecestat alone (day 15). No clinically relevant safety concerns were observed. Lanabecestat has no clinically meaningful effect on dabigatran exposure or on P-gp activity at the intestinal wall.

Relative contributions of presystemic and systemic peptidases to oral exposure of a novel metabotropic glutamate 2/3 receptor agonist (LY404039) after oral administration of prodrug pomaglumetad methionil (LY2140023).

Pomaglumetad methionil (LY2140023) is the prodrug of a novel metabotropic glutamate 2/3 receptor agonist (LY404039) being investigated for the treatment of schizophrenia. Using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) and an intravenous (i.v.) radiolabeled tracer approach, the absolute bioavailability of the prodrug and the extent of its conversion to active moiety (LY404039) were estimated at presystemic (intestinal/first pass) and systemic sites after simultaneous oral and i.v. dosing in healthy subjects. The mean absolute bioavailability of prodrug (80 mg oral) was 0.68. On the basis of these data and a previous radiolabeled mass balance study in which no prodrug was recovered in feces, we concluded that 0.32 of the dose is converted to active drug in the intestinal tract. The fraction of prodrug converted to active moiety was approximately 1, indicating complete conversion of the prodrug that reaches the systemic circulation to the active moiety. Prodrug (80 mg oral and 100 µg i.v.) and active moiety (100 µg i.v.) were well tolerated in healthy subjects. Thus, the absolute bioavailability of prodrug LY2140023 and the fraction converted presystemically and systemically to active moiety LY404039 were estimated simultaneously using radiolabeled tracer microdosing and AMS.