New strategies to improve clinical outcomes for diabetic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD), the most common cause of kidney failure and end-stage kidney disease worldwide, will develop in almost half of all people with type 2 diabetes. With the incidence of type 2 diabetes continuing to increase, early detection and management of DKD is of great clinical importance. MAIN BODY: This review provides a comprehensive clinical update for DKD in people with type 2 diabetes, with a special focus on new treatment modalities. The traditional strategies for prevention and treatment of DKD, i.e., glycemic control and blood pressure management, have only modest effects on minimizing glomerular filtration rate decline or progression to end-stage kidney disease. While cardiovascular outcome trials of SGLT-2i show a positive effect of SGLT-2i on several kidney disease-related endpoints, the effect of GLP-1 RA on kidney-disease endpoints other than reduced albuminuria remain to be established. Non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists also evoke cardiovascular and kidney protective effects. CONCLUSION: With these new agents and the promise of additional agents under clinical development, clinicians will be more able to personalize treatment of DKD in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Impact of the organic cation transporter 2 inhibitor cimetidine on the single-dose pharmacokinetics of the glucosylceramide synthase inhibitor lucerastat in healthy subjects.

PURPOSE: Lucerastat is an orally available glucosylceramide synthase inhibitor with a potential to provide substrate reduction therapy for Fabry patients independent of their α-galactosidase A genotype. In humans, lucerastat is mainly eliminated as unchanged parent compound through renal excretion both by active secretion and passive filtration. In vitro studies indicated that lucerastat is a substrate of human organic cation transporter 2 (OCT2) mainly expressed in the kidney. METHODS: Therefore, this clinical study, conducted in 14 healthy male subjects, investigated the effect of 800 mg twice-daily oral administration of the OCT2 inhibitor cimetidine at steady state on the single-dose pharmacokinetics (PK) of 500 mg lucerastat. The safety and tolerability of lucerastat administered alone and concomitantly with cimetidine were also evaluated. RESULTS: Exposure to lucerastat was slightly higher upon co-administration of cimetidine indicated by geometric mean area under the plasma concentration-time curve from zero to infinity (AUC0-∞) ratio of 1.22 (90% confidence interval [CI] 1.16-1.28). Cimetidine delayed the time to reach maximum lucerastat concentrations (tmax) by 1 h but did not affect its elimination half-life (t½) or maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) as geometric mean ratios were 1.00 (0.91-1.10) and 1.04 (0.92-1.17), respectively, at cimetidine steady state. Lucerastat was safe and well tolerated when given alone and in combination with cimetidine. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the single-dose PK of lucerastat are not changed to a clinically relevant extent by cimetidine-mediated OCT2 inhibition, allowing the concomitant use of OCT2 inhibitors with lucerastat without any need for dose adjustment. TRIAL REGISTRATION: EudraCT: 2017-003725-14; ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03380455.

Effect of hepatic impairment on the pharmacokinetics of vilaprisan: An open-label, single-dose, parallel-group study.

AIMS: The study objective was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of the selective progesterone receptor modulator vilaprisan in participants with hepatic impairment. Additionally, the safety and tolerability of vilaprisan were investigated. METHODS: In this phase 1, open-label, nonrandomised, parallel-group, pharmacokinetic study, men and women with mild or moderate hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh grade A or B) and control participants with normal hepatic function matched by age, weight and sex received a single oral 2 mg dose of vilaprisan. Key pharmacokinetic parameters, relationships between parameters and safety outcomes were measured. RESULTS: Thirty-six participants completed the study: 9 with mild hepatic impairment, 9 with moderate hepatic impairment and 18 matched control participants with normal hepatic function. Vilaprisan reached maximum plasma concentrations after 1-2 hours. Unbound vilaprisan exposure was 1.44-fold higher for participants with mild hepatic impairment vs controls (90% confidence interval: 0.91-2.26), and 1.74-fold higher for participants with moderate impairment vs controls (90% confidence interval: 1.09-2.78). The maximum observed unbound peak concentrations were similar for participants with hepatic impairment and matched controls. Vilaprisan 2 mg was well tolerated and the incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events was similar across cohorts. CONCLUSION: Only mild increases of <1.75-fold in exposure were observed in participants with mild or moderate hepatic impairment compared with control participants. No safety concern was identified. These data, alongside the excellent safety profile observed in phase 1 and 2 studies, do not indicate that a dose adjustment would be required in patients with mild or moderate hepatic impairment.

Pharmacokinetics, Tolerability, and Safety of Murepavadin, a Novel Antipseudomonal Antibiotic, in Subjects with Mild, Moderate, or Severe Renal Function Impairment.

This open-label, nonrandomized, single-dose, phase 1 study evaluated the pharmacokinetics and safety of murepavadin, a novel peptide antibiotic for the treatment of serious Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. The study was conducted in 32 subjects of either sex in 4 groups (up to 8 per group) with mild (group 1), moderate (group 2), and severe (group 3) renal function impairment or with normal renal function (group 4). The degree of renal impairment of the subjects was classified at screening according to the estimated creatinine clearance (CLCr) according to the Cockcroft-Gault equation. All subjects received a single 2.2-mg/kg of body weight intravenous infusion of murepavadin administered over 3 h. Exposure to murepavadin in plasma increased in subjects with renal function impairment, with the area under the plasma concentration-time curve from zero to infinity (AUC0-∞) increasing about 2.0- to 2.5-fold for subjects with renal function impairment compared to subjects with normal renal function, whereas the increases in maximum observed plasma concentration (Cmax) were about 1.5-fold for subjects with renal function impairment compared to subjects with normal renal function. The total clearance (CL) of murepavadin was lower in all groups of subjects with renal function impairment, with group means ranging from 2.4 liters/h to 3.8 liters/h, compared to 7.0 liters/h in subjects with normal renal function. Accordingly, the terminal elimination half-life (t1/2) prolonged up to 24 h with decreasing renal function compared to 7.7 h in subjects with normal renal function. Murepavadin was well tolerated in all renal function groups. As the elimination of murepavadin is affected by renal function, a dose adjustment is warranted in subjects with impaired renal function. (This paper has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under identifier NCT02110459.).

Effect of gemfibrozil and rifampicin on the pharmacokinetics of selexipag and its active metabolite in healthy subjects.

AIMS: Based on in vitro data, there is evidence to suggest that cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C8 is involved in the metabolism of selexipag and its active metabolite, ACT-333679. The present study evaluated the possible pharmacokinetic interactions of selexipag with gemfibrozil, a strong CYP2C8 inhibitor, and rifampicin, an inducer of CYP2C8. METHODS: The study consisted of two independent parts, each conducted according to an open-label, randomized, crossover design. The pharmacokinetics and safety of selexipag and ACT-333679 were studied following single-dose administration either alone or in the presence of multiple-dose gemfibrozil (part I) or rifampicin (part II) in healthy male subjects. RESULTS: Gemfibrozil had comparatively small effects on selexipag (less than 2-fold difference in any pharmacokinetic variable) but, with respect to ACT-333679, increased the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax ) 3.6-fold [90% confidence interval (CI) 3.1, 4.3] and the area under the plasma concentration-time curve from zero to infinity (AUC0-∞ ) 11.1-fold (90% CI 9.2, 13.4). The marked increased exposure to ACT-333679, which mediates the majority of the pharmacological activity of selexipag, was accompanied by significantly more adverse events such as headache, nausea and vomiting. Coadministration of rifampicin increased the Cmax of selexipag 1.8-fold (90% CI 1.4, 2.2) and its AUC0-∞ 1.3-fold (90% CI 1.1, 1.4); its effects on ACT-333679 were to increase its Cmax 1.3-fold (90% CI 1.1, 1.6), shorten its half-life by 63% and reduce its AUC0-∞ by half (90% CI 0.45, 0.59). CONCLUSION: Concomitant administration of selexipag and strong inhibitors of CYP2C8 must be avoided, whereas when coadministered with inducers of CYP2C8, dose adjustments of selexipag should be envisaged.

Pharmacokinetics and safety of letermovir, a novel anti-human cytomegalovirus drug, in patients with renal impairment.

AIMS: Human cytomegalovirus remains a significant issue for immunocompromised patients and existing viral polymerase targeting therapies are associated with significant toxicity. Accordingly, the viral terminase complex inhibitor, letermovir, is in development. We assessed letermovir pharmacokinetics in renal impairment. METHODS: This was a Phase 1, open-label, nonrandomised trial. Estimated glomerular filtration rate based on the Modification of Diet Renal Disease equation was used to create three groups of eight subjects: healthy function (estimated glomerular filtration rate ≥ 90 ml min-1  1.73m-2 ), moderate (30-59 ml min-1  1.73m-2 ) and severe (<30 ml min-1  1.73m-2 ) impairment. Oral letermovir 120 mg was dosed once-daily for 8 days and blood collected for pharmacokinetic analyses. RESULTS: All 24 subjects enrolled completed the trial. Moderate and severe renal impairment increased mean unbound letermovir fractions by 11% and 26%, respectively, vs. healthy subjects. Exposure (AUCτ,ss and Css,max ) was increased with renal impairment [least square mean ratios (90% confidence intervals) total letermovir vs. healthy subjects, AUCτ,ss 192% (143-258%) and 142% (83-243%) for moderate and severe impairment, respectively; Css,max 125% (87-182%) and 106% (75-151%), respectively]. Clearance was decreased vs. healthy subjects. Correlation analyses indicated a correlation between decreasing renal function and increased unbound letermovir concentration (R2  = 0.5076, P < 0.0001). Correlations were identified between decreased clearance with both decreased renal function (R2  = 0.0662, P = 0.2249 and R2  = 0.1861, P = 0.0353 total and unbound clearance, respectively) and increased age (R2  = 0.3548, P = 0.0021 and R2  = 0.3166, P = 0.0042 total and unbound clearance, respectively). Multiple-dose letermovir 120 mg was well tolerated across groups. CONCLUSIONS: Renal impairment increased exposure to letermovir, although age was a confounding factor.

Pharmacokinetics and safety of nifedipine GITS/candesartan fixed-dose combination in subjects with hepatic impairment
.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles and safety of nifedipine and candesartan after a single oral dose of nifedipine gastrointestinal therapeutic system (GITS) 30 mg/candesartan cilexetil 8 mg (N30/C8 mg) fixed-dose combination (FDC) in adults with mild to moderate hepatic impairment. METHODS: A phase I, single-center, non-randomized, non-controlled, non-blinded, observational study (N = 32). PK profiles for nifedipine and candesartan were assessed in patients with mild (Child-Pugh A; group 1) or moderate (Child-Pugh B; group 2) hepatic impairment and compared with age- and gender-matched healthy controls (groups 3 and 4) following a single dose of N30/C8 FDC. Safety and tolerability were assessed throughout the study. RESULTS: On average, area under the plasma concentration vs. time curves (AUC) for nifedipine increased 93% and 253% in mild and moderate hepatic impairment, while maximum plasma concentrations (Cmax) increased 64% and 171%, respectively. AUC values for candesartan increased 19% and 92%, while Cmax values increased 3% and 11%, respectively. In subjects with or without liver impairment, adverse event rates were similar and consistent with the known side-effect profiles of nifedipine GITS and candesartan as monotherapies. CONCLUSIONS: Careful monitoring, and, if necessary, dose adjustment according to response and tolerability may be required for nifedipine GITS/candesartan FDC in patients with mild and moderate hepatic impairment.
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Pharmacokinetics of the novel oral prostacyclin receptor agonist selexipag in subjects with hepatic or renal impairment.

AIM: The aim of the present study was to explore the effect of hepatic or renal dysfunction on the pharmacokinetics (PK), tolerability and safety of selexipag, an orally active prostacyclin receptor agonist. METHODS: Two prospective, open-label studies evaluated the PK of selexipag and its active metabolite ACT-333679 in healthy subjects and in subjects with mild, moderate and severe hepatic impairment or severe renal function impairment (SRFI). A single dose of 200 µg or 400 µg was administered. The PK parameters were derived from plasma concentration-time profiles. RESULTS: Exposure increased with the severity of hepatic impairment. Geometric mean ratios and 90% confidence intervals of the area under the concentration-time curve from time zero to infinity (AUC0-∞ ) for selexipag and ACT-333679 increased 2.1-fold (1.7-2.6) and 1.2-fold (0.9-1.6) in subjects with mild hepatic impairment, and 4.5-fold (3.4-5.8) and 2.2-fold (1.7-2.8) in subjects with moderate hepatic impairment when compared with healthy subjects. The two subjects with severe hepatic impairment showed similar dose-normalized exposure to that of subjects with moderate hepatic impairment. A 1.7-fold increase in the AUC0-∞ of selexipag and ACT-333679 was observed with SRFI compared with healthy subjects. Although exposure to selexipag and/or ACT-333679 was higher in subjects with mild or moderate hepatic impairment or SRFI vs. healthy subjects, no safety concerns were raised in these groups. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these observations, the PK data suggest that the clinically used starting dose needs no adjustments in patients with mild or moderate hepatic impairment or SRFI. However, doses should be up-titrated with caution in these patients. The small number of subjects limits the interpretation of selexipag PK in subjects with severe hepatic impairment.

Pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of faldaprevir in patients with renal impairment.

Faldaprevir is a potent hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3/4A protease inhibitor with negligible urinary excretion. We assessed the pharmacokinetics and safety of a single oral dose of faldaprevir (480 mg) in 32 HCV-negative subjects with renal impairment or normal renal function. Compared with subjects with normal renal function, the adjusted geometric mean ratios (90% confidence intervals in parentheses) for overall exposure area under the concentration-time curve from zero to infinity (AUC0-∞) were 113.6% (41.6 to 310.2%), 178.3% (85.2 to 373.0%), and 169.2% (73.2 to 391.2%) for subjects with mild, moderate, and severe renal impairment, respectively. Overall, 5/8 (63%) subjects with normal renal function and 20/24 (83%) subjects with renal impairment reported adverse events, with gastrointestinal events being the most common. No severe or serious adverse events or deaths were reported. These results suggest that moderate or severe renal impairment can result in a modest increase in faldaprevir exposure. The increase in exposure may be related to decrease in the activity of the liver uptake transporter OATP1B1 as a result of renal impairment. Given this relatively slight increase in exposure, a dose adjustment in HCV patients with renal impairment is not warranted. (This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under registration number NCT01957657.).

Effect of lopinavir/ritonavir on the pharmacokinetics of selexipag an oral prostacyclin receptor agonist and its active metabolite in healthy subjects.

AIMS: This study investigated the effect of a fixed dose combination of lopinavir/ritonavir on the pharmacokinetics (PK) of selexipag and its active metabolite ACT-333679. METHODS: This was an open label, randomized, single centre, two way, crossover study. Twenty healthy male subjects were treated with a single dose of 400 µg selexipag alone and in combination with multiple doses of lopinavir/ritonavir (400/100 mg) twice daily. RESULTS: The results showed that lopinavir/ritonavir approximately doubled the exposure to selexipag. The area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time zero to infinity (AUC(0,∞) and the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) of selexipag were 2.2- and 2.1-fold higher, respectively, than under selexipag alone, with a 90% confidence interval (CI) of the geometric mean ratio (GMR) of 1.9, 2.7 and 1.7, 2.6, respectively. For ACT-333679, the clinically more relevant component of selexipag, systemic exposure was increased by 8% (GMR of AUC(0,∞) 1.1, 90% CI 0.9, 1.3), when lopinavir/ritonavir was co-administered with selexipag. The most frequently reported adverse event (AE) was headache. A single dose of selexipag, administered either alone or together with multiple doses of lopinavir/ritonavir, was safe and well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: Lopinavir/ritonavir does not affect the PK parameters of selexipag and ACT-333679 to a clinically relevant extent. Therefore, adaptation of the selexipag dose is not required when co-administered with inhibitors of the organic anion-transporting polypeptide (OATP) 1B1/ 1B3, P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and/or CYP3A4.

Pharmacokinetics of serelaxin in patients with hepatic impairment: a single-dose, open-label, parallel group study.

AIMS: Serelaxin is a recombinant form of human relaxin-2 in development for treatment of acute heart failure. This study aimed to evaluate the pharmacokinetics (PK) of serelaxin in patients with hepatic impairment. Secondary objectives included evaluation of immunogenicity, safety and tolerability of serelaxin. METHODS: This was an open-label, parallel group study (NCT01433458) comparing the PK of serelaxin following a single 24 h intravenous (i.v.) infusion (30 µg kg(-1) day(-1) ) between patients with mild, moderate or severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh class A, B, C) and healthy matched controls. Blood sampling and standard safety assessments were conducted. Primary non-compartmental PK parameters [including area under the serum concentration-time curve AUC(0-48 h) and AUC(0-∞) and serum concentration at 24 h post-dose (C24h )] were compared between each hepatic impairment group and healthy controls. RESULTS: A total of 49 subjects (including 25 patients with hepatic impairment) were enrolled, of which 48 subjects completed the study. In all groups, the serum concentration of serelaxin increased over the first few hours of infusion, reached steady-state at 12-24 h and then declined following completion of infusion, with a mean terminal half-life of 7-8 h. All PK parameter estimates were comparable between each group of patients with hepatic impairment and healthy controls. No serious adverse events, discontinuations due to adverse events or deaths were reported. No serelaxin treatment-related antibodies developed during this study. CONCLUSIONS: The PK and safety profile of serelaxin were not affected by hepatic impairment. No dose adjustment is needed for serelaxin treatment of 48 h i.v. infusion in patients with hepatic impairment.

Pharmacokinetic interactions between simvastatin and setipiprant, a CRTH2 antagonist.

PURPOSE: Setipiprant, a selective oral CRTH2 antagonist, has been investigated for the treatment of allergic rhinitis and asthma. In vitro data showed that setipiprant has a weak induction potential on CYP3A4. An interaction at the hepatic level between setipiprant and CYP3A4 substrates was not expected even at the dosing regimen of 1,000 mg setipiprant b.i.d. due to the high plasma protein binding. However, at this dosing regimen, interactions at the gut level could not be excluded. METHODS: In this single-center, open-label study, 40 mg of simvastatin was administered orally on Day 1, and then concomitantly with setipiprant on Day 10 following 9 days of setipiprant 1,000 mg b.i.d. to 22 healthy male subjects. RESULTS: In the presence of setipiprant, the simvastatin concentration-time profile was similar to that of simvastatin alone. The concentrations of simvastatin were, however, slightly lower, resulting in a 9 % decrease in C max (geometric mean ratio (GMR) 0.91, 90 % confidence interval (CI) (0.73, 1.13)) and in a 16 % lower AUC0-∞ (GMR 0.84, 90 % CI (0.72, 0.99)). Exposure to simvastatin acid was similar when comparing simvastatin with or without setipiprant. The GMR and 90 % CI for AUC0-∞ were within the 0.8 to 1.25 limits, whereas those for C max were outside (GMR 2.73, 90 % CI (2.11, 3.53)). Moreover, the median t max of simvastatin acid occurred earlier (1.8 h) when combined compared to 3.0 h when administered alone. CONCLUSIONS: As setipiprant has little impact on simvastatin pharmacokinetics, it does not modulate CYP3A4 in a clinically relevant manner.

Tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and bioequivalence of the tablet and syrup formulations of lacosamide in plasma, saliva, and urine: saliva as a surrogate of pharmacokinetics in the central compartment.

PURPOSE: To test for bioequivalence of 200 mg lacosamide oral tablet and syrup formulations. Additional objectives were to compare the pharmacokinetic profile of lacosamide in saliva and plasma, and to evaluate its tolerability. METHODS: This open-label, randomized, two-way crossover trial was conducted in 16 healthy Caucasian male participants in Germany. The bioequivalence of 200 mg lacosamide tablet and syrup was evaluated using plasma to determine maximum measured concentration (C(max)) and area under the curve from zero to the last time point (AUC)(0-tz). Plasma and saliva samples for evaluation of pharmacokinetic parameters of lacosamide and the major metabolite O-desmethyl lacosamide (SPM 12809) were taken over 15 time points (0.5-72 h) and used to statistically compare bioavailability of the two. Urine samples were collected predose and over five time points (0-48 h) to evaluate the cumulative amount of unchanged drug and metabolite. KEY FINDINGS: Lacosamide median time to reach C(max) (t(max)) was 1 h for tablet and 0.5 h for syrup in plasma and saliva. Mean terminal half life (t(½)) for tablet and syrup was 12.5 and 12.4 h in plasma, and 13.1 and 13.3 h in saliva, respectively. Tablet and syrup mean plasma AUC(0-tz) was 84.5 and 83.3 µg/mL*h, respectively. Mean AUC(0-tz) in saliva was 93.2 µg/mL*h for tablet and syrup. Mean C(max) for tablet was 5.26 µg/mL in plasma and 5.63 µg/mL in saliva. Syrup mean C(max) was 5.14 and 8.32 µg/mL in plasma and saliva, respectively. Within 2 h of syrup administration, elevated lacosamide concentration in saliva compared to plasma was observed. The ratio of lacosamide syrup to tablet was 0.98 for C(max) and 0.99 for AUC(0-tz) in plasma, and 1.00 for AUC((0-tz)) in saliva; the 90% confidence intervals (CIs) for these parameters were within the range of 0.80-1.25, which meets accepted bioequivalence criteria. The syrup-to-tablet ratio for C(max) in saliva was 1.48, and the 90% CIs exceeded the accepted upper boundary for bioequivalence (1.32-1.66). Both formulations were well tolerated. Metabolite concentration versus time profiles for saliva were similar to plasma following tablet and syrup administration. SIGNIFICANCE: The tablet and syrup formulations of lacosamide 200 mg were bioequivalent and well tolerated. Saliva samples were demonstrated to be a suitable surrogate to evaluate lacosamide tablet pharmacokinetics in the central compartment. Due to residual syrup in the buccal cavity, limitations exist when using saliva to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of lacosamide syrup <2 h after administration.

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of ponesimod, a selective S1P1 receptor modulator, in the first-in-human study.

AIMS: This study investigated the tolerability, safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of ponesimod, a novel oral selective sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P1) receptor modulator in development for the treatment of auto-immune diseases. METHODS: This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, ascending, single-dose study. Healthy male subjects received doses of 1-75 mg or placebo control. RESULTS: Ponesimod was well tolerated. Starting with a dose of 8 mg, transient asymptomatic reductions in heart rate were observed. Ponesimod pharmacokinetics were dose proportional. The median time to maximal concentration ranged from 2.0 to 4.0 h, and ponesimod was eliminated with a mean half-life varying between 21.7 and 33.4 h. Food had a minimal effect on ponesimod pharmacokinetics. Doses of ≥8 mg reduced total lymphocyte count in a dose-dependent manner. Lymphocyte counts returned to normal ranges within 96 h. A pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic model was developed that adequately described the observed effects of ponesimod on total lymphocyte counts. CONCLUSIONS: Single doses of ponesimod up to and including 75 mg were well tolerated. The results of this ascending single-dose study indicate an immunomodulator potential for ponesimod and a pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic profile consistent with once-a-day dosing.

Effect of hepatic impairment on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of a single dose of rivaroxaban, an oral, direct Factor Xa inhibitor.

AIM: This study investigated the effects of hepatic impairment on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of a single dose of rivaroxaban (10 mg), an oral, direct Factor Xa inhibitor. METHOD: This single centre, non-randomized, non-blinded study included subjects with mild (n = 8) or moderate hepatic impairment (n = 8), according to the Child-Pugh classification, and gender-matched healthy subjects (n = 16). RESULTS: Rivaroxaban was well tolerated irrespective of hepatic function. Mild hepatic impairment did not significantly affect the pharmacokinetics or pharmacodynamics of rivaroxaban, compared with healthy subjects. However, in subjects with moderate hepatic impairment, total body clearance was decreased, leading to a significant increase in the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC). The least-squares (LS)-mean values for AUC were 1.15-fold [90% confidence interval (CI) 0.85, 1.57] and 2.27-fold (90% CI 1.68, 3.07) higher in subjects with mild and moderate hepatic impairment, respectively, than in healthy subjects. Consequently, the pharmacodynamic responses were significantly enhanced in subjects with moderate hepatic impairment. For inhibition of Factor Xa, increases in the area under the effect-time curve and the maximum effect were observed, with LS-mean ratios of 2.59 and 1.24, respectively, vs. healthy subjects. Prolongation of prothrombin time was similar in healthy subjects and those with mild hepatic impairment, but was significantly enhanced in those with moderate hepatic impairment. CONCLUSION: Moderate (but not mild) hepatic impairment reduced total body clearance of rivaroxaban after a single 10 mg dose, leading to increased rivaroxaban exposure and pharmacodynamic effects.

Pharmacokinetics of teduglutide in subjects with renal impairment.

PURPOSE: Teduglutide is a recombinant analogue of human glucagon-like peptide-2 that has recently been approved for the treatment of short bowel syndrome in adults. This study was designed to study the influence of renal function and age on teduglutide pharmacokinetics. METHODS: This was an open-label study with six parallel groups (6 subjects each). Three groups with renal impairment (moderate, severe and end-stage renal disease) were compared to healthy subjects with normal renal function, which were matched to the renal-impaired subjects with respect to demographics. At least two elderly subjects (≥65 years) were enrolled per group. A single dose of 10 mg teduglutide was subcutaneously administered to each subject. Teduglutide plasma concentrations were measured using a validated liquid chromatography method with tandem mass spectrometric detection, and the primary pharmacokinetic variables (AUCinf and Cmax) were calculated. RESULTS: Area under the concentration versus time curve extrapolated to infinity (AUCinf) and maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) of teduglutide in subjects with end-stage renal disease were approximately 2.59- and 2.08-fold higher, respectively, than those of healthy subjects. The AUCinf and Cmax were also slightly higher in subjects with moderate and severe renal impairment. Comparison of healthy subjects aged <65 years with healthy elderly subjects revealed very similar pharmacokinetics in both subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: In our study population, the primary pharmacokinetic parameters of teduglutide increased with increased severity of renal impairment. These results suggest that the daily dose of teduglutide should be reduced by 50 % in patients with moderate and severe renal impairment and end-stage disease. We found no effect of age on the pharmacokinetics of teduglutide in healthy subjects. The treatment was well tolerated, and there were no safety concerns.

Pharmacokinetics of JNJ-73763989 and JNJ-56136379 (Bersacapavir) in Participants With Moderate Hepatic Impairment.

JNJ-73763989 is comprised of 2 short interfering RNAs (siRNAs), JNJ-73763976 and JNJ-73763924, that target hepatitis B virus (HBV) mRNAs for degradation, thereby inhibiting HBV replication. JNJ-56136379 is a capsid assembly modulator that inhibits HBV replication by inducing the formation of empty capsids (CAM-E). In 2 phase 1, open-label, non-randomized, single-center studies, the single-dose pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of JNJ-73763989 or JNJ-56136379 were assessed in participants with moderate hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh Class B) versus participants with normal liver function. Participants in both studies received a single subcutaneous dose of JNJ-73763989 200 mg or oral JNJ-56136379 250 mg, followed by an evaluation of plasma pharmacokinetic parameters and safety assessments. Plasma exposure to JNJ-73763976, JNJ-73763924, and JNJ-56136379 was 1.3- to 1.4-, 1.8- to 2.2-, and 1.1- to 1.3-fold higher in participants with moderate hepatic impairment versus participants with normal liver function; however, these increases were not considered clinically relevant. Both drugs were well tolerated and safe, with 7 (21.9%) participants experiencing 1 or more treatment-emergent adverse events, 3 of which were related to JNJ-56136379. Overall, the plasma exposures of JNJ-73763989 and JNJ-56136379 were higher in participants with moderate hepatic impairment, but both were well tolerated. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effect of hepatic impairment under multiple-dose administration.

Influence of hepatic impairment on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the P2Y12 receptor antagonist selatogrel.

Selatogrel is a potent and selective reversible P2Y12 receptor antagonist in development for early treatment of acute myocardial infarction via subcutaneous (s.c.) self-injection. Selatogrel is almost exclusively eliminated via the hepatobiliary route. Hepatic impairment is associated with reduced drug clearance and primary hemostasis. This single-center, open-label study investigated the effect of mild and moderate hepatic impairment on pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of a single s.c. dose of selatogrel (16 mg). The study included groups of eight subjects with mild and moderate hepatic impairment, and matched healthy control subjects. Compared to healthy subjects, exposure to selatogrel in subjects with mild and moderate hepatic impairment was 30% and 108% (maximum plasma concentration [Cmax ]) and 47% and 212% (area under the concentration-time curve from zero to infinity [AUC0-∞ ]) higher, respectively. Hepatic impairment was associated with lower clearance and volume of distribution, whereas plasma protein binding was not affected. Marked inhibition of platelet aggregation (IPA > 80%) was attained within 30 min in all subjects and hepatic impairment prolonged IPA duration. Area under the effect curve was 60% and 160% higher in subjects with mild and moderate hepatic impairment, respectively. PK/PD modeling identified a change in the relationship between exposure and IPA, with a steeper concentration-effect relationship in healthy subjects compared to subjects with hepatic impairment. The combination of higher exposure and lower half-maximum inhibitory concentration resulted in longer lasting effect. In conclusion, hepatic impairment alters the PK/PD relationship leading to prolonged effects. Therefore, dose adjustments may be warranted in subjects with moderate hepatic impairment.

Single-dose pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of the dual endothelin receptor antagonist aprocitentan in subjects with moderate hepatic impairment.

The effect of moderate hepatic impairment on the pharmacokinetics (PK), safety, and tolerability of the dual endothelin receptor antagonist aprocitentan was clinically investigated as 25% of aprocitentan is cleared through the liver. Aprocitentan is in clinical development for the treatment of resistant hypertension. This was an open-label, Phase 1 study. Subjects were recruited in two groups (i.e., moderate hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh B; n = 8) and matched healthy subjects (n = 9) and received a single oral dose of 25 mg aprocitentan. Thereafter, they were observed for 14 days. Due to personal reasons one healthy subject discontinued the study. The PK of aprocitentan were similar between subjects with moderate hepatic impairment and healthy subjects, with maximum plasma concentrations (Cmax) reached at 4.0 h. There was no difference in Cmax, indicated by the geometric means ratio (90% confidence interval) of 1.03 (0.86-1.24). There was a lower apparent clearance, a similar apparent volume of distribution, a longer terminal half-life (56.4 h vs 48.3 h in healthy subjects), and an increase in area under the curve from zero to infinity of 23% in moderate hepatically impaired subjects compared to healthy subjects. There were no differences observed in plasma protein binding (range 98.7-99.0%). Aprocitentan was well tolerated, and headache was the only adverse event reported by one subject. In conclusion, there were no clinically relevant differences in PK between subjects with moderate hepatic impairment and healthy subjects. Based on these results, aprocitentan can be administered in subjects with mild and moderate hepatic impairment and dose adjustment is not required.Clinical Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04252495.

Single-dose pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of albinterferon alfa-2b in subjects with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis compared to those in matched healthy volunteers.

Albinterferon alfa-2b (albIFN) is being developed, in combination with ribavirin, for the treatment of hepatitis C virus infection. This study was designed to evaluate the pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of a 900-µg dose of albIFN administered as a single subcutaneous injection in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients on hemodialysis and matched healthy volunteers (by age [±5 years], weight [±5 kg], and gender). The maximum concentration in plasma (C(max)) and the area under the concentration-time curve from time zero to infinity (AUC(0-∞)) were 42.8 ± 14.0 ng/ml and 16,414 ± 4,203 ng·h/ml, respectively, for healthy volunteers, while the C(max) and AUC(0-∞) were 49.9 ± 20.9 ng/ml and 18,919 ± 8,008 ng·h/ml, respectively, for ESRD patients. The geometric least-squares mean ratios were 1.15 (90% confidence interval [CI], 0.78, 1.68) for C(max) and 1.11 (90% CI, 0.83, 1.48) for AUC(0-∞). Adverse events were as expected for an interferon (e.g., flu-like symptoms), with the main laboratory adverse event being a decline in total white blood cell count, which was specifically related to a decline in the neutrophil count. This effect was somewhat greater in the ESRD patients, with the maximal decreases in neutrophil counts from those at the baseline being (-2.6 ± 0.32) × 10(9) and (-2.19 ± 0.58) × 10(9) cells/liter for the ESRD patients and the healthy volunteers, respectively. This study indicates no significant effect of renal failure on the pharmacokinetics of albIFN. Safety and tolerability were as expected for an interferon.