Orally available and efficacious α4ß1/α4ß7 integrin inhibitors.

A series of potent α4ß1/α4ß7 integrin inhibitors is reported, including an inhibitor 12d with remarkable oral exposure and efficacy in rat models of rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease.

The guinea pig as an animal model for developmental and reproductive toxicology studies.

BACKGROUND: Regulatory guidelines for developmental and reproductive toxicology (DART) studies require selection of "relevant" animal models as determined by kinetic, pharmacological, and toxicological data. Traditionally, rats, mice, and rabbits are the preferred animal models for these studies. However, for test articles that are pharmacologically inactive in the traditional animal models, the guinea pig may be a viable option. This choice should not be made lightly, as guinea pigs have many disadvantages compared to the traditional species, including limited historical control data, variability in pregnancy rates, small and variable litter size, long gestation, relative maturity at birth, and difficulty in dosing and breeding. METHODS: This report describes methods for using guinea pigs in DART studies and provides results of positive and negative controls. Standard study designs and animal husbandry methods were modified to allow mating on the postpartum estrus in fertility studies and were used for producing cohorts of pregnant females for developmental studies. RESULTS: A positive control study with the pregnancy-disrupting agent mifepristone resulted in the anticipated failure of embryo implantation and supported the use of the guinea pig model. Control data for reproductive endpoints collected from 5 studies are presented. CONCLUSION: In cases where the traditional animal models are not relevant, the guinea pig can be used successfully for DART studies.

Effects of natalizumab, an alpha4 integrin inhibitor, on the development of Hartley guinea pigs.

BACKGROUND: Natalizumab is a humanized monoclonal immunoglobulin G4 antibody directed against the human alpha4 integrin subunit, disrupting interaction with its ligands. Natalizumab inhibits the interaction of alpha4 integrins with fibronectin, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, and mucosal addressin cellular adhesion molecule-1, which are of potential importance in development. Two studies were undertaken to evaluate the effects of natalizumab on embryo/fetal development in guinea pigs. METHODS: In the first study, pregnant guinea pigs were treated with intravenous injections of 3, 10, or 30 mg/kg natalizumab or vehicle every other day from gestational day (GD) 4 to 30. In the second study, females were treated on alternate days starting at least 28 days prior to mating through GD 30. Fetal examinations and histopathologic examination of the liver, heart, thymus, spleen, and intestinal tract were performed following maternal euthanasia on GD 59-62. RESULTS: Natalizumab had no significant effect on embryo/fetal development in either study. Exposure to natalizumab during organogenesis did not result in treatment-related external, visceral, or skeletal variations or malformations or histopathologic changes. CONCLUSION: No fetotoxicity or teratogenic effects were attributable to natalizumab in these studies.

Embryo/fetal development in cynomolgus monkeys exposed to natalizumab, an alpha4 integrin inhibitor.

BACKGROUND: Natalizumab is a humanized monoclonal immunoglobulin G4 antibody to human alpha4 integrin that binds to the alpha4 subunit of alpha4beta1 and alpha4beta7 integrins, where it blocks the interaction of these integrins with their ligands, including fibronectin, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, and mucosal addressin cellular adhesion molecule-1. Because alpha4 integrins and their ligands appear to be involved in mammalian fetal development, it is possible that natalizumab may interfere with these processes. METHODS: The effects of natalizumab on fetal development were assessed in cynomolgus monkeys at doses of 0, 3, 10, and 30 mg/kg administered intravenously every other day from gestational day (GD) 20 to 70. Pregnancies were terminated by Cesarean section at GD 100. RESULTS: Natalizumab treatment was not associated with increased abortions. All fetuses were alive. No external, visceral, or skeletal abnormalities were seen that were considered to be related to treatment with natalizumab. No histopathological findings were seen in the heart, a target organ of developmental toxicity with a small molecule inhibitor of alpha4 integrin. At dose levels > or = 10 mg/kg, hematological and/or lymphoid effects were observed in some fetuses, consisting of slight thymic atropy, increased extramedullary hematopoiesis in the spleen with a corresponding decrease in the liver, increases in WBC and nucleated RBC, decreases in RBC parameters, and decreases in lymphoid CD20 staining. CONCLUSION: Natalizumab had no abortifacient or teratogenic effects, but was associated with changes in fetal hematopoiesis and leukocyte trafficking.

Postnatal development in cynomolgus monkeys following prenatal exposure to natalizumab, an alpha4 integrin inhibitor.

BACKGROUND: Natalizumab is a humanized monoclonal IgG4 antibody to human alpha4 integrin that blocks the interaction of alpha4beta1 and alpha4beta7 integrins with their ligands, including fibronectin, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, and mucosal addressin cellular adhesion molecule-1. Because alpha4 integrins and their ligands are widely involved in mammalian development, lymphopoeisis, and hematopoiesis, natalizumab may interfere with these processes. METHODS: The effects of prenatal exposure to natalizumab on postnatal development were assessed in cynomolgus monkeys at doses of 0 and 30 mg/kg administered intravenously every other day from gestational day (GD) 20 to 70 or GD 20 to term. Infants were delivered by natural birth and evaluated for general health, survival, development, and immunological structure and function at 12 or 18 months. RESULTS: An increase in abortions was seen in the first cohort of natalizumab-treated dams (39.3 vs. 7.1% in the controls) but not in the second cohort (33.3, 37.5%). Infants in the term treatment group had elevated lymphocyte ( approximately 150%) and nucleated red blood cell counts ( approximately 400%), consistent with the pharmacological effect of natalizumab, and reductions in platelet counts ( approximately 28%), which were reversible following clearance of natalizumab. No anemia was observed. Infants in the term treatment group had significantly increased spleen weights at 12 months but not at 18 months. All other experimental observations in infants from natalizumab-treated dams were comparable with those of controls. CONCLUSION: Natalizumab had no adverse effects on the general health, survival, development, or immunological structure and function of infants born to dams treated with natalizumab during pregnancy.

Effects of natalizumab, an alpha4 integrin inhibitor, on fertility in male and female guinea pigs.

BACKGROUND: Natalizumab is a humanized monoclonal immunoglobulin G4 antibody directed against the human alpha4 integrin subunit disrupting interaction with its ligands. As alpha4 integrins and/or their ligands appear to be involved in reproductive function, the effects of natalizumab on fertility in male and female guinea pigs were investigated. METHODS: Natalizumab was administered by bolus intravenous injection every other day at doses of 0, 3, 10, and 30 mg/kg. Males began treatment at least 28 days prior to mating until necropsy (approximately 3 to 5 days after mating). Dosing in females was done from gestational day (GD) of an existing pregnancy to GD 30 of a second pregnancy. RESULTS: In male guinea pigs, natalizumab treatment had no effect on sperm parameters, reproductive organ weights, organ-weight ratios, or histology of the testis or epididymis. Natalizumab did not affect the ability of treated males to produce pregnancies in untreated females. In female guinea pigs, no treatment-related changes were seen in uterine weights or ovary weights. Pregnancy rates were reduced in females treated with 30 mg/kg natalizumab, but not those treated with 3 or 10 mg/kg. Pregnancy rates were 63.3, 66.7, 66.7, and 29.6% for groups treated with 0, 3, 10, and 30 mg/kg, respectively. Effects observed at 30 mg/kg were at exposures 36-fold those observed in humans. CONCLUSIONS: Natalizumab had no effects on male fertility, but did result in a reduction in pregnancy rates in females treated with the high dose of 30 mg/kg.

Development and validation of immunoassays to quantify the half-antibody exchange of an IgG4 antibody, natalizumab (Tysabri®) with endogenous IgG4.

Natalizumab is a humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody which binds human α4 integrin and is approved for treatment of multiple sclerosis and Crohn's disease. Assessment of the in vivo disposition of natalizumab presents a unique assay development challenge due to the ability of human IgG4 antibodies to undergo half-antibody exchange in vivo. Such exchange generates IgG4 molecules of mixed specificity comprising a natalizumab heavy-light chain pair coupled to an IgG4 heavy-light chain pair of unknown specificity. Since exchanged and non-exchanged species cannot be quantified independently using a single enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), a novel quantitation strategy was developed employing two ELISAs: one measuring total natalizumab including both intact and exchanged molecules, and the second measuring only intact natalizumab. The presence and amount of exchanged natalizumab in serum is calculated by the difference in values obtained in the two assays. To evaluate assay performance, a control reagent was created from natalizumab and an irrelevant humanized monoclonal IgG4 antibody. Subsequent validation demonstrated that both assays are specific, accurate, and precise within the working ranges of the assays (1.5-10µg/mL for total and 0.5-12µg/mL for intact natalizumab assays). The mean accuracy, intra- and inter-assay precision for both assays were 82-113%, ≤9% and ≤20%, respectively. Additionally, the limits of detection of intact and exchanged natalizumab were established using statistical methods. The utility of the two-assay strategy was confirmed by analyzing samples from a pharmacokinetic study in rats using different variants of natalizumab administered along with another human IgG4 antibody as an exchange partner.

Immunotoxicity profile of natalizumab.

Natalizumab is a monoclonal antibody to human alpha4 integrin indicated for treatment of multiple sclerosis and Crohn's disease that prevents extravasation of leukocytes into surrounding tissues and their involvement in inflammation. Because alpha4 integrins and their receptors are involved in hematopoiesis and immune cell trafficking, natalizumab may interfere with these processes. We evaluated the effects of natalizumab on immune function in monkeys using in vitro and in vivo studies. Consistent with the pharmacologic effects of natalizumab, dose-related increases in white blood cell counts and spleen weights were observed. Administration to monkeys did not result in statistically significant alterations in the percentages of circulating B-cells, T-cells, T-cell subsets (CD4, CD8), or stem cells (CD34). A modest and highly variable delay in the primary humoral response to T-cell-dependent antigens was observed. Ex vivo studies using cells from natalizumab-treated monkeys demonstrated that treatment did not alter immune regulatory or effector cell functions in blood lymphocytes or spleen cells. A similar lack of effect on these functions was observed in vitro following treatment of PBMC and monocytes from human donors. Overall, natalizumab was well tolerated in monkeys, demonstrated the expected pharmacologic effect on cell trafficking, and showed no adverse effect on immune cell function.