A phase I trial of SON-1010, a tumor-targeted, interleukin-12-linked, albumin-binding cytokine, shows favorable pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and safety in healthy volunteers.

Background: The benefits of recombinant interleukin-12 (rIL-12) as a multifunctional cytokine and potential immunotherapy for cancer have been sought for decades based on its efficacy in multiple mouse models. Unexpected toxicity in the first phase 2 study required careful attention to revised dosing strategies. Despite some signs of efficacy since then, most rIL-12 clinical trials have encountered hurdles such as short terminal elimination half-life (T½), limited tumor microenvironment targeting, and substantial systemic toxicity. We developed a strategy to extend the rIL-12 T½ that depends on binding albumin in vivo to target tumor tissue, using single-chain rIL-12 linked to a fully human albumin binding (FHAB) domain (SON-1010). After initiating a dose-escalation trial in patients with cancer (SB101), a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-ascending dose (SAD) phase 1 trial in healthy volunteers (SB102) was conducted. Methods: SB102 (NCT05408572) focused on safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetic (PK), and pharmacodynamic (PD) endpoints. SON-1010 at 50-300 ng/kg or placebo administered subcutaneously on day 1 was studied at a ratio of 6:2, starting with two sentinels; participants were followed through day 29. Safety was reviewed after day 22, before enrolling the next cohort. A non-compartmental analysis of PK was performed and correlations with the PD results were explored, along with a comparison of the SON-1010 PK profile in SB101. Results: Participants receiving SON-1010 at 100 ng/kg or higher tolerated the injection but generally experienced more treatment-emergent adverse effects (TEAEs) than those receiving the lowest dose. All TEAEs were transient and no other dose relationship was noted. As expected with rIL-12, initial decreases in neutrophils and lymphocytes returned to baseline by days 9-11. PK analysis showed two-compartment elimination in SB102 with mean T½ of 104 h, compared with one-compartment elimination in SB101, which correlated with prolonged but controlled and dose-related increases in interferon-gamma (IFNγ). There was no evidence of cytokine release syndrome based on minimal participant symptoms and responses observed with other cytokines. Conclusion: SON-1010, a novel presentation for rIL-12, was safe and well-tolerated in healthy volunteers up to 300 ng/kg. Its extended half-life leads to a prolonged but controlled IFNγ response, which may be important for tumor control in patients. Clinical trial registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05408572, identifier NCT05408572.

Model-Informed Drug Development of New Cefoperazone Sodium and Sulbactam Sodium Combination (3:1): Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Analysis and Antibacterial Efficacy Against Enterobacteriaceae.

Objective: Cefoperazone/sulbactam is a commonly used antibiotic combination against the extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs)-producing bacteria. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a new cefoperazone/sulbactam combination (3:1) for Enterobacteriaceae infection via model-informed drug development (MIDD) approaches. Methods: Sulperazon [cefoperazone/sulbactam (2:1)] was used as a control. Pharmacokinetic (PK) data was collected from a clinical phase I trial. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined using two-fold broth microdilution method. The percent time that the free drug concentration exceeded the minimum inhibitory concentration (%fT>MIC) was used as the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic indicator correlated with efficacy. Models were developed to characterize the PK profile of cefoperazone and sulbactam. Monte Carlo simulations were employed to determine the investigational regimens of cefoperazone/sulbactam (3:1) for the treatment of infections caused by Enterobacteriaceae based on the probability of target attainment (PTA) against the tested bacteria. Results: Two 2-compartment models were developed to describe the PK profiles of cefoperazone and sulbactam. Simulation results following the single-dose showed that the regimens of cefoperazone/sulbactam combinations in the ratios of 3:1 and 2:1 achieved similar PTA against the tested bacteria. Simulation results from the multiple-dose showed that the dosing regimen of cefoperazone/sulbactam (4 g, TID, 3 g:1 g) showed slightly better antibacterial effect than cefoperazone/sulbactam (6 g, BID, 4 g:2 g) against the Escherichia coli (ESBL-) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (ESBL-). For the other tested bacteria, the above regimens achieved a similar PTA. Conclusions: Cefoperazone/sulbactam (3:1) showed similar bactericidal activity to sulperazon [cefoperazone/sulbactam (2:1)] against the tested bacteria. For the ESBL-producing and cefoperazone-resistant E. coli and K. pneumoniae, Cefoperazone/sulbactam (3:1) did not exhibit advantage as anticipated. Our study indicated that further clinical trials should be carried out cautiously to avoid the potential risks of not achieving the expected target.

Does the intact nephron hypothesis provide a reasonable model for metformin dosing in chronic kidney disease?

This research explored the intact nephron hypothesis (INH) as a model for metformin dosing in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The INH assumes that glomerular filtration rate (GFR) will account for all kidney drug handling even for drugs eliminated by tubular secretion like metformin. We conducted two studies: (1) a regression analysis to explore the relationship between metformin clearance and eGFR metrics, and (2) a joint population pharmacokinetic analysis to test the relationship between metformin renal clearance and gentamicin clearance. The relationship between metformin renal clearance and eGFR metrics and gentamicin clearance was found to be linear, suggesting that a proportional dose reduction based on GFR in patients with CKD is reasonable.

Metformin doses to ensure efficacy and safety in patients with reduced kidney function.

We aimed to develop a metformin dosing strategy to optimise efficacy and safety in patients with reduced kidney function. Metformin data from two studies stratified by kidney function were analysed. The relationship between metformin clearance and kidney function estimates was explored using a regression analysis. The maintenance dose range was predicted at different bands of kidney function to achieve an efficacy target of 1 mg/L for steady-state plasma concentrations. The dosing strategy was evaluated using simulations from a published metformin pharmacokinetic model to determine the probability of concentrations exceeding those associated with lactic acidosis risk, i.e. a steady-state average concentration of 3 mg/L and a maximum (peak) concentration of 5 mg/L. A strong relationship between metformin clearance and estimated kidney function using the Cockcroft and Gault (r2 = 0.699), MDRD (r2 = 0.717) and CKD-Epi (r2 = 0.735) equations was found. The probability of exceeding the safety targets for plasma metformin concentration was <5% for most doses and kidney function levels. The lower dose of 500 mg daily was required to maintain concentrations below the safety limits for patients with an eGFR of 15-29 mL/min. Our analysis suggests that a maximum daily dose of 2250, 1700, 1250, 1000, and 500 in patients with normal kidney function, CKD stage 2, 3a, 3b and 4, respectively, will provide a reasonable probability of achieving efficacy and safety. Our results support the cautious of use metformin at appropriate doses in patients with impaired kidney function.

The pharmacokinetics of metformin in patients receiving intermittent haemodialysis.

The aims of this study were to characterise the population pharmacokinetics of metformin in patients receiving haemodialysis, and to determine the doses that will maintain median metformin plasma concentrations below 5 mg L-1 for a typical individual. Metformin plasma concentrations from 5 patients receiving thrice weekly intermittent haemodialysis followed by metformin 500 mg postdialysis were fitted to a published pharmacokinetic model. Additional models to describe the dialytic pharmacokinetics of metformin were explored. Doses of 250 and 500 postdialysis were simulated from the model for a typical haemodialysis patient. The published 2-compartment pharmacokinetic model with an additional parameter to describe haemodialysis clearance provided a reasonable fit to the data. Deterministic simulations from the model for a typical individual suggest that metformin doses of 250-500 mg postdialysis and 250 mg given once daily should maintain median metformin plasma concentrations below 5 mg L-1 .

Model-Informed Drug Development, Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Cutoff Value Determination, and Antibacterial Efficacy of Benapenem against Enterobacteriaceae.

Benapenem is a novel carbapenem. The objective of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetic (PK)/pharmacodynamic (PD) cutoff values and evaluate the optimal administration regimens of benapenem for the treatment of bacterial infections via PK/PD modeling and simulation. Ertapenem was used as a control. Infected mice received an intravenous (i.v.) injection of benapenem or ertapenem of 14.6, 58.4, or 233.6 mg/kg of body weight, and the PK/PD profiles were evaluated. The MICs were determined by using a 2-fold agar dilution method. Mathematical models were developed to characterize the pharmacokinetic profile of benapenem in humans and mice. Monte Carlo simulations were employed to determine the cutoff values and the appropriate benapenem dosing regimens for the treatment of infections caused by clinical isolates of Enterobacteriaceae Two 2-compartment models were developed to describe the PK profiles of benapenem in humans and mice. A two-site binding model was applied to fit the protein binding in mouse plasma. Through correlation analysis, the percentage of the time that the free drug concentration remains above the MIC (%fT>MIC) was determined to be the indicator of efficacy. Results from the simulation showed that the probability of target attainment (PTA) against the tested isolates was over 90% with the dosing regimens studied. The PK/PD cutoff value of benapenem was 1 mg/liter at a %fT>MIC of 60% when given at a dose of 1,000 mg/day by i.v. drip for 0.5 h. The established model provides a better understanding of the pharmacological properties of benapenem for the treatment of Enterobacteriaceae infections. The proposed PK/PD cutoff value suggests that benapenem is a promising antibacterial against the Enterobacteriaceae The cutoff value of 1 mg/liter may be a useful guide for the clinical use of benapenem and for surveillance for benapenem resistance.

The Association between Metformin Therapy and Lactic Acidosis.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: There is increasing evidence to suggest that therapeutic doses of metformin are unlikely to cause lactic acidosis. The aims of this research were (1) to formally evaluate the association between metformin therapy and lactic acidosis in published case reports using two causality scoring systems, (2) to determine the frequency of pre-existing independent risk factors in published metformin-associated lactic acidosis cases, (3) to investigate the association between risk factors and mortality in metformin-associated lactic acidosis cases, and (4) to explore the relationship between prescribed metformin doses, elevated metformin plasma concentrations and the development of lactic acidosis in cases with chronic renal impairment. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted to identify metformin-associated lactic acidosis cases. Causality was assessed using the World Health Organisation-Uppsala Monitoring Centre system and the Naranjo adverse drug reaction probability scale. Compliance to dosing guidelines was investigated for cases with chronic renal impairment as well as the association between steady-state plasma metformin concentrations prior to admission. RESULTS: We identified 559 metformin-associated lactic acidosis cases. Almost all cases reviewed (97%) presented with independent risk factors for lactic acidosis. The prescribed metformin dose exceeded published guidelines in 60% of cases in patients with impaired kidney function. Metformin steady-state plasma concentrations prior to admission were predicted to be below the proposed upper limit of the therapeutic range of 5 mg/L. CONCLUSIONS: Almost all cases of metformin-associated lactic acidosis reviewed presented with independent risk factors for lactic acidosis, supporting the suggestion that metformin plays a contributory role. The prescribed metformin dose, on average, exceeded the dosing recommendations by 1000 mg/day in patients with varying degrees of renal impairment but the predicted pre-admission plasma concentrations did not exceed the therapeutic range.

A Population Pharmacokinetic Model for 51Cr EDTA to Estimate Renal Function.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: 51Cr EDTA clearance (CL) from plasma is used to estimate glomerular filtration rate (GFR). We propose that current methods for analysing the raw 51Cr EDTA measurements over-simplifies the disposition of 51Cr EDTA and therefore could produce biased GFR estimates. The aim of this study was to develop a population pharmacokinetic model for 51Cr EDTA disposition and to compare model-predicted GFR to other methods of estimating renal function. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data from 40 individuals who received ~7.4 MBq of 51Cr EDTA, as an intravenous bolus, were available for analysis. Plasma radioactivity (counts/min) was measured from timed collection points at 2, 4, 6 and 24 h after the dose. A population analysis was conducted using NONMEM® version 7.2. Model-predicted GFR was compared with other methods for estimating renal function using mean prediction error (MPE). RESULTS: A two-compartment pharmacokinetic model with first-order elimination best fit the data. Compared with the model predictions, creatinine CL from 24 h urine data was unbiased. The commonly used 'slope-intercept' method for estimating isotopic GFR was positively biased compared with the model (MPE 15.5 mL/min/1.73 m2 [95% confidence interval {CI} 8.9-22.2]. The Cockcroft Gault, Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) and Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-Epi) equations led to negatively biased GFR estimates (MPE -19.0 [95% CI -25.4 to -12.7], -20.1 [95% CI -27.2 to -13.1] and -16.5 [95% CI -22.2 to -10.1] mL/min/1.73 m2, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The biased GFR estimates were most obvious in patients with relatively normal renal function. This may lead to inaccurate dosing in patients who are receiving drugs with a narrow therapeutic range where dosing is adjusted according to GFR estimates (e.g. carboplatin). STUDY REGISTRATION: The study is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR), number: ACTRN 12611000035921.