PBTK modelling platforms and parameter estimation tools to enable animal-free risk assessment: recommendations from a joint EPAA--EURL ECVAM ADME workshop.

Information on toxicokinetics is critical for animal-free human risk assessment. Human external exposure must be translated into human tissue doses and compared with in vitro actual cell exposure associated to effects (in vitro-in vivo comparison). Data on absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion in humans (ADME) could be generated using in vitro and QSAR tools. Physiologically-based toxicokinetic (PBTK) computer modelling could serve to integrate disparate in vitro and in silico findings. However, there are only few freely-available PBTK platforms currently available. And although some ADME parameters can be reasonably estimated in vitro or in silico, important gaps exist. Examples include unknown or limited applicability domains and lack of (high-throughput) tools to measure penetration of barriers, partitioning between blood and tissues and metabolic clearance. This paper is based on a joint EPAA--EURL ECVAM expert meeting. It provides a state-of-the-art overview of the availability of PBTK platforms as well as the in vitro and in silico methods to parameterise basic (Tier 1) PBTK models. Five high-priority issues are presented that provide the prerequisites for wider use of non-animal based PBTK modelling for animal-free chemical risk assessment.

Scaling factors for the extrapolation of in vivo metabolic drug clearance from in vitro data: reaching a consensus on values of human microsomal protein and hepatocellularity per gram of liver.

Reported predictions of human in vivo hepatic clearance from in vitro data have used a variety of values for the scaling factors human microsomal protein (MPPGL) and hepatocellularity (HPGL) per gram of liver, generally with no consideration of the extent of their inter-individual variability. We have collated and analysed data from a number of sources, to provide weighted meangeo values of human MPPGL and HPGL of 32 mg g-1 (95% Confidence Interval (CI); 29-34 mg.g-1) and 99x10(6) cells.g-1 (95% CI; 74-131 mg.g-1), respectively. Although inter-individual variability in values of MPPGL and HPGL was statistically significant, gender, smoking or alcohol consumption could not be detected as significant covariates by multiple linear regression. However, there was a weak but statistically significant inverse relationship between age and both MPPGL and HPGL. These findings indicate the importance of considering differences between study populations when forecasting in vivo pharmacokinetic behaviour. Typical clinical pharmacology studies, particularly in early drug development, use young, fit, healthy male subjects of around 30 years of age. In contrast, the average age of patients for many diseases is about 60 years of age. The relationship between age and MPPGL observed in this study estimates values of 40 mg.g-1 for a 30 year old individual and 31 mg.g-1 for a 60 year old individual. Investigators may wish to consider the reported covariates in the selection of scaling factors appropriate for the population in which estimates of clearance are being predicted. Further studies are required to clarify the influence of age (especially in paediatric subjects), donor source and ethnicity on values of MPPGL and HPGL. In the meantime, we recommend that the estimates (and their variances) from the current meta-analysis be used when predicting in vivo kinetic parameters from in vitro data.

Applicability of Generic Assays Based on Liquid Chromatography-Electrospray Mass Spectrometry to Study in vitro Metabolism of 55 Structurally Diverse Compounds.

Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) with generic gradient elution for a large number of chemically different compounds is a common approach in drug development, used to acquire a large amount of data in a short time frame for drug candidates. The analysis with non-optimized parameters however may lead to a poor method performance for many compounds, and contains a risk of losing important information. Here, generic electrospray time of flight (ESI-TOF) MS methods in various pH conditions were tested for 55 chemically diverse compounds (10 acids, 25 bases, 17 neutrals, and 3 amphoterics), aiming to find best analytical conditions for each compound, for studies of in vitro metabolic properties in liver preparations. The effect of eluent pH and elution gradient strength on chromatographic performance and electrospray MS ionization efficiency were examined for each compound. The data are evaluated how well the best generic approach could cover the analysis of test compounds and how many compounds would still need completely different analytical conditions after that. Aqueous mobile phase consisting of 0.05% acetic acid and 5 mM ammonium acetate (pH 4.4) showed the best general suitability for the analyses, showing adequate performance for metabolite profiling for 41 out of 55 compounds either in positive or negative ion mode. In positive ion mode, the main limitation of performance in various pH conditions was generally not the lack of ionization, but rather the poor chromatographic performance (inadequate retention or poor peak shape), suggesting that more emphasis should be put in finding conditions providing best chromatographic performance, rather than highest ionization properties. However, a single generic approach for a large number of different compounds is not likely to produce good results for all compounds. Preferably, at least two or three different conditions are needed for the coverage of a larger number of structurally diverse compounds.