Pharmacokinetic study of two extended-release formulations of cilostazol in healthy Korean subjects: A randomized, open-label, multiple-dose, two-period crossover study
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OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare the pharmacokinetic characteristics and safety of two extended-release formulations of cilostazol after multiple oral doses in healthy Korean subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomized, open-label, multiple-dose, two-period, crossover study was conducted in 30 healthy male subjects. In each treatment period, subjects received oral doses of 200 mg cilostazol SR (Pletaal SR Cap.) or cilostazol CR (Cilostan CR Tab.) once daily for 5 consecutive days, with a washout period of 9 days. Plasma concentrations of cilostazol and its metabolites were determined using a validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method. RESULTS: 24 subjects completed the study. The maximum plasma concentrations (Cmax,ss, geometric mean (geometric coefficient of variation, CV%)) of cilostazol after cilostazol SR and cilostazol CR regimens were 1,532.7 (43.2%) ng/mL and 548.3 (58.9%) ng/mL, respectively, and the areas under the plasma concentration-time curves within dosing intervals (AUCτ, geometric mean (CV%)) were 17,060.7 (39.2%) h×ng/mL and 7,485.7 (55.0%) h×ng/mL, respectively. The geometric mean ratios (cilostazol SR/cilostazol CR) of the Cmax,ss and AUCτ values were 2.7954 (90% confidence interval: 2.3561 - 3.3166) and 2.2791 (90% confidence interval: 1.9770 - 2.6273), respectively. Both cilostazol SR and cilostazol CR were well tolerated in all subjects, and no serious adverse events occurred. The total incidence of headache, which is the most common adverse drug reaction, was significantly higher with cilostazol SR (63.0%) than cilostazol CR (25.9%). CONCLUSION: Cilostazol SR showed significantly higher Cmax and AUCτ of cilostazol than cilostazol CR after 5 days of multiple dosing of extended-release formulations of cilostazol.

Pharmacokinetics and Food Effect Between a 100-mg Sustained-Release Tablet and a 50-mg Immediate-Release Tablet of Vildagliptin in Healthy Subjects.

Vildagliptin is one of the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors. This study aimed to compare vildagliptin exposure between 50-mg immediate-release (IR) and 100-mg new sustained-release (SR) tablets, and evaluate the food effect on the pharmacokinetics (PKs) of vildagliptin. A randomized, open-label, 3-period, 3-treatment, 6-sequence crossover study was conducted on healthy subjects. During each period, subjects received the SR tablet either in the fasted (T1) or high-fat fed (T2) state once a day, or IR tablets administered twice a day in the fasted state (R). Blood samples for PK analysis were obtained serially up to 24 hours after dosing. Thirty-four subjects completed the study. The geometric mean ratios for the Cmax and AUC0-24h of T1 to R were 1.15 and 0.89, respectively. The corresponding values of T2 to T1 were 0.94 and 1.07, respectively. Vildagliptin exposure over 24 hours was similar between the SR and IR tablets. In addition, the PK profiles of the SR tablets were not altered by food. The SR tablets can be administered without a food effect and be an alternative option to IR tablets.

No drug-drug interactions between selective prolyl-tRNA synthetase inhibitor, bersiporocin, and pirfenidone or nintedanib in healthy participants.

Bersiporocin, a potent and selective prolyl-tRNA synthetase inhibitor, is expected to show a synergistic effect with pirfenidone or nintedanib in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. To validate the combination therapy of bersiporocin with pirfenidone or nintedanib, a randomized, open-label, two-part, one-sequence, three-period, three-treatment study was designed to evaluate the effect of drug-drug interactions (DDI) regarding their pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability in healthy participants. In addition, the pharmacokinetic profiles of the newly formulated, enteric-coated bersiporocin tablet were evaluated after single and multiple administrations. The potential effects of cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) genotyping on bersiporocin pharmacokinetics and DDI were also explored. In Part 1, participants were sequentially administered a single dose of pirfenidone 600 mg, a single dose of bersiporocin 150 mg followed by multiple doses, and bersiporocin in combination with pirfenidone. In Part 2, participants were sequentially administered a single dose of nintedanib 150 mg, multiple doses of bersiporocin 150 mg, and bersiporocin in combination with nintedanib. Forty-six participants completed the study. There was no significant pharmacokinetic DDI between bersiporocin, and pirfenidone or nintedanib. All adverse events (AEs) were mild to moderate and did not include serious AEs, suggesting bersiporocin alone or in combination therapy were well-tolerated. The newly formulated bersiporocin 150 mg tablet showed a moderate accumulation index. There was no significant difference in the pharmacokinetic profiles after administration of bersiporocin alone or in combination therapy between CYP2D6 phenotypes. In conclusion, there are no significant DDI regarding the pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of bersiporocin administration with pirfenidone or nintedanib.

A randomized, double-blind, single-dose, phase 1 study comparing the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, safety, and immunogenicity of denosumab biosimilar CT­P41 and reference denosumab in healthy males.

BACKGROUND: This study's objective was to demonstrate pharmacokinetic (PK) similarity and safety of denosumab biosimilar, CT­P41, and United States-licensed reference denosumab (US-denosumab) in healthy male Asian adults, considering also pharmacodynamic (PD) outcomes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This double-blind, two-arm, parallel-group, Phase 1 study randomized (1:1) healthy males to a single (60-mg) subcutaneous dose of CT­P41 or US-denosumab. Primary endpoints were area under the concentration - time curve (AUC) from time zero to infinity (AUC0-inf), AUC from time zero to the last quantifiable concentration (AUC0-last), and maximum serum concentration (Cmax). PK equivalence was determined if 90% confidence intervals (CIs) for ratios of geometric least-squares means (gLSMs) were within the predefined 80-125% equivalence margin. Secondary PK, PD, safety, and immunogenicity outcomes were also evaluated. RESULTS: Of 154 participants randomized (76 CT­P41; 78 US-denosumab), 151 received study drug (74 CT­P41; 77 US-denosumab). Primary and secondary PK results, PD results, safety, and immunogenicity were comparable between groups. Ninety percent CIs for ratios of gLSMs were within the predefined equivalence margin for AUC0-inf (100.4-114.7), AUC0-last (99.9-114.3), and Cmax (95.2-107.3). CONCLUSIONS: Following a single dose in healthy males, CT­P41 demonstrated PK equivalence with US-denosumab. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT06037395.

Drug-Drug Interactions between Tamsulosin and Mirabegron in Healthy Individuals Do Not Affect Pharmacokinetics and Hemodynamic Parameters Significantly.

Overactive bladder (OAB) is characterized by urinary urgency and increased urinary frequency, substantially affecting quality of life. Tamsulosin and mirabegron combination therapy has been studied as a safe and effective treatment option for patients with OAB. This study evaluated the effects of combining these two drugs on their pharmacokinetics and safety profiles in healthy Korean males. In this open-label, fixed-sequence, three-period, drug-drug interaction phase 1 study, a total of 36 male participants were administered multiple doses of tamsulosin alone (0.2 mg once daily), mirabegron alone (50 mg once daily), or a combination of both drugs. The results showed that the combination of tamsulosin and mirabegron increased tamsulosin exposure in the plasma by approximately 40%. In contrast, the maximum plasma concentration of mirabegron was reduced by approximately 17% when administered with tamsulosin. No clinically significant changes in the safety profiles, vital signs, or clinical laboratory test results were observed in this study. In conclusion, there were no clinically relevant drug-drug interactions between tamsulosin and mirabegron in terms of pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability, suggesting that their combination could be a promising treatment option for patients with OAB.

A Comparative Pharmacokinetic Study of Fexuprazan 10 mg: Demonstrating Bioequivalence with the Reference Formulation and Evaluating Steady State.

Fexuprazan is a potassium-competitive acid blocker approved for treating gastric-acid-related diseases. Although the effectiveness of the recent formulation fexuprazan 10 mg has been demonstrated in Phase 3 clinical trials, data on the pharmacokinetics (PKs) of administering fexuprazan 10 mg twice daily at a 12 h interval are lacking. Moreover, it is imperative to ensure the bioequivalence of the new formulation with the previously approved 40 mg formulation. This study evaluated the pharmacokinetics (PKs) of the single- and multiple-dose oral administration of fexuprazan 10 mg tablets in healthy participants (Part 1) and investigated their bioequivalence with 40 mg tablets (Part 2). Part 1 comprised a single- and multiple-dose, one-sequence, two-period design and eight participants, while Part 2 comprised a single-dose, 2 × 2 crossover design and 24 participants. In Part 1, in Periods 1 and 2, participants received single and multiple doses (twice daily) of fexuprazan 10 mg, respectively. The maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) area under the concentration-time curve from 0 to 12 h (AUC0-12h) of the multiple-dose participants was approximately double that of the single-dose participants. In Part 2, the geometric mean ratios (90% confidence intervals) for Cmax and AUC from zero to the time of the last quantifiable concentration (AUClast) of the use of four fexuprazan 10 mg tablets to those of one fexuprazan 40 mg tablet were 1.0290 (0.9352-1.1321) and 1.0290 (0.9476-1.1174), respectively, meeting the bioequivalence criteria. Favorable PKs were observed after single and multiple administrations of one fexuprazan 10 mg tablet, and four fexuprazan 10 mg tablets were pharmacokinetically equivalent to one fexuprazan 40 mg tablet.

Size-reduced fexuprazan 20 mg demonstrated the optimal bioavailability and bioequivalence with the reference formulation.

Fexuprazan (DWP14012), a potassium-competitive acid blocker, is a medical formulation prescribed to inhibit the secretion of gastric acid. The present study encompasses a comparative evaluation of pharmacokinetic (PK) analysis between the previous (reference) and size-reduced (test) formulation of fexuprazan 20 mg in healthy subjects. The study employed a randomized, open-label, single-dose, 2-sequence, 2-period, crossover design with a 7-day wash-out between periods. A total of 24 subjects were enrolled in this randomized study. During each period, the 21 subjects received either the test or reference formulation. Blood samples were collected at multiple time point ranging from 0 (pre-dose) to 48 hours post-dosing for PK analysis. The calculated PK parameters were considered bioequivalent when the 90% confidence intervals (CIs) of the geometric mean ratios (GMRs) were within the bioequivalence limit of 0.8-1.25. Safety and tolerability were included in the evaluation. A total of 20 subjects completed the study. Point estimates (90% CIs) of the GMRs were 1.1014 (0.9892-1.2265) for the maximum plasma concentration and 1.0530 (0.9611-1.1536) for the area under the plasma concentration-time curve from zero to the time of the last quantifiable concentration, between the test and reference formulations. The reference and size-reduced test formulations of fexuprazan were well tolerated with no reports of serious adverse events. In conclusion, size-reduced and previous formulations of fexuprazan 20 mg were bioequivalent with regard to PKs, safety and tolerability.

Pharmacokinetic properties of a new sustained-release pregabalin tablet in subjects with reduced renal function.

A new sustained-release (SR) pregabalin tablet, YHD1119, was formulated for once-daily dosing. In the current study, we aimed to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of YHD1119 tablets in patients with reduced renal function. Subjects were grouped by creatinine clearance: > 60 mL/min/1.73m2 (Cohort A) and 30-60 mL/min/1.73m2 (Cohort B). Eight subjects in Cohort A received a YHD1119 75 mg tablet (Y75T) and a YHD1119 150 mg tablet (Y150T) in each period, and eight subjects in Cohort B received a Y75T. Non-compartment analysis and population pharmacokinetic analysis using a one-compartment model with first-order elimination and first-order absorption with lag time were performed. Sixteen subjects completed the study. The geometric mean ratio (GMR) (90% confidence intervals [CI]) for maximum concentration (Cmax), and area under the concentration-time profile from 0 to the last measurable time (AUClast) after Y75T of Cohort B to those of Y75T of Cohort A were 1.2273 (1.0245-1.4701), and 2.4146 (1.8142-3.2138), respectively. The GMR (90% CI) for Cmax, and AUClast after Y75T of Cohort B to those of Y150T of Cohort A were 0.6476 (0.5229-0.8021), and 1.1471 (0.8418-1.5632), respectively. Simulated steady-steady pregabalin concentrations after once-daily Y75T dosing in subjects with eGFR 45 mL/min/1.73 m2 were within the range of steady-state concentrations simulated after once-daily Y150T dosing in subjects with eGFR 90 mL/min/1.73 m2. The total pregabalin exposure of Y75T in patients with moderate renal impairment was comparable with that of Y150T in subjects with near-normal renal function. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05012436.

Noni fruit extract ameliorates alcohol-induced hangover symptoms by reducing the concentrations of alcohol and acetaldehyde in a Sprague Dawley rat model and a human intervention study.

Various studies have reported that Noni shows various health effects. This study aimed to assess the ability of Noni fruit extract to serve as a single active functional ingredient for the alleviation of hangover symptoms in Sprague Dawley rats and healthy subjects in a single-dose, randomized, double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled study. The rats were orally administered Noni fruit extract at 50 or 100 mg per kg body weight (B.W.) and HOVENIA. The blood ethanol (EtOH) and acetaldehyde concentrations were significantly lower in the 100 mg per kg B.W. group than in the EtOH group. Alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase activity tended to increase in the 100 mg kg-1 B.W. group. In the human study, 30 subjects received either a placebo or Noni fruit extract (1 g). The Noni fruit extract group showed significantly faster time point at which the maximum concentration (Tmax) of alcohol than in the placebo group. In addition, blood acetaldehyde levels and diarrhea at 40 and 720 min after alcohol intake and the area under the curve between 40 and 60 min of acetaldehyde were significantly decreased in the Noni fruit extract group compared to the placebo group. According to the QUalitative INteraction Trees, subjects who were ≤36 years old who consumed more alcohol (>15 drinks per week) and had a higher total hangover score (>27.5 and 33) presented significantly lower blood acetaldehyde levels and less severe hangover symptoms. These results indicate that Noni fruit extract has the potential to improve hangover symptoms by decreasing alcohol and acetaldehyde levels.

Comparison of international guidelines for early-phase clinical trials of cellular and gene therapy products.

Cellular and gene therapies (CGT) are promising fields that are bringing significant clinical benefits to patients by directly targeting the underlying cause of disease. In line with this trend, regulatory agencies in every country have been making efforts to accelerate CGT product development. For acceleration, it is necessary to increase the efficiency of clinical trials, thus the early-phase clinical trials for CGT products should be elaborate and productive. The guidelines of international regulatory agencies were compared and analyzed to examine the considerations for the design of early-phase CGT products. The guidelines described a safety evaluation, preliminary evidence of effectiveness gathering, dose exploration, and a feasibility assessment as common objectives of early-phase clinical trials for CGT products. In addition, the considerations for the design of early-phase CGT products included pretreatment effects and problems in the manufacturing and administration process. The guidelines also covered selection of a study population, control group/blinding, and dose/regimen planning. There were differences in the degree of detail, description, and the scope of the content covered by each guideline. The guideline published by FDA was the most specific. However, when compared with the previous guidelines for designing early-phase clinical trials for small molecules and biologics, the current guidelines need to be revised to suggest more detailed and practical principles and rules.

The Effect of TNF-alpha rs1800629 Polymorphism on White Matter Structures and Memory Function in Patients With Schizophrenia: A Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the effect of TNF-α rs1800629 polymorphism on white matter integrity and memory function in patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: Fifty-five participants with schizophrenia were enrolled in this study. They were genotyped for TNF-α rs1800629 polymorphism and underwent diffusion tensor imaging. Memory function was assessed using the Rey-Kim memory test. Participants with schizophrenia were grouped into GG homozygotes and A-allele carriers. RESULTS: Compared to GG homozygotes, A-allele carriers had significantly lower scores for immediate and delayed recall and recognition of verbal memory and showed significantly lower fractional anisotropy in extensive brain regions. Lower total scores in immediate and delayed recall of verbal memory, immediate recall of visual memory, and figure copy of visual memory were significantly correlated with decreased mean fractional anisotropy in the white matter tracts of the corresponding brain regions. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the A-allele, which is associated with higher levels of TNF-α expression, correlates with lower connectivity of the fronto-temporal white matter compared to that in GG homozygotes. Impaired fronto-temporal connectivity may be associated with genetic vulnerability to schizophrenia, leading to verbal and visual memory deficits in patients with schizophrenia.

Influence of cytochrome P450 2D6 polymorphism on hippocampal white matter and treatment response in schizophrenia.

Cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) is expressed at high levels in the brain and plays a considerable role in the biotransformation and neurotransmission of dopamine. This raises the question of whether CYP2D6 variations and its impact on the brain can confer susceptibility to schizophrenia. We investigated the possible links among the CYP2D6 genotype, white matter (WM) integrity of the hippocampus, and the treatment response to antipsychotic drugs in Korean patients with schizophrenia (n = 106). Brain magnetic resonance imaging and genotyping for CYP2D6 were conducted at baseline. The severity of clinical symptoms and the treatment response were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). After genotyping, 43 participants were classified as intermediate metabolizers (IM), and the remainder (n = 63) were classified as extensive metabolizers (EM). IM participants showed significantly higher fractional anisotropy (FA) values in the right hippocampus compared to EM participants. Radial diffusivity (RD) values were significantly lower in the overlapping region of the right hippocampus in the IM group than in the EM group. After 4 weeks of antipsychotic treatment, the EM group showed more improvements in positive symptoms than the IM group. FAs and RDs in the CYP2D6-associated hippocampal WM region were significantly correlated with a reduction in the positive symptom subscale of the PANSS. Greater improvements in positive symptoms were negatively associated with FAs, and positively associated with RDs in the right hippocampal region. The findings suggest that CYP26D-associated hippocampal WM alterations could be a possible endophenotype for schizophrenia that accounts for individual differences in clinical features and treatment responses.

Clinical effectiveness of early treatment with paliperidone palmitate in schizophrenia: A retrospective real-world study in South Korea.

AIM: Long-acting injectable antipsychotic agents (LAIs) including paliperidone palmitate (PP) have shown promising results in preventing relapse and rehospitalization in schizophrenia. This study aimed to ascertain the comparative real-world effectiveness between the early and late administration of PP and oral formulations of risperidone and paliperidone (ORPs) in patients experiencing a first episode or relapse of schizophrenia. METHODS: We identified patients with schizophrenia admitted to a psychiatric ward at least once and treated with ORPs or PP using the Korea National Insurance Claims Database. Patients were divided into three groups based on the clinical data: (1) patients treated with PP within 30 days of the initiation of treatment (early-PP), (2) patients treated with PP after 30 days of the initiation of therapy (late-PP) and (3) patients treated with only ORPs and not received PP (only-ORP). The primary outcomes were determined as psychiatric rehospitalization during the entire duration of treatment after the first discharge. RESULTS: A total of 3790 patients (1096 early-PP, 799 late-PP and 1895 only-ORP) were finally included in the analysis. The mean of number and total length of rehospitalization stays during the entire duration in early-PP group were significantly lower than those of late-PP group and only-ORP group (number: 2.32 stays/year, 3.24 stays/year and 4.23 stays/year, p < .001; total length: 50.34 days/year, 72.26 days/year and 105.14 days/year, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Early treatment with PP was associated with a greater reduction in psychiatric rehospitalization during the treatment period than late treatment with PP and ORP in schizophrenia.

Bioequivalence of the pharmacokinetics between tofacitinib aspartate and tofacitinib citrate in healthy subjects.

Tofacitinib is an oral disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug to selectively inhibit Janus kinases. Tofacitinib is a representative small molecule inhibitor that is used to treat many diseases including rheumatoid arthritis and various autoimmune conditions. Unlike biological agents, tofacitinib has several advantages, including the ability to be administered orally and a short half-life. This study aimed to evaluate the bioequivalence of the pharmacokinetics (PK) between tofacitinib aspartate 7.13 mg (test formulation) and tofacitinib citrate 8.08 mg (reference formulation; Xeljanz®) in healthy subjects. A randomized, open-label, single-dose, 2-sequence, 2-period, 2-treatment crossover trial was conducted in 41 healthy volunteers. A total of 5 mg of tofacitinib as the test or the reference formulation was administered, and serial blood samples were collected up to 14 hours after dosing for PK analyses. The plasma concentration of tofacitinib was determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. A non-compartmental analysis was used to estimate the PK parameters. A total of 35 subjects completed the study and the study drug was well-tolerated. The mean maximum concentration (Cmax) and area under the concentration-time curve from time zero to the time of the last quantifiable concentration (AUClast) for the test formulation were 52.67 ng/mL and 133.86 ng∙h/mL, respectively, and 50.61 ng/mL and 133.49 h∙ng/mL for the reference formulation, respectively. The geometric mean ratios (90% confidence intervals) of the Cmax and AUClast between the 2 formulations were 1.041 (0.944-1.148) and 1.003 (0.968-1.039), respectively. Tofacitinib aspartate exhibited bioequivalent PK profiles to those of the reference formulation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04278391.

Improvement of Ohmic Contact Between the Indium Tin Oxide and Copper-Plated Contact of Solar Cells by Using the Cu-Sn Alloy Film.

Copper plating has been considered as a future metallization technique to reduce metal contact area and material cost in silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells. In this paper, a Cu-Sn alloy film is used as a seed layer material on an indium tin oxide (ITO) layer with the goal to enhance contact resistivity between the seed and ITO layer. The contact resistivity between the seed layer and ITO is an important parameter because low contact resistivity is required for the high fill factor of the solar cells. In addition, it was confirmed that tin diffusion to ITO can affect contact resistivity by annealing samples having a Cu-Sn seed layer. Contact resistivity values of the samples were extracted by using transfer length method (TLM). Atomic percentage of tin in the Cu-Sn film was measured by the energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). Also, tape tests were carried out to simply confirm the adhesion of contacts with the Cu-Sn seed layer.

Study of Double Layer Indium Tin Oxide in Silicon Hetero-Junction Solar Cells.

In this literature, we discussed the effect of anti-reflection coating of silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells with different characteristics of double layered indium tin oxide (ITO/ITO) structure. Firstly, the OPAL 2 simulation was performed to optimize the values of the photo generation-current density of ITO/ITO/Si device structures. Afterwards, experimental work was conducted by depositing ITO on the SHJ solar cell to analyze the anti-reflection coating effect. ITO was deposited on the SHJ solar cell for 90 to 180 seconds by varying the oxygen flow rate. The highest short-circuit current density of 39.25 mA/cm² was obtained when ITO was deposited for 150 seconds, which was higher than the short-circuit current density of non-deposited cell of ITO (38 mA/cm²). The efficiency of the SHJ solar cell increased by about 2% after additional ITO deposition to 20.75%, which was due to the improvement of short-circuit current density by ITO deposition. The double layer ITO helped to improve the efficiency of SHJ solar cell by increasing light absorption in a silicon wafer.

Biological Aspects of Aggression and Violence in Schizophrenia.

Although the majority of patients with schizophrenia are not actually violent, an increased tendency toward violent behaviors is known to be associated with schizophrenia. There are several factors to consider when identifying the subgroup of patients with schizophrenia who may commit violent or aggressive acts. Comorbidity with substance abuse is the most important clinical indicator of increased aggressive behaviors and crime rates in patients with schizophrenia. Genetic studies have proposed that polymorphisms in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene and in the catechol-O-methyltransferase gene are related to aggression. Neuroimaging studies have suggested that fronto-limbic dysfunction may be related to aggression or violence. By identifying specific risk factors, a more efficient treatment plan to prevent violent behavior in schizophrenia will be possible. Management of comorbid substance use disorder may help prevent violent events and overall aggression. Currently, clozapine may be the only effective antipsychotic medication to repress aggressive behavior. With the current medical field moving toward tailored medicine, it is important to identify vulnerable schizophrenia populations and provide efficient treatment.

A first-in-human study to investigate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of KM-819 (FAS-associated factor 1 inhibitor), a drug for Parkinson's disease, in healthy volunteers.

BACKGROUND: KM-819 is a novel FAS-associated factor 1 (FAF1) inhibitor, and a neuroprotective agent, under clinical development for the treatment of Parkinson's disease as a disease-modifying drug. METHODS: This first-in-human, single and multiple ascending dose study investigated the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of KM-819 in healthy volunteers. Additionally, the effect of age on safety and pharmacokinetics were assessed. The starting dose was determined considering the no observed adverse effect level based on preclinical studies, and the dose escalations in subsequent cohorts were decided based on safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic data from previous dose cohorts. RESULTS: After a single dose, the KM-819 plasma exposure showed a less than dose-proportional increase across a dose range of 10-400 mg. After repeated dosing, KM-819 plasma exposure increased in an approximately dose-proportional manner across the evaluated dose range (30-400 mg once daily for 7 days). The mean elimination half-life was 1.8 to 4.8 h with the lower KM-819 doses (≤30 mg), which increased to around 9 h with the higher doses (100-400 mg). When administered to the elderly population, KM-819 plasma exposure increased to 102% after a 200 mg once-daily dosing for 7 days. No clear treatment-related effects on the estimated pharmacodynamic variables were observed. Single or multiple doses of KM-819 were generally well tolerated. CONCLUSION: The data from this study can be used to guide rational drug dosing and choose therapeutic regimens in subsequent clinical studies.

Post lumbar puncture headache: Case report of a serious adverse event in first-in-human study.

A lumbar puncture can be used to measure the concentrations of drugs and/or pharmacodynamic biomarkers during clinical trials of central nervous system drugs. We report a case of a post lumbar puncture headache (PLPH) in a first-in-human study, which was reported as a serious adverse event. A 20-year-old man received 200 mg of the investigational product (IP) for 7 days and underwent a lumbar puncture for cerebrospinal fluid sampling before IP administration (Day 1, pre-dose) and after 7 days and multiple IP administrations (Day 7, 1 hour post-dose). After discharge on Day 8, the subject complained of headache, nausea, vomiting, neck stiffness, and numbness of the extremities. The symptoms occurred when he got up and disappeared after he remained in the supine position for several minutes. Five days later, he visited the neurology clinic of the main hospital. The neurologist recommended hospitalization for further evaluation and symptom management, and the subject was then admitted to the hospital. There were no abnormal findings in vital signs, laboratory results, or brain-computed tomography. His symptoms disappeared during the hospitalization period. It was important to distinguish whether the headache was IP-related or lumbar puncture-related. Therefore, knowledge of clinical characteristics and differential diagnosis of PLPH is paramount. Furthermore, if severe PLPH occurs, a consultation with a neurologist and imaging studies should be considered for a differential diagnosis of PLPH.

White matter microstructural changes are associated with alcohol use in patients with panic disorder.

BACKGROUND: A close relationship between panic disorder (PD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) has been suggested. We aimed to investigate alterations in white matter (WM) volume or integrity in patients with PD comorbid with AUD. METHODS: Forty-nine patients with PD, free of comorbid AUD (PD-AUD), and 20 patients with PD comorbid with AUD (PD+AUD) were investigated. All subjects were assessed using the Panic Disorder Severity Scale, Anxiety Sensitivity Inventory-Revised (ASI-R), Beck Depression Inventory, and CAGE questionnaire. Voxel-based morphometry and tract-based spatial statistics were used for imaging analysis. RESULTS: Increased fractional anisotropy (FA), as well as decreased mean diffusivity and radial diffusivity were observed in multiple WM tracts, including the body and splenium of the corpus callosum and the retrolenticular part of the internal capsule, in the PD+AUD group compared to the PD-AUD group. CAGE scores in the PD+AUD group and ASI-R scores in the PD-AUD group were significantly correlated with FA values for the corpus callosum. No WM volume differences were found. LIMITATIONS: The present study should be considered preliminary due to relatively small sample size. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings revealed microstructural changes in multiple WM tracts, including the corpus callosum and internal capsule, suggesting they could be significant neural correlates of AUD in patients with PD.