Ranolazine is a compound that is approved by the US FDA for the treatment of chronic angina pectoris in combination with amlodipine, beta-adrenoceptor antagonists or nitrates, in patients who have ...not achieved an adequate response with other anti-anginals. The anti-anginal effect of ranolazine does not depend on changes in heart rate or blood pressure. It acts through different pharmacological mechanisms where inhibition of the late inward sodium current (reducing calcium overload and thereby left ventricular diastolic tension) is one plausible mechanism of reduced oxygen consumption. Initial studies used an oral solution or an immediate-release (IR) capsule, but subsequently an extended-release (ER) formulation was developed to allow for twice-daily administration with maintained efficacy. Following administration of an oral solution or IR capsule, peak plasma concentrations (C(max)) are observed within 1 hour. After administration of radiolabelled ranolazine, 73% of the dose was excreted in urine, and unchanged ranolazine accounted for <5% of radioactivity in both urine and faeces. The absolute bioavailability ranges from 35% to 50%. Food has no effect on rate or extent of absorption from the ER formulation. Ranolazine protein binding is about 61-64% over the therapeutic concentration range. Volume of distribution at steady state ranges from 85 to 180 L. Ranolazine is extensively metabolised by cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A enzymes and, to a lesser extent, by CYP2D6, with approximately 5% excreted renally unchanged. Elimination half-life of ranolazine is 1.4-1.9 hours but is apparently prolonged, on average, to 7 hours for the ER formulation as a result of extended absorption (flip-flop kinetics). Elimination occurs through parallel linear and saturable elimination pathways, where the saturable pathway is related to CYP2D6, which is partly inhibited by ranolazine. Oral plasma clearance diminishes with dose from, on average, 45 L/h at 500 mg twice daily to 33 L/h at 1000 mg twice daily. The departure from dose proportionality for this dose range is modest, with increases in steady-state C(max) and area under plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) from 0 to 12 hours of 2.5- and 2.7-fold, respectively. Ranolazine pharmacokinetics are unaffected by sex, congestive heart failure and diabetes mellitus. AUC increases up to 2-fold with advancing degree of renal impairment. Ranolazine is a weak inhibitor of CYP3A, and increases AUC and C(max) for simvastatin, its metabolites and HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor activity <2-fold. Digoxin AUC is increased 40-60% by ranolazine through P-glycoprotein inhibition. Ranolazine AUC is increased by CYP3A inhibitors ranging from 1.5-fold for diltiazem 180 mg once daily to 3.9-fold for ketoconazole 200 mg twice daily. Verapamil increases ranolazine exposure approximately 2-fold. CYP2D6 inhibition has a negligible effect on ranolazine exposure.
BACKGROUND. Recombinant human PDGF-BB (rhPDGF-BB) reduces Parkinsonian symptoms and increases dopamine transporter (DAT) binding in several animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD). Effects of ...rhPDGF-BB are the result of proliferation of ventricular wall progenitor cells and reversed by blocking mitosis. Based on these restorative effects, we assessed the safety and tolerability of intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) rhPDGF-BB administration in individuals with PD. METHODS. We conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled phase I/IIa study at two clinical centers in Sweden. Twelve patients with moderate PD received rhPDGF-BB via an implanted drug infusion pump and an investigational i.c.v. catheter. Patients were assigned to a dose cohort (0.2, 1.5, or 5 μg rhPDGF-BB per day) and then randomized to active treatment or placebo (3:1) for a 12-day treatment period. The primary objective was to assess safety and tolerability of i.c.v.-delivered rhPDGF-BB. Secondary outcome assessments included several clinical rating scales and changes in DAT binding. The follow-up period was 85 days. RESULTS. All patients completed the study. There were no unresolved adverse events. Serious adverse events occurred in three patients; however, these were unrelated to rhPDGF-BB administration. Secondary outcome parameters did not show dose-dependent changes in clinical rating scales, but there was a positive effect on DAT binding in the right putamen. CONCLUSION. At all doses tested, i.c.v. administration of rhPDGF-BB was well tolerated. Results support further clinical development of rhPDGF-BB for patients with PD. TRIAL REGISTRATION. Clinical Trials.gov NCT00866502. FUNDING. Newron Sweden AB (former NeuroNova AB) and Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems (VINNOVA).
Aminopeptidases like aminopeptidase N (APN, also known as CD13) play an important role not only in normal cellular functioning but also in the development of cancer, including processes like tumor ...cell invasion, differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, motility, and angiogenesis. An increased expression of APN has been described in several types of human malignancies, especially those characterized by fast-growing and aggressive phenotypes, suggesting APN as a potential therapeutic target. Melphalan flufenamide ethyl ester (melflufen, previously denoted J1) is a peptidase-potentiated alkylating agent. Melflufen readily penetrates membranes and an equilibrium is rapidly achieved, followed by enzymatic cleavage in aminopeptidase positive cells, which results in trapping of less lipophilic metabolites. This targeting effect results in very high intracellular concentrations of its metabolite melphalan and subsequent apoptotic cell death. This results in a potency increase (melflufen
melphalan) ranging from 10- to several 100-fold in different
models. Melflufen triggers a rapid, robust, and an irreversible DNA damage which may account for its ability to overcome melphalan-resistance in multiple myeloma cells. Furthermore, anti-angiogenic properties of melflufen have been described. Consequently, it is hypothesized that melflufen could provide better efficacy but no more toxicity than what is achieved with melphalan, an assumption so far supported by experiences from hollow fiber and xenograft studies in rodents as well as by clinical data from patients with solid tumors and multiple myeloma. This review summarizes the current preclinical and clinical knowledge of melflufen.
The primary objective of this study was to compare the progression-free survival (PFS) at 12 weeks between patients treated with IGF-1R pathway modulator AXL1717 (AXL) and patients treated with ...docetaxel (DCT).
The study was conducted at 19 study centers in five countries. A total of 99 patients with previously treated, locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) of the squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) or adenocarcinoma (AC) subtypes in need of additional treatment were randomized and treated with either 300 or 400 mg of AXL as daily BID treatment (58 patients) or DCT given as 75 mg/m
in three-week cycles (41 patients) as monotherapy in a 3:2 ratio for each NSCLC subtype. Patients were treated in the primary study treatment period for a maximum of four treatment cycles.
The 12-week PFS rate, median PFS and overall survival (OS), as well Kaplan-Meier hazard ratio for PFS and OS, did not show any statistically significant differences between the treatment groups. For the primary endpoint, the AXL group had a lower percentage of patients (25.9%) who were progression-free at Week 12 as compared to the DCT group (39.0%), although the difference was not statistically significant. The most notable difference in the incidence of treatment emergent adverse effects (TEAEs) was the lower incidence of treatment-related grade 3/4 neutropenia in patients treated with AXL.
These results suggest neither of the treatments to be superior of the other when treating locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC. Considering the lower incidence of grade 3/4 neutropenia in the AXL group this treatment warrants further research.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Ranolazine is a novel compound under development as an antianginal agent. The multiple‐dose pharmacokinetics of extended‐release ranolazine and 3 major metabolites was investigated in healthy ...subjects (N = 8) and subjects with mild to severe renal impairment (N = 21). The ranolazine AUC0–12 (area under the concentration‐time curve between 0 and 12 hours after dosing) geometric mean ratio versus healthy subjects at steady state was 1.72 (90% confidence interval CI, 1.07–2.76) in subjects with mild impairment, 1.80 (90% CI, 1.13–2.89) in those with moderate impairment, and 1.97 (90% CI, 1.23–3.16) in those with severe renal impairment. Creatinine clearance was negatively correlated with AUC0–12 and the maximum observed concentration for ranolazine and the O‐dearylated metabolite (P<.05 for all variables), as well as the N‐dealkylated metabolite (P<.001), but not for the O‐demethylated metabolite. Less than 7% of the administered dose was excreted unchanged in all groups, indicating that factors other than reduced glomerular filtration rate contributed to the increase in ranolazine concentrations in renal impairment. No serious adverse events were observed in the study.
Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2005) 78, 288–297; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2005.05.004
Summary
Purpose
Melflufen (melphalan flufenamide, previously designated J1) is an optimized and targeted derivative of melphalan, hydrolyzed by aminopeptidases overexpressed in tumor cells resulting ...in selective release and trapping of melphalan, and enhanced activity in preclinical models.
Methods
This was a prospective, single-armed, open-label, first-in-human, dose-finding phase I/IIa study in 45 adult patients with advanced and progressive solid tumors without standard treatment options. Most common tumor types were ovarian carcinoma (
n
= 20) and non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC,
n
= 11).
Results
In the dose-escalating phase I part of the study, seven patients were treated with increasing fixed doses of melflufen (25–130 mg) Q3W. In the subsequent phase IIa part, 38 patients received in total 115 cycles of therapy at doses of 30–75 mg. No dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were observed at 25 and 50 mg; at higher doses DLTs were reversible neutropenias and thrombocytopenias, particularly evident in heavily pretreated patients, and the recommended phase II dose (RPTD) was set to 50 mg. Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST) evaluation after 3 cycles of therapy (27 patients) showed partial response in one (ovarian cancer), and stable disease in 18 patients. One NSCLC patient received nine cycles of melflufen and progressed after 7 months of therapy.
Conclusions
In conclusion, melflufen can safely be given to cancer patients, and the toxicity profile was as expected for alkylating agents; RPTD is 50 mg Q3W. Reversible and manageable bone marrow suppression was identified as a DLT. Clinical activity is suggested in ovarian cancer, but modest activity in treatment of refractory NSCLC.
A phase Ia/b dose-escalation study was performed to characterize the safety, efficacy and pharmacokinetic properties of the oral small molecule insulin-like growth factor-1-receptor pathway modulator ...AXL1717 in patients with advanced solid tumors.
This was a prospective, single-armed, open label, dose-finding phase Ia/b study with the aim of single day dosing (phase Ia) to define the starting dose for multi-day dosing (phase Ib), and phase Ib to define and confirm recommended phase II dose (RP2D) and if possible maximum tolerated dose (MTD) for repeated dosing.
Phase Ia enrolled 16 patients and dose escalations up to 2900 mg BID were successfully performed without any dose limiting toxicity (DLT). A total of 39 patients were treated in phase Ib. AXL1717 was well tolerated with neutropenia as the only dose-related, reversible, DLT. RP2D dose was found to be 390 mg BID for four weeks. Some patients, mainly with NSCLC, demonstrated signs of clinical benefit, including four partial tumor responses (one according to RECIST and three according to PET). The 15 patients with NSCLC with treatment duration longer than two weeks with single agent AXL1717 in third or fourth line of therapy showed a median progression-free survival of 31 weeks and overall survival of 60 weeks. Down-regulation of IGF-1R on granulocytes and increases of free serum levels of IGF-1 were seen in patients treated with AXL1717. AXL1717 had an acceptable safety profile and demonstrated promising efficacy in this heavily pretreated patient cohort, especially in patients with NSCLC. RP2D was concluded to be 390 mg BID for four weeks. Trial number is NCT01062620.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Artemether‐lumefantrine (AL) is a first‐line treatment for uncomplicated malaria. Absorption of lumefantrine (LUM) is fat dependent, and in children, intake is recommended with milk. We investigated ...whether oil‐fortified maize porridge can be an alternative when milk is not available. In an open‐label pharmacokinetic study, Ugandan children <5 years with uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria were randomized to receive standard six‐dose AL treatment one tablet (20 mgA/120 mg LUM) if <15 kg and two tablets if >15 kg with milk (A) or maize porridge plus oil (B). Parametric two‐sample t‐test was used to compare relative oral LUM bioavailability. The primary end‐point was LUM exposure till 8 hr after the first dose (AUC0–8 hr). Secondary outcome included day 7 concentrations (d7LUM), LUM exposure between days 7 and 28 (AUCd7–28) and day 28 PCR‐adjusted parasitological response. Evaluable children (n = 33) included 16 in arm A and 17 in arm B. The AUC0–8 hr was comparable between A and B geometric mean (95% CI): 6.01 (3.26–11.1) versus 6.26 (4.5–8.43) hr*μg/mL, p = 0.9. Less interindividual variability in AUC0–8 hr was observed in B (p = 0.01), but d7LUM and AUCd7–28 were comparable. Children receiving two tablets had significantly higher exposure than those receiving one tablet median d7LUM (505 versus 289 ng/mL, p = 0.02) and AUCd7–28 (108 versus 41 hr*μg/mL, p = 0.006). One parasitological failure (d28 recrudescence) was observed. Our findings suggest that oil‐fortified maize porridge can be an alternative to milk in augmenting absorption of LUM. The lower LUM exposure observed in children dosed with one AL tablet needs further attention.
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