Comparison of two cyclosporine formulations in healthy volunteers: bioequivalence of the new Sang-35 formulation and Neoral.

This study was conducted to establish bioequivalence between a newly developed oral cyclosporine formulation, Sang-35 (SangStat Medical Corp., Menlo Park, CA), and the microemulsion formulation Neoral (Novartis Pharmaceuticals, East Hanover, NJ). In a randomized, open-label, two-way crossover study, 36 fasted, healthy male volunteers received a single 500-mg cyclosporine dose formulated either as Sang-35 or Neoral. Mean are under the concentration-time curve to infinity (AUC0-infinity) for Sang-35 was 13,900 microg x hr/L compared with 14,000 microg x hr/L for Neoral, with a 90% confidence interval (CI) of 96% to 103% for the geometric mean ratio of the two formulations. Mean maximum concentration (Cmax) was 1,690 microg/L for Sang-35 and 1,700 microg/L for Neoral, with a 90% CI of 96% to 103%. Geometric mean ratios for both AUC0-infinity and Cmax were within the acceptance criteria for bioequivalence (80-125%). Additional studies showed no differences between Sang-35 and Neoral after high-fat meals (n = 19), in female volunteers (n = 25) and in black volunteers (n = 7). It is concluded that single doses of the oral cyclosporine formulations Sang-35 and Neoral are bioequivalent in healthy fasted subjects, after high-fat meals, in women, and in blacks.

Computer-assisted rational design of immunosuppressive compounds.

We describe the rational design of immunosuppressive peptides without relying on information regarding their receptors or mechanisms of action. The design strategy uses a variety of topological and shape descriptors in combination with an analysis of molecular dynamics trajectories for the identification of potential drug candidates. This strategy was applied to the development of immunosuppressive peptides with enhanced potency. The lead compounds were peptides, derived from the heavy chain of HLA class I, that modulate immune responses in vitro and in vivo. In particular, a peptide derived from HLA-B2702, amino acids 75-84 (2702.75-84) prolonged skin and heart allograft survival in mice. The biological activity of the rationally designed peptides was tested in a heterotopic mouse heart allograft model. The molecule predicted to be most potent displayed an immunosuppressive activity approximately 100 times higher than the lead compound.

Decreased cytotoxic activity of natural killer cells in kidney allograft recipients treated with human HLA-derived peptide.

Peptides derived from a conserved region (aa 75-84) of HLA class I, overlapping the supertypic HLA-BW4/BW6 antigen region, have been shown to exhibit nonallele restricted immunosuppressive properties in rats and mice, prolonging survival of major histocompatibility complex-mismatched allografts. Furthermore, HLA-B7 peptides inhibit alloreactive cytotoxic cells, and both HLA-B7 and HLA-B2702 peptides inhibit natural killer (NK) cytotoxicity in vivo. In this article, we report on a randomized, controlled study of the safety and pharmacokinetics of HLA-B2702-derived peptide in human recipients of a first kidney allograft. Escalating doses of HLA-B2702 were compared with doses of placebo controls. No toxicity and no immunization against the peptide were noted. Although the study was not designed as an efficacy trial, patients who received the high-dose protocol (7 mg/kg) did experience more rejection episodes, but this was not statistically significant when compared with control patients. Interestingly, in human recipients, as previously observed in rodents, administration of the peptide was associated with a statistically significant decrease in the cytotoxicity of NK cells against K562 targets (P<0.001). As these peptides correspond to a region of the HLA class I molecule that interacts with the newly described NK receptors for class I, their mode of action through interaction with such receptors is discussed. As a peptide of the same sequence from HLA-B7 blocks both NK and alloreactive T cell cytotoxicity, it is possible that, in humans too, both types of cytotoxic cells are affected by this peptide. The biological significance of these observations should be confirmed in future controlled studies with a larger patient population.

Plasma protein binding of nitroxynil in several species.

The binding of nitroxynil to total plasma proteins of cows, sheep and rabbits was characterized using equilibrium dialysis. The data indicate clearly that nitroxynil was highly (97-98%) bound to plasma protein of each animal. This linear binding would be due to the particular power exerted by serum albumin. The results are in good agreement with known pharmacokinetic properties of nitroxynil in domestic species.

[The bioequivalence of two injectable solutions of spiramycin in young cattle]. / Etude de la bioéquivalence de deux solutions injectables de spiramycine chez le jeune bovin.

A bioequivalence study was performed in 12 young cattle in order to compare 2 injectable solutions of spiramycin containing 60 M IU/100 ml (Suanovil 20) and 100 M IU/100 ml, respectively. In a cross-over design, a single dose of 100,000 IU/kg bw was administered intramuscularly, allowing 8 d between the 2 administrations. For each formulation, the following parameters were determined: maximum serum concentration (Cmax) and time to reach peak concentration (Tmax), mean residence time (MRT), area under the time-concentration curve (AUC), half-life (t1/2 beta). Statistical analysis of t1/2 beta, Tmax (Wilcoxon's test) and Cmax, MRT, AUC (ANOVA), indicated no significant differnces between the two formulations (P greater than 0.05). Westlake's confidence intervals calculated for a 95% probability were 23.1% for Cmax, 11.1% for MRT and 13.2% for AUC, respectively, which confirmed the bioequivalence of the 2 formulations. It must be noted that an experimental design using 12 animals is generally insufficient to demonstrate bioequivalence, according to the recommended statistical criteria.