Short-term Safety, Tolerability, and Pharmacokinetics of MRX-I, an Oxazolidinone Antibacterial Agent, in Healthy Chinese Subjects.

PURPOSE: This study was designed to evaluate the safety and pharmacokinetic profiles of MRX-I tablet, an oxazolidinone antibacterial agent, in healthy Chinese subjects. METHODS: The study was composed of 3 sequential periods. Period 1 was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, sequential ascending dose (50 to 1800 mg) study. Period 2 included one arm as a randomized, open-label, 3-period, 3 × 3 Latin square single-dose study of 300, 600, and 900 mg MRX-I administration and another arm as a crossover study to evaluate high-fat diet effect. Period 3 was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multiple-dose study with 600 or 800 mg, q12h regimens over 15 days. FINDINGS: MRX-I was rapidly absorbed and reached peak plasma concentration at about 2 hours post dose. The Cmax was 8.07, 12.24, and 15.25 mg/L and the corresponding AUC0-∞ 29.21, 48.27, and 59.60 mg/h/L, in 300-, 600-, and 900-mg dosing groups, respectively. High-fat diet increased the exposure of MRX-I. No discernable drug accumulation was observed after 15 days of continuous drug administration. About 2% of MRX-I was excreted via kidneys in unchanged form. No obvious hematologic toxicity by MRX-I was observed during the entire study. Based on Monte Carlo simulation, 600 or 800 mg BID can produce satisfactory efficacy against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. IMPLICATIONS: MRX-I was well tolerated in healthy Chinese subjects (50-1800 mg). No serious or severe adverse effects were observed. MRX-I 600 or 800 mg BID up to 15 days can be recommended in future clinical trials. Chinese Clinical Trial Registration (http://www.chinadrugtrials.org.cn) identifier: CTR20131214.

Metabolism of MRX-I, a novel antibacterial oxazolidinone, in humans: the oxidative ring opening of 2,3-Dihydropyridin-4-one catalyzed by non-P450 enzymes.

MRX-I is an analog of linezolid containing a 2,3-dihydropyridin-4-one (DHPO) ring rather than a morpholine ring. Our objectives were to characterize the major metabolic pathways of MRX-I in humans and clarify the mechanism underlying the oxidative ring opening of DHPO. After an oral dose of MRX-I (600 mg), nine metabolites were identified in humans. The principal metabolic pathway proposed involved the DHPO ring opening, generating the main metabolites in the plasma and urine: the hydroxyethyl amino propionic acid metabolite MRX445-1 and the carboxymethyl amino propionic acid metabolite MRX459. An in vitro phenotyping study demonstrated that multiple non-cytochrome P450 enzymes are involved in the formation of MRX445-1 and MRX459, including flavin-containing monooxygenase 5, short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase, aldehyde ketone reductase, and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). H2 (18)O experiments revealed that two (18)O atoms are incorporated into MRX445-1, one in the carboxyethyl group and the other in the hydroxyl group, and three (18)O atoms are incorporated into MRX459, two in the carboxymethyl group and one in the hydroxyl group. Based on these results, the mechanism proposed for the DHPO ring opening involves the metabolism of MRX-I via FMO5-mediated Baeyer-Villiger oxidation to an enol lactone, hydrolysis to an enol, and enol-aldehyde tautomerism to an aldehyde. The aldehyde is reduced by short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase, aldehyde ketone reductase, ALDH to MRX445-1, or oxidized by ALDH to MRX459. Our study suggests that few clinical adverse drug-drug interactions should be anticipated between MRX-I and cytochrome P450 inhibitors or inducers.

In vivo antibacterial activity of MRX-I, a new oxazolidinone.

MRX-I is a potent oxazolidinone antibiotic against Gram-positive pathogens, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (PRSP), penicillin-intermediate S. pneumoniae (PISP), and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). In this study, the in vivo efficacy of orally administered MRX-I was evaluated using linezolid as a comparator. MRX-I showed the same or better efficacy than linezolid in both systemic and local infection models against the tested strains.