ABSTRACT
Edaravone (3-methyl-1-phenyl-2-pyrazolin-5-one) is a free radical scavenger approved for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a fatal neuromuscular disease. Edaravone is administered as an intravenous infusion over 60 min for several treatment cycles. To ease the burden of patients and caregivers, the oral formulation of edaravone has been developed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of TEJ-1704, an edaravone oral prodrug, in male Sprague Dawley rats and beagle dogs. Animal experiments were conducted using Sprague Dawley rats and beagle dogs to evaluate pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution, and excretion of TEJ-1704. Blood, tissues, cerebrospinal fluid, urine, and feces samples were collected at designated sampling time after intravenous (IV) or oral (PO) administration of edaravone or TEJ-1704. A modified bioanalysis method was developed to quantify edaravone in samples including plasma, tissues, cerebrospinal fluid, urine, and feces. The bioanalysis method was validated and successfully applied to pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution, and excretion studies of the novel edaravone prodrug. Although plasma Cmax of TEJ-1704 was low, groups administered with TEJ-1704 had high AUCinf, suggesting continuous metabolism of TEJ-1704 into edaravone. Groups treated with TEJ-1704 also showed lower CSF distribution than the control groups. After the administration of TEJ-1704, the majority of edaravone was distributed to the heart, lung, and kidney. It was excreted equally via urine and feces. The pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution, and excretion of TEJ-1704, a novel edaravone oral prodrug, were successfully characterized. Additional studies are needed to fully understand the difference between TEJ-1704 and edaravone and determine the potency of TEJ-1704.
ABSTRACT
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is wearing down of macula of retina, causing a blur or loss of vision in the center of the visual field. It can be categorized into dry or wet AMD. Until now, medical treatments for dry AMD have not been developed yet. The aim of this study was to evaluate pharmacokinetics (PKs) and tissue distribution of CK41016, a novel candidate for dry AMD, after intravenous (IV) or eye drop administration in rats and rabbits. In addition, a simple and sensitive bioanalytical method for CK41016 using ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometer (UPLC-MS/MS) was developed. PK parameters were estimated by compartmental analysis using a WinNonlin® software version 8.1 (a Certara™ company). A PK model of CK41016 was well-described by the two-compartment model. The tissue-to-plasma partition coefficient (Kp) of CK41016 was the highest in the vitreous humor of rats and the cornea of rabbits after eye drop administration. In addition, the Caco-2 cell transporter assay confirmed that CK41016 was not an active substrate for the efflux transporter. In summary, the PKs and tissue distribution of CK41016 were successfully evaluated and investigated whether this drug was a substrate of efflux transporters.
