Two-Part Phase 1 Study to Evaluate the Taste Profile of Novel Belumosudil Oral Suspensions and Assess the Relative Bioavailability and Food Effect of the Selected Belumosudil Oral Suspension Compared With Oral Tablet Reference in Healthy Male Participants.

Belumosudil is a selective rho-associated coiled-coil-containing protein kinase 2 inhibitor in clinical use for the treatment of chronic graft-versus-host disease. The current tablet formulation may be inappropriate for children or adults with dysphagia and/or upper gastrointestinal manifestations of chronic graft-versus-host disease. This study (NCT04735822) assessed the taste and palatability of oral suspensions of belumosudil, evaluated the relative bioavailability of an oral suspension versus the tablet formulation, and characterized the effect of food on the pharmacokinetics of an oral suspension. Addition of sweetener and/or flavor vehicle improved the taste. Relative bioavailability of 200-mg doses of the oral suspension and tablet in the fed state was similar for belumosudil and its metabolites (KD025m1 and KD025m2), but absorption was faster with the oral suspension (median time to maximum concentration: 2 vs 3 hours). Administration of the oral suspension with food increased exposure compared with fasted administration, with maximum observed concentration being increased by 16% and area under the concentration-time curve from time 0 to the last measurable concentration (AUC0-last) by 19%. Safety and tolerability were consistent with the known safety profile of belumosudil. These results may support administration of a 200-mg belumosudil oral suspension with or without food.

A Phase 1 Pharmacokinetic Drug Interaction Study of Belumosudil Coadministered With CYP3A4 Inhibitors and Inducers and Proton Pump Inhibitors.

Belumosudil is a selective Rho-associated protein kinase 2 inhibitor. Inhibition of Rho-associated protein kinase 2 has emerged as a promising treatment for chronic graft-versus-host disease by restoring immune homeostasis and reducing fibrosis. In vitro assessments have suggested that metabolism of belumosudil is primarily dependent on cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4 activity and that the solubility of belumosudil is pH dependent. As such, this 2-part clinical drug-drug interaction study was conducted to assess the effect of itraconazole (a strong CYP3A4 inhibitor), rifampicin (a strong CYP3A4 inducer), rabeprazole, and omeprazole (both proton pump inhibitors) on the pharmacokinetics of belumosudil. No clinically relevant change in belumosudil exposure was observed following a 200-mg single oral dose of belumosudil with itraconazole; however, exposure of main metabolite, KD025m2, was decreased. Consistent with the proposed metabolic pathway of belumosudil, the strong CYP3A4 inducer rifampicin significantly decreased exposure of belumosudil and KD025m2 and increased KD025m1 exposure. When a 200-mg single oral dose of belumosudil was coadministered with both rabeprazole and omeprazole, parent and metabolite exposures were largely reduced, suggesting that belumosudil dosage should be increased when given with PPIs. Administration of belumosudil with and without perpetrator drugs was safe, and no notable adverse events were reported.

Pharmacokinetics and Metabolism of Ziritaxestat (GLPG1690) in Healthy Male Volunteers Following Intravenous and Oral Administration.

Ziritaxestat is a novel inhibitor of autotaxin, an enzyme responsible for the production of lysophosphatidic acid, the downstream signaling of which mediates responses to tissue injury and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of fibrotic conditions such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and systemic sclerosis. This study (Clinical Trial Registration: NCT03787186) was designed to assess the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of orally administered 600-mg ziritaxestat labeled with a carbon-14 tracer (14 C-ziritaxestat). To understand the absolute bioavailability of ziritaxestat, an intravenous 100-µg microdose, labeled with a microtracer amount of 14 C radiation, was administered in a separate part of the study, following an unlabeled 600-mg therapeutic oral dose of ziritaxestat. Six healthy male subjects completed each study part. The majority of the labeled oral dose was recovered in feces (77%), with a total mass balance of 84%. The absolute bioavailability of ziritaxestat was 54%. Ziritaxestat was the main (76%) circulating drug-related product. There were 7 treatment-emergent adverse events, all of which were considered mild and not considered to be related to the study drug.

Safety, Pharmacokinetics, and Pharmacodynamics of ME-401, an Oral, Potent, and Selective Inhibitor of Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase P110δ, Following Single Ascending Dose Administration to Healthy Volunteers.

PURPOSE: ME-401 is a novel selective inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase p110δ, an enzyme often found overexpressed and overactive in B-cell malignancies. The current study was performed to assess the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of single ascending oral doses of ME-401 in healthy volunteers. METHODS: This analysis was an open-label, nonrandomized study in healthy male volunteers. Three sequential groups were dosed. Each group received single doses of ME-401 on two occasions; the doses tested ranged from 10 to 150 mg. Blood was drawn at various time points to analyze plasma concentrations of ME-401 and inhibition of basophil activation, a marker of phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase p110δ inhibition. FINDINGS: Fifteen subjects received a single dose of ME-401 on two occasions. Three adverse events that were considered possibly related to the study drug were reported: one event of pain, one event of headache, and one event of upper abdominal pain. ME-401 exhibited dose proportionality up to 60 mg, and supra-proportional increases in exposure were observed above doses of 60 mg. In addition, there was a dose-proportional increase in the inhibition of basophil activation up to 60 mg. Mean t1/2 ranged from 9.36 to 29.23 hours across the dose range. A 60 mg dose of ME-401 approached 90% inhibition of basophil activation, and thereafter no further increase to the percent inhibition of basophil activation was observed for higher doses. Once-daily dosing of 60 mg ME-401 was forecasted to result in trough plasma levels exceeding the concentration needed for 90% inhibition of basophil activation. IMPLICATIONS: This first-in-human study showed that ME-401 was well tolerated after single doses up to 150 mg. Pharmacologic activity was confirmed after administration of single ascending oral doses of 10 to 150 mg. ME-401 60 mg, administered once daily, was selected as the starting dose for patient studies. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02521389.