Predicting the safety of medicines in pregnancy: A workshop report.

The framework for developmental toxicity testing has remained largely unchanged for over 50 years and although it remains invaluable in assessing potential risks in pregnancy, knowledge gaps exist, and some outcomes do not necessarily correlate with clinical experience. Advances in omics, in silico approaches and alternative assays are providing opportunities to enhance our understanding of embryo-fetal development and the prediction of potential risks associated with the use of medicines in pregnancy. A workshop organised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), "Predicting the Safety of Medicines in Pregnancy - a New Era?", was attended by delegates representing regulatory authorities, academia, industry, patients, funding bodies and software developers to consider how to improve the quality of and access to nonclinical developmental toxicity data and how to use this data to better predict the safety of medicines in human pregnancy. The workshop delegates concluded that based on comparative data to date alternative methodologies are currently no more predictive than conventional methods and not qualified for use in regulatory submissions. To advance the development and qualification of alternative methodologies, there is a requirement for better coordinated multidisciplinary cross-sector interactions coupled with data sharing. Furthermore, a better understanding of human developmental biology and the incorporation of this knowledge into the development of alternative methodologies is essential to enhance the prediction of adverse outcomes for human development. The output of the workshop was a series of recommendations aimed at supporting multidisciplinary efforts to develop and validate these alternative methodologies.

Combined retrospective analysis of 498 rat multi-generation reproductive toxicity studies: on the impact of parameters related to F1 mating and F2 offspring.

The multi-generation reproductive toxicity study (OECD TG 416 and USEPA 870.3800) has been extensively used internationally to assess the adverse effects of substances on reproduction. Recently the necessity of producing a second generation to assess the potential for human health risks has been questioned. The present standardized retrospective analysis of the impact of the second generation on overall study outcome combines earlier analyses and includes 498 rat multi-generation studies representing 438 different tested substances. Detailed assessment of study reports revealed no critical differences in sensitivities between the generations on the basis of a consideration of all endpoints evaluated. This analysis indicates that the second generation mating and offspring will very rarely provide critical information. These findings are consistent with the conclusions of previous retrospective analyses conducted by RIVM, USEPA and PMRA and support adoption of the proposed OECD extended one-generation reproductive toxicity study protocol in regulatory risk assessment testing strategies.

Comparison of in vitro and in vivo developmental toxicity and pharmacokinetics of phenytoin in the rat.

The rat whole embryo culture was compared to an in vivo experiment with regard to embryotoxicity as well as exposure characteristics, using phenytoin as a model compound. Intra-embryonic concentrations and their embryotoxic effects were determined on gestation day 11 after in vitro administration of 50-150 microg/ml or in vivo gavage of 500-1500 mg/kg body-weight on gestation day 10. In addition, exposure kinetics were studied in vivo after a single oral dose on gestation day 10, and developmental defects on gestation day 21 were scored. The embryotoxic effects observed on gestation day 11 were more pronounced after in vitro exposure in comparison to in vivo exposure at similar intra-embryonic concentrations. Exposure of phenytoin on gestation day 10 in vitro via the culture medium resulted in general embryotoxicity on gestation day 11, whereas in vivo effects as determined on gestation day 11 were minimal. Plasma concentrations of phenytoin increased and plateaued around 35 microg/ml during the 48 hr monitoring period. Plasma concentration curves and pharmacokinetic parameters did not show remarkable differences between the dose groups, indicating that absorption is the limiting factor at the dose range used. Although the developmental effects were minimal as observed in vivo on gestation day 11, specific malformations (defects encompassing the urogenital. craniofacial and skeletal systems) were observed on gestation day 21. These findings show that with similar intra-embryonic concentrations of phenytoin the embryotoxicity in rat whole embryo culture was not comparable with the in vivo embryotoxicity as determined on gestation day 11. This discrepancy may at least partly be explained by differences in exposure characteristics.