Prodrugs revisited: the "ad hoc" approach as a complement to ligand design

Drug discovery and regulatory considerations for improving in silico and in vitro predictions that use Caco-2 as a surrogate for human intestinal permeability measurements

There is a growing need for highly accurate in silico and in vitro predictive models to facilitate drug discovery and development. Results from in vitro permeation studies across the Caco-2 cell monolayer are commonly used for drug permeability screening in industry and are also accepted as a surrogate for human intestinal permeability measurements by the US FDA to support new drug applications. Countless studies carried out in this cell line with published permeability measurements have enabled the development of many in silico prediction models. We identify several common cases that illustrate how using Caco-2 permeability measurements in these in silico and in vitro predictive models will not correlate with human intestinal permeability and will further lead to inaccuracies in these models. We provide guidelines and recommendations for improving these models to more accurately predict clinically relevant information, thereby enhancing the drug discovery, development, and regulatory approval processes.

Cogrinding enhances the oral bioavailability of EMD 57033, a poorly water soluble drug, in dogs

The oral bioavailability of EMD 57033, a calcium sensitizing agent with poor solubility, was compared in dogs using four solid dosage form formulation approaches: a physical blend of the drug with excipients, micronization of the drug, preparation of coground mixtures and spray-drying of the drug from a nanocrystalline suspension. The formulations contained generally accepted excipients such as lactose, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose and sodium lauryl sulphate in usual quantities. Drug micronization and cogrinding was realized by a jet-milling technique. Nanoparticles were created by media milling using a bead mill. All formulations were administered orally as dry powders in hard gelatine capsules. While micronization increased the absolute bioavailability of the solid drug significantly compared to crude material (from nondetectable to 20%), cogrinding with specific excipients was able to almost double this improvement (up to 39%). With an absolute bioavailability of 26%, spray-dried nanoparticular EMD 57033 failed to show the superior bioavailability that had been anticipated from in vitro data. The control solution prepared with cyclodextrin was shown to have an absolute bioavailability of 57% (vs. i.v. infusion). It was concluded that cogrinding can be a useful tool to improve the bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs from a solid dosage form format.

Dissolution improvement of four poorly water soluble drugs by cogrinding with commonly used excipients

The rate of the dissolution of four poorly soluble drugs (EMD 57033, albendazole, danazol and felodipine) was improved by cogrinding them with various excipients (lactose monohydrate, corn starch, polyvinylpyrrolidone, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose and sodium lauryl sulphate) using a jet-milling technique. Solid state characterization studies by X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry verified the maintenance of the crystalline state of the active substances after milling. In vitro dissolution of the coground mixtures in biorelevant media was much faster than from micronised drug in the corresponding physical mixtures for all four compounds. Supersaturated solutions were generated in some cases (EMD 50733 and felodipine), but this phenomenon appeared to be drug- and excipient-specific. Cogrinding with lactose monohydrate resulted in fast dissolution with unstable supersaturation for EMD 57033. Cogrinding the same drug with PVP or HPMC produced a more sustained supersaturation. SLS accelerated the dissolution of EMD 50733 but inhibited supersaturation. The results suggest that the cogrinding with selected excipients is a powerful tool to accelerate the dissolution of poorly soluble drugs without converting the drug to the amorphous form or changing the particle size.

Bioreversible derivatives of phenol. 2. Reactivity of carbonate esters with fatty acid-like structures towards hydrolysis in aqueous solutions

A series of model phenol carbonate ester prodrugs encompassing derivatives with fatty acid-like structures were synthesized and their stability as a function of pH (range 0.4 - 12.5) at 37 degrees C in aqueous buffer solutions investigated. The hydrolysis rates in aqueous solutions differed widely, depending on the selected pro-moieties (alkyl and aryl substituents). The observed reactivity differences could be rationalized by the inductive and steric properties of the substituent groups when taking into account that the mechanism of hydrolysis may change when the type of pro-moiety is altered, e.g. n-alkyl vs. t-butyl. Hydrolysis of the phenolic carbonate ester 2-(phenoxycarbonyloxy)-acetic acid was increased due to intramolecular catalysis, as compared to the derivatives synthesized from omega-hydroxy carboxylic acids with longer alkyl chains. The carbonate esters appear to be less reactive towards specific acid and base catalyzed hydrolysis than phenyl acetate. The results underline that it is unrealistic to expect that phenolic carbonate ester prodrugs can be utilized in ready to use aqueous formulations. The stability of the carbonate ester derivatives with fatty acid-like structures, expected to interact with the plasma protein human serum albumin, proved sufficient for further in vitro and in vivo evaluation of the potential of utilizing HSA binding in combination with the prodrug approach for optimization of drug pharmacokinetics.

Prodrug research: futile or fertile?

The objective of this Commentary is to help clarify and illustrate what prodrugs are, what they are not, which benefits they can offer, and what their limits are. To this end, a number of criteria of classification and evaluation are presented. This is followed by a discussion of the pharmaceutical, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic objectives of prodrug research. Recent examples (e.g. oseltamivir, bambuterol, capecitabine, clopidogrel and tirapazamine) are discussed in a biochemical perspective to illustrate these objectives and to demonstrate some of the therapeutic benefits afforded by successful prodrugs. Attention is also called to the fact that the in vitro and in vivo behavior of prodrug candidates may differ from that of the parent drug in ways that go beyond the original pharmaceutical, pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic objective being pursued. We conclude that prodrugs offer a viable strategy to disentangle pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic optimization.

Synthesis and in vitro evaluation of potential anti-leishmanial targeted drugs of pyrimethamine

Pyrimethamine, an antimalarial drug, was found to be able to inhibit both enzymes (DHFR-TS and PTR1) of the leishmanial folate pathway, although this effect in vivo appears only in relatively high concentrations. To reach the parasites inside macrophage cells, where they are sheltered, targeted drugs of pyrimethamine, carboxymethyldextran-thiomannopyranoside-pyrimethamine (CMD-P), and succinyldextran-thiomannopyranoside-pyrimethamine (SD-P), were synthesized and assayed against L.(L.) amazonensis amastigotes. CMD-P has 2.43% and SD-P has 2.58% of pyrimethamine attached. At a CMD-P dose of 200 microg/mL (4.86 microg/mL pyrimethamine), the results were very promising, with a destruction of approximately 50% of the intracellular amastigotes, with no detectable toxicity to macrophage cells. SD-P in similar doses did not show good results, probably due to different patterns of drug release. These results open the possibility of treating leishmaniasis with a safe targeted drug of pyrimethamine released directly inside the macrophage cells, reducing the host systemic toxicity.

Theoretical predictions of drug absorption in drug discovery and development

The clinical development of new drugs is often terminated because of unfavourable pharmacokinetic properties such as poor intestinal absorption after oral administration. Intestinal permeability and solubility are two of the most important factors that determine the absorption properties of a compound. Efficient and reliable computational models that predict these properties as early as possible in drug discovery and development are therefore desirable. In this review, we first discuss the implementation of predictive models of intestinal drug permeability and solubility in drug discovery and development. Secondly, we discuss the mechanisms of intestinal drug permeability and computational methods that can be used to predict it. We then discuss factors influencing drug solubility and models for predicting it. We finally speculate that once these and other predictive computational models are implemented in drug discovery and development, these processes will become much more effective. Further, an increased fraction of drug candidates that are less likely to fail during clinical development will be selected.

Rationale and applications of lipids as prodrug carriers

Lipidic prodrugs, also called drug-lipid conjugates, have the drug covalently bound to a lipid moiety, such as a fatty acid, a diglyceride or a phosphoglyceride. Drug-lipid conjugates have been prepared in order to take advantage of the metabolic pathways of lipid biochemistry, allowing organs to be targeted or delivery problems to be overcome. Endogenous proteins taking up fatty acids from the blood stream can be targeted to deliver the drug to the heart or liver. For glycerides, the major advantage is the modification of the pharmacokinetic behavior of the drug. In this case, one or two fatty acids of a triglyceride are replaced by a carboxylic drug. Lipid conjugates exhibit some physico-chemical and absorption characteristics similar to those of natural lipids. Non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs such as acetylsalicylic acid, indomethacin, naproxen and ibuprofen were linked covalently to glycerides to reduce their ulcerogenicity. Mimicking the absorption process of dietary fats, lipid conjugates have also been used to target the lymphatic route (e.g., L-Dopa, melphalan, chlorambucil and GABA). Based on their lipophilicity and resemblance to lipids in biological membranes, lipid conjugates of phenytoin were prepared to increase intestinal absorption, whereas glycerides or modified glycerides of L-Dopa, glycine, GABA, thiorphan and N-benzyloxycarbonylglycine were designed to promote brain penetration. In phospholipid conjugates, antiviral and antineoplasic nucleosides were attached to the phosphate moiety. After presenting the biochemical pathways of lipids, the review discusses the advantages and drawbacks of lipidic prodrugs, keeping in mind the potential pharmacological activity of the fatty acid itself.

Virtual screening of intestinal drug permeability

Lead compounds generated in high throughput drug discovery programmes often have unfavorable biopharmaceutical properties, resulting in a low success rate of such drug candidates in clinical development. Drug companies and researchers would thus like to have methods of predicting biopharmaceutical properties accurately. The intestinal permeability to a lead compound is one such property which is particularly important. Therefore, access to methods to accurately predict biopharmaceutical properties, such as the intestinal permeability of a large series of compounds, is of particular importance. This review deals with new theoretical methods used to predict intestinal drug permeability. There are several possible transport routes across the intestine, but theoretical methods generally deal with only one of them, the passive transcellular route. Therefore, this review will also discuss the relative importance of passive and active drug transport and efflux routes using recent data generated in cell cultures, animal models and human subjects.

Metabolism-based drug design and drug targeting

Even at the early stages of drug discovery and structure-based drug design, the pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic and toxicological consequences of drug metabolism cannot be ignored. Drug metabolism is also of interest to medicinal chemists in the design of drugs with controlled, predictable deactivation after achieving the therapeutic objective in prodrug design and in chemical-enzymatic drug targeting. In this review, the authors provide an overview of concepts that can be utilized from drug discovery to pharmaceutical development to overcome problems associated with drug metabolism, or that may be used to take advantage of 'designed-in' metabolic activation to achieve drug targeting.

Prediction of the intestinal absorption of endothelin receptor antagonists using three theoretical methods of increasing complexity

PURPOSE

Three new computational strategies have been evaluated for their ability to predict intestinal membrane permeability to a series of endothelin receptor antagonists.

METHODS

The three methods were evaluated using a set of ten nonpeptide endothelin receptor antagonists. The simplest method, "the rule of five", is based on 2D parameters such as the number of potential hydrogen bonds, molecular weight and calculated lipophilicity. A method based on molecular mechanics calculations is used to calculate 3D parameters such as polar and non-polar parts of the molecular surface area. The third method uses quantum mechanics to calculate molecular properties related to the valence region.

RESULTS

Descriptors derived by the latter two methods correlated well with permeability coefficients of the endothelin receptor antagonists. On the other hand, the rule of five failed to discriminate between drugs with high and low permeability.

CONCLUSIONS

Molecular surface descriptors and descriptors derived from quantum mechanics are potentially useful for the virtual screening of the permeability of the intestinal membrane to endothelin receptor antagonists.

Prediction of membrane permeability to peptides from calculated dynamic molecular surface properties

PURPOSE

To develop a theoretical method for prediction of transcellular permeability to peptides.

METHODS

The dynamic molecular surface properties of 19 oligopeptide derivatives, divided into three homologous series were calculated. The dynamic molecular surface properties were compared with commonly used experimental predictors of membrane permeability such as partition coefficients. Relationships between the dynamic molecular surface properties and intestinal epithelial permeability, as determined in Caco-2 cell monolayers, were used to develop a model for prediction of the transmembrane permeability to the oligopeptide derivatives.

RESULTS

A theoretical model was derived which takes both the polar and non-polar part of the dynamic molecular surface area of the investigated molecule into consideration. The model provided a strong relationship with transepithelial permeability for the oligopeptide derivatives. The predictability of transepithelial permeability from this model was comparable to that from the best experimental descriptor.

CONCLUSIONS

To our knowledge, this is the first example of a theoretical model that gives a satisfactory relationship between calculated molecular properties and epithelial permeability to peptides by accounting for both the hydrogen bonding capacity and the hydrophobicity of the investigated molecule. This model may be used to differentiate poorly absorbed oligopeptide drugs at an early stage of the drug discovery process.

Molecular toxicology and the medicinal chemist

Drug metabolism has a number of pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic consequences which cannot be ignored even at the early stages of drug research. A number of aspects of drug metabolism are thus of interest to medicinal chemists, e.g. prodrug and soft drug design. This mini-review focuses mainly on toxication resulting from reactions of functionalization and conjugation. In the former case, oxidoreductases can reduce xenobiotics to nucleophilic radicals, or oxidize them to electrophilic and oxidizable metabolites. Conjugation reactions also play a role in toxication by generating lipophilic residues (e.g. hybrid triglycerides) or adduct-forming metabolites (e.g. some acylglucuronides), or by interfering with physiological pathways (e.g. Coenzyme A conjugates). Functional moieties undergoing such reactions are known as toxophoric groups. Because they are the biochemical endpoint of several toxication reactions, macromolecular adducts are now of special significance in molecular toxicology. But, as discussed in the conclusion, the substrate specificity of drug-metabolizing enzymes, the many biological factors that influence metabolism, and various repair and removal mechanisms all contribute to decrease toxicological risks and to protect organisms.

Polar molecular surface properties predict the intestinal absorption of drugs in humans

PURPOSE

A theoretical method has been devised for prediction of drug absorption after oral administration to humans.

METHODS

Twenty structurally diverse model drugs, ranging from 0.3 to 100% absorbed, were investigated. The compounds also displayed diversity in physicochemical properties such as lipophilicity, hydrogen bonding potential and molecular size. The dynamic molecular surface properties of the compounds were calculated, taking into account their three-dimensional shape and flexibility.

RESULTS

An excellent sigmoidal relationship was established between the absorbed fraction after oral administration to humans (FA) and the dynamic polar molecular surface area (PSAd) (r2 = 0.94). The relationship was stronger than those obtained for more established predictors of drug absorption. Drugs that are completely absorbed (FA > 90%) had a PSAd < or = 60 A2 while drugs that are < 10% absorbed had a PSAd > or = 140 A2.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicate that PSAd can be used to differentiate poorly absorbed drugs at an early stage of the drug discovery process.