Factorial design for the development of automated solid-phase extraction in the 96-well format for determination of tesaglitazar, in plasma, by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

Making methods rugged for regulated bioanalysis

Methods started in discovery are optimized as they progress through preclinical and clinical development. Making a robust assay includes testing individual steps for consistency and points of failure. Assays may be transferred, optimized and revalidated several times. A rugged assay will not only meet regulatory requirements, but will execute with a low failure rate and confirm results under repeat analysis. Challenging aspects such as differential recovery, sample stabilization, resolution of isomers or conjugate analysis must be tackled and made routine. The proper selection of the IS can overcome limitations. It is best to know the potential points of failure before a study has started, but lessons learned from each study also provide invaluable insights to improve assay ruggedness.

Food Does Not Affect the Pharmacokinetics of Tesaglitazar, a Novel Dual Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor α/γ Agonist

Tesaglitazar is a dual peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) alpha/gamma agonist in development to treat lipid and glucose abnormalities associated with type 2 diabetes. This study evaluated the effects of food on tesaglitazar pharmacokinetics. In an open, randomized, 2-way crossover study, 20 healthy men received tesaglitazar 1 mg during fasting and after a high-fat, high-calorie breakfast. Blood samples were taken to assess pharmacokinetic variables. Systemic exposure to tesaglitazar was unaffected by food intake. Estimated ratios were 0.99 (90% confidence interval [CI], 0.94-1.04) for fed/fasted area under plasma concentration-time curve and 0.82 (90% CI, 0.78-0.86) for fed/fasted maximum plasma concentration (C(max)). Mean C(max) was approximately 18% lower (0.41 [95% CI, 0.38-0.43] versus 0.50 [95% CI, 0.47-0.53] mumol/L), and median time to C(max) was increased (2.00 vs 0.75 h) in fed versus fasted state. The median difference of t(max) was 1.25 h (P = .0001, signed-rank test). Tesaglitazar was well tolerated. Tesaglitazar pharmacokinetics is unaffected by food intake, allowing once-daily administration of tesaglitazar with or without food in clinical practice.

Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic assessment of the interrelationships between tesaglitazar exposure and renal function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

The effects of tesaglitazar on renal function (assessed as urinary clearance of 125I-sodium iothalamate or estimated by the modification of diet in renal disease formula) were studied in a 24-week open-label trial in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients randomized to daily doses of either tesaglitazar 2 mg or pioglitazone 45 mg. The aim of the analysis was to develop a population pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic model that could simultaneously describe the interrelationship between tesaglitazar exposure and reduction in renal function over time in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic model could adequately describe the interplay between tesaglitazar and glomerular filtration rate. A one-compartment model in which the apparent clearance was influenced by glomerular filtration rate characterized the pharmacokinetics of tesaglitazar. An indirect-response model was used for the slow time course of change in glomerular filtration rate, which decreased from 100 to 78 mL/min/1.73m(2) after 12 weeks of treatment. All tesaglitazar-treated patients had a reduction in glomerular filtration rate, and available demographic variables could not explain differences in response. Patients treated with an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor were more sensitive to tesaglitazar and had larger glomerular filtration rate decrease compared to nontreated patients. Approximately 8 weeks after discontinuing treatment, mean glomerular filtration rate had returned towards baseline. The model and data give valuable insights into the dynamic changes in glomerular filtration rate over time.

Mechanistic modelling of tesaglitazar pharmacokinetic data in subjects with various degrees of renal function--evidence of interconversion

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT

Tesaglitazar, is predominantly metabolized (to an acyl glucuronide of the parent compound) and 20% of given dose is found unchanged in the urine. Acyl glucuronides are know to be unstable and can become hydrolysed back to parent compound, a phenomena called interconversion.

WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS

A likely mechanism (interconversion) for the cause of the increased exposure of tesaglitazar in subjects with impaired renal function. A possible modelling framework to evaluate interconversion without dosing of the metabolite based on the simultaneous analysis of plasma and urine data from a group of subjects with varying renal function. A mechanistic understanding of the pharmacokinetic properties of tesaglitazar and its metabolite. AIMS To develop a mechanistic pharmacokinetic (PK) model for tesaglitazar and its metabolite (an acyl glucuronide) following oral administration of tesaglitazar to subjects with varying renal function, and derive an explanation for the increased plasma exposure of tesaglitazar in subjects with impaired renal function.

METHODS

Data were from a 6-week study in subjects with renal insufficiency and matched controls undergoing repeated oral dosing with tesaglitazar (n = 41). Compartmental population PK modelling was employed to describe the PK of tesaglitazar and its metabolite, in plasma and urine, simultaneously. Two hypotheses were tested to investigate the increased exposure of tesaglitazar in subjects with renal functional impairment: tesaglitazar metabolism is correlated with renal function, or metabolite elimination is reduced in renal insufficiency, leading to increased hydrolysis (interconversion) to the parent compound via biliary circulation.

RESULTS

The hypothesis for interconversion was best supported by the data. The population PK model included first-order absorption, two-compartment disposition and separate renal (0.027 l h(-1)) and metabolic (1.9 l h(-1)) clearances for tesaglitazar. The model for the metabolite; one-compartment disposition with renal (saturable, V(max) = 0.19 micromol l(-1) and K(m) = 0.04 micromol l(-1)) and nonrenal clearances (1.2 l h(-1)), biliary secretion (12 h(-1)) to the gut, where interconversion and reabsorption (0.8 h(-1)) of tesaglitazar occurred.

CONCLUSION

A mechanistic population PK model for tesaglitazar and its metabolite was developed in subjects with varying degrees of renal insufficiency. The model and data give insight into the likely mechanism (interconversion) of the increased tesaglitazar exposure in renally impaired subjects, and separate elimination and interconversion processes without dosing of the metabolite.

Development of a High-Throughput Format for Solid-Phase Extraction of Enantiomers Using an Immunosorbent in 384-Well Plates

An antibody-based solid-phase extraction method for filtered 384-well plates was developed for a medical drug candidate having two enantiomeric forms in order to demonstrate the potential of the use of recombinant antibody fragments as specific and efficient immunosorbents. An immobilization method using a six-histidine tag of the antibody fragment and mild oxidation was applied in order to immobilize antibody fragments in an oriented and kinetically stable way that ensured high capacity of the antibody support. Phosphate buffer or plasma spiked with enantiomers were used as samples. Selective solid-phase extraction was followed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Average recoveries for buffer and plasma samples ranged from 79 to 122% and 80 to 108%, respectively. Good linearity was observed in the concentration range of 30-3000 ng/mL of the enantiomer.

Optimization of solid-phase extraction for a liquid chromatographic–tandem mass spectrometric general unknown screening procedure by means of computational techniques

A solid-phase extraction (SPE) method was optimized to suit the particular demands of an information-dependent acquisition LC-MS-MS procedure for general unknown screening in a forensic toxicology setting. In a first phase, a Plackett-Burman screening design with fold-over was carried out to distinguish the significant factors affecting the extraction procedure. This part eventuated in the determination of only three statistically relevant parameters, requiring consecutive optimization. To that end, in phase II of this study, a rotatable central composite design was applied to define the response surface as a function of the significant parameters and to choose the optimal conditions for the SPE.