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Webster RP, Marckel JA, Norman AB. Toxicokinetics of a humanized anti-cocaine monoclonal antibody in male and female rats and lack of cross-reactivity. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2023; 19:2274222. [PMID: 37936497 PMCID: PMC10653686 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2023.2274222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
A humanized monoclonal antibody h2E2 designed to bind cocaine with high affinity, specificity, and a long half-life (~7 d in rats) is being developed as a treatment for cocaine use disorder. We report here a pharmacokinetic (PK) study of h2E2 using male and female rats conducted under a Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) protocol over a dose range of 40 to 1200 mg/kg. The maximum concentration measured in rat plasma (Cmax) varied proportionately to the dose administered in both male and female rats. The terminal elimination half-lives (t1/2β) were not significantly different in male and female rats at all doses tested. Importantly, this study reports pharmacokinetics for a humanized monoclonal antibody at a dose never tested before. h2E2 has a high affinity for cocaine, whereas low or no affinity was demonstrated for cocaine metabolites (all except cocaethylene), endogenous monoamines, and methamphetamine. This demonstrates its specificity and a potential lack of interactions with physiological and endocrine systems. A review of the clinical signs in single-dose toxicity studies in rats revealed no effects on the central nervous, respiratory, or cardiovascular systems following single intravenous doses of 40 to 1200 mg/kg. This study predicts that this monoclonal antibody may be safe and effective in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose P. Webster
- Department of Pharmacology & Systems Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Jordan A. Marckel
- Department of Pharmacology & Systems Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Andrew B. Norman
- Department of Pharmacology & Systems Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
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Tan K, Zhou M, Ahrendt AJ, Duke NEC, Tabaja N, Ball WJ, Kirley TL, Norman AB, Joachimiak A, Schiffer M, Wilton R, Pokkuluri PR. Structural analysis of free and liganded forms of the Fab fragment of a high-affinity anti-cocaine antibody, h2E2. Acta Crystallogr F Struct Biol Commun 2019; 75:697-706. [PMID: 31702583 DOI: 10.1107/s2053230x19013608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
A high-affinity anti-cocaine monoclonal antibody, designated h2E2, is entering phase 1 clinical trials for cocaine abuse therapy. To gain insight into the molecular details of its structure that are important for binding cocaine and cocaine metabolites, the Fab fragment was generated and crystallized with and without ligand. Structures of the unliganded Fab and the Fab fragment bound to benzoylecgonine were determined, and were compared with each other and with other crystallized anti-cocaine antibodies. The affinity of the h2E2 antibody for cocaine is 4 nM, while that of the cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine is 20 nM. Both are higher than the reported affinity for cocaine of the two previously crystallized anti-cocaine antibodies. Consistent with cocaine fluorescent quenching binding studies for the h2E2 mAb, four aromatic residues in the CDR regions of the Fab (TyrL32, TyrL96, TrpL91 and TrpH33) were found to be involved in ligand binding. The aromatic side chains surround and trap the tropane moiety of the ligand in the complex structure, forming significant van der Waals interactions which may account for the higher affinity observed for the h2E2 antibody. A water molecule mediates hydrogen bonding between the antibody and the carbonyl group of the benzoyl ester. The affinity of binding to h2E2 of benzoylecgonine differs only by a factor of five compared with that of cocaine; therefore, it is suggested that h2E2 would bind cocaine in the same way as observed in the Fab-benzoylecgonine complex, with minor rearrangements of some hypervariable segments of the antibody.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kemin Tan
- Structural Biology Center, X-ray Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - Min Zhou
- Biosciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - Angela J Ahrendt
- Biosciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - Norma E C Duke
- Biosciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - Nassif Tabaja
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - William J Ball
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, College of Medicine and Microbiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Terence L Kirley
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, College of Medicine and Microbiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Andrew B Norman
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, College of Medicine and Microbiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Andrzej Joachimiak
- Structural Biology Center, X-ray Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - Marianne Schiffer
- Structural Biology Center, X-ray Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - Rosemarie Wilton
- Biosciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - P Raj Pokkuluri
- Structural Biology Center, X-ray Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
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