PurposeInhaled drug delivery is an attractive route by which to deliver drugs to lungs of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). GSK3008348 is a potent and selective small molecule being developed as the first inhaled inhibitor of the αvβ6 integrin for the treatment of IPF. The phase 1 first-time-in-human clinical trial (NCT02612051) presented here was designed to investigate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetic (PK) profile of single doses of GSK3008348 in healthy participants.MethodsSingle ascending doses of GSK3008348 were administered to three cohorts of eight healthy participants in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 4-period crossover design. Safety, tolerability and PK were assessed after single doses of 1–3000 mcg given by nebulisation.ResultsA total of 29 participants were enrolled and received at least one dose of study treatment. There were no serious adverse events (AE) reported in any participant. No trends or clinically important differences were noted in the incidence or intensity of AEs or other safety assessments. Maximum plasma concentrations of GSK3008348 were generally attained within approximately 30 min after start of nebulisation, with geometric mean terminal elimination half-lives ranging from 7.95 to 10.2 h. Exposures, as measured by area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC), were dose proportional across all doses where estimates were possible (100–3000 mcg). Dose normalised geometric mean Cmax increased with dose up to 3000 mcg. This supra proportionality was relatively modest, with a less than 3-fold increase over the range from 30 to 3000 mcg. The reason(s) for this observation are currently not known but may be due to slower absorption at the lowest doses. All exposures were within the exposure margins set by the non-clinical toxicity studies and so this is not expected to have any impact on safety.ConclusionsIn summary, GSK3008348 was well tolerated at single doses up to 3000 mcg in healthy participants, and its PK profile was dose proportional at potentially clinically relevant doses (300–3000 mcg). These findings support further development of GSK3008348 as a novel inhaled treatment option for IPF.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s00228-018-2435-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

IntroductionIn this study, we evaluated the safety and pharmacodynamic effects of the Fc-inactivated anti-β-amyloid (anti-Aβ) monoclonal antibody GSK933776 in patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment. Aβ and tau levels were investigated in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and the relationship between Aβ levels and Aβ modulation in plasma was explored. The feasibility of a continuous sampling method using a lumbar catheter was assessed.MethodsThis trial was a phase I, open-label, uncontrolled, single-dose, exploratory experimental medicine study of intravenous GSK933776 at doses of 1 mg/kg, 3 mg/kg or 6 mg/kg (n = 6/group). The time course of plasma and CSF concentrations of GSK933776 and Aβ was assessed. Sample size was based on feasibility, and no formal statistical analyses were performed.ResultsFollowing administration of GSK933776 at doses of 1 mg/kg, 3 mg/kg and 6 mg/kg, there were decreases from baseline in CSF Aβ1–42 (from 0 to 12 hours) by 22.8 pg/ml (6.2%), 43.5 pg/ml (9.2%) and 60.5 pg/ml (12.5%), respectively. Plasma concentrations of total Aβ18–35 and Aβ4228–42 increased immediately after infusion and CSF tau concentration increased slightly, but did not significantly change, following administration of all doses of GSK933776. Pharmacokinetics confirmed the presence of GSK933776 in the CSF, which exhibited a dose–response relationship. One patient underwent minor surgery without sequelae following a ruptured lumbar catheter.ConclusionGSK933776 demonstrated pharmacological activity and target engagement in CSF and plasma, and the continuous sampling method via a catheter successfully assessed the Aβ changes following single-dose administration of GSK933776.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01424436. Registered 4 August 2011

Pharmacovigilance presents many challenges, particularly when managing unpredictable, rare conditions, eg, severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs). Such rare events are often only detected from spontaneous reports, which present their own limitations, particularly during a prolonged global launch schedule. GlaxoSmithKline’s routine pharmacovigilance includes regular reviews of global adverse event (AE) reports and aggregate data from a central safety database. Lamotrigine is one of the several antiepileptic drugs associated with SCARs. After identification of increased rates of fatal SCAR cases with lamotrigine in Japan between September and December 2014, this analysis investigated the global incidence of fatal SCARs with lamotrigine and explored whether known risk factors may have contributed to these cases. Global fatal SCAR cases reported with lamotrigine administration from launch until January 2015 were reviewed for evidence of temporal association with dosing and the presence of risk factors, including comorbidities, concomitant medications, and noncompliance with the prescribing information (PI). Worldwide, the estimated cumulative exposure to lamotrigine was >8.4 million patient-years. Globally, there were 54,513 AE reports for lamotrigine, of which 3,454 (6.3%) concerned SCARs. Of these, 122 (3.5%) had a fatal outcome (attributable and nonattributable to lamotrigine), equating to 0.01 fatal SCARs per 1,000 patient-years. In Japan (estimated cumulative exposure 141,000 patient-years), 17 fatal SCARs were reported (attributable and nonattributable), equating to 0.12 per 1,000 patient-years. Seventy-one percent of fatal SCAR cases in Japan showed evidence of noncompliance with the recommended dosing regimen; in 65% of the cases, a delay in discontinuation of lamotrigine after early signs of hypersensitivity was reported. Despite a number of limitations inherent in comparing spontaneous report data, this analysis highlights the need for adherence to the lamotrigine PI and emphasizes the importance of collaboration between global and local pharmacovigilance departments, to promptly identify and reduce the risk of rare and serious events, such as SCARs.