The new formulation of L-T4 meets the most stringent potency specification guidelines, and has been demonstrated to be bioequivalent to the current formulation and to show dosage form proportionality. The new formulation will enable patients to receive a dose fine tuned to their medical needs, contributing to improved safety in the use of L-T4.

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 6-arm, parallel-design study investigated cardiac and hematological pharmacodynamic effects of ceralifimod (ONO-4641), a selective sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor modulator, over a broad dose range in direct comparison with the nonselective S1P modulator fingolimod. Healthy subjects were assigned to ceralifimod (0.01, 0.025, 0.05, or 0.10 mg), fingolimod (0.5 mg), or placebo once daily for 14 days (n = 24 per group). After 14 days of treatment, mean absolute lymphocyte count percentage change from baseline was greatest in the fingolimod (-62%) and ceralifimod 0.10 mg (-56%) groups. On treatment cessation, lymphocyte recovery was faster in the ceralifimod versus the fingolimod group. Ceralifimod showed dose- and concentration-dependent chronotropic effect. Cardiac effects in the fingolimod group were dependent on fingolimod-P concentrations. Maximum mean heart rate (HR) effect on day 1 was larger with fingolimod (placebo-adjusted change from time-matched baseline HR [ΔΔHR], -14.9 beats per minute [bpm]) versus ceralifimod (ΔΔHR, -6.2 and -12.0 bpm for the 0.05- and 0.10-mg doses, respectively). Ceralifimod's effect on the PR interval was minor. Safety biomarker results suggest that potential therapeutic doses of ceralifimod, in particular the 0.05-mg dose, might result in reduced occurrence of bradycardia, atrioventricular block absolute lymphocyte count and grade 3/4 lymphopenia compared with fingolimod 0.5 mg.

The purpose of this mechanistic drug interaction study was to investigate the effects of ketoconazole on the pharmacokinetics of safinamide. Ketoconazole was applied as a potent prototypic inhibitor of cytochrome CYP3A4, to determine the role of CYP3A4 in the metabolic clearance of safinamide. In an open-label, randomized, two-period, two-sequence cross-over study, 14 healthy adult subjects (7 males/7 females) received two single doses of 100 mg safinamide: alone and on top of multiple doses of ketoconazole (200 mg b.i.d.) given over 6 days. Serial blood samples were collected over 240 h post dose to quantify safinamide parent drug and metabolite concentrations for pharmacokinetic evaluation. Safinamide exposure was essentially unchanged when administered with and without ketoconazole: C(max) and AUC(0-∞) point estimates (90% CIs) for the treatment comparison were 106.6 (101.0; 112.4) and 112.9 (109.8; 116.03), respectively. Similarly, ketoconazole did not influence the formation and clearance of safinamide metabolites to a clinically relevant extent. Overall, the study shows that CYP3A4 plays a minor role in the metabolism of safinamide in vivo. Therefore, safinamide can be administered together with potent CYP3A4 inhibitors without any requirement for dose adjustment.

Extracts from Butcher's broom rhizome (Ruscus aculeatus) have been widely used in the oral treatment of lower leg edema in patients with chronic venous insufficiency. The aim of the present multi-center, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was to confirm the efficacy and safety of a ruscus extract (Fagorutin Ruscus Kapseln) according to the latest scientific standards. 166 women suffering from chronic venous insufficiency (Widmer grade I and II, CEAP (Clinical signs, Etiological classification, Anatomic distribution, Pathophysiology) 3-4) were included. The data of 148 patients (30-89 years, 150-182 cm height, 49-97 kg body weight) with a mean disease duration of 14.6 years in the ruscus extract group and 15.1 years in the placebo group were eligible for the intent-to-treat-analysis. The primary parameter was the area under baseline of the leg volume changes over 12 weeks (AUB0-12). Secondary parameters were the changes in circumference of the lower leg and the ankle, changes in subjective symptoms and quality of life, the overall efficacy and tolerability and safety parameters. The study was carried out according to the guidelines for testing drugs for chronic venous insufficiency. There were significant differences between the treatment groups ruscus and placebo for the AUB0-12 (-827 ml x day), for the change of leg volume after 8 and 12 weeks of treatment (-16.5 ml and -20.5 ml), for changes in ankle and leg circumferences after 8 and 12 weeks of treatment, and for the changes in subjective symptoms, heavy tired legs and sensation of tension (week 12). For the changes in the symptoms heavy lower legs, sensation of tension, and tingling sensation a significant positive correlation with the changes in leg volume was shown. Overall assessment of efficacy was significantly better for ruscus extract compared to placebo. Overall tolerability for both treatments was assessed as good and very good. Of all 48 adverse events occurring in both treatment groups, 22 were reported in the ruscus group, one of them was considered to be related to the study medication (unlikely). Considering the study duration of three months it is concluded, that ruscus extract, in the recommended daily dosage according to the German monograph, is a safe and effective treatment for patients suffering from chronic venous insufficiency.

Orally dispersible tablet (ODT) formulations of levo praziquantel (L‐PZQ) and racemic PZQ (rac‐PZQ) are being developed to treat schistosomiasis in preschool‐aged children. Two crossover studies (N = 32 and 36, respectively) assessed the relative bioavailability of these ODTs vs. Cysticide in adults. Bioavailability for L‐PZQ of ODT rac‐PZQ and Cysticide at 40 mg/kg was comparable (L‐PZQ area under the concentration‐time curve from zero to infinity (AUC 0–∞) test/reference ratio (90% confidence interval (CI)): 96% (84–111%)), whereas relative bioavailability of ODT L‐PZQ 20 mg/kg was ~40% that of Cysticide 40 mg/kg (test/reference: 40% (35–46%)). AUC 0‐∞ and peak plasma concentration (Cmax) were highly variable in both studies. For both ODTs, L‐PZQ AUC 0–∞ showed greater than dose‐proportional increase over the ranges tested and a significant food effect. Safety was comparable among formulations. The lower bioavailability of ODT L‐PZQ, as well as the high variability and nondose‐proportionality of pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters, highlighted the need for a dedicated pediatric dose‐finding study for the selection of the most appropriate formulation and dose (L‐PZQ ODT or rac‐PZQ ODT).

Tepotinib (MSC2156119J) is an oral, potent, highly selective MET inhibitor. This open-label, phase I study in healthy volunteers (EudraCT 2013-003226-86) investigated its mass balance (part A) and absolute bioavailability (part B). In part A, six participants received tepotinib orally (498 mg spiked with 2.67 MBq [ 14 C]-tepotinib). Blood, plasma, urine, and feces were collected up to day 25 or until excretion of radioactivity was <1% of the administered dose. In part B, six participants received 500 mg tepotinib orally as a film-coated tablet, followed by an intravenous [ 14 C]-tepotinib tracer dose (53-54 kBq) 4 h later. Blood samples were collected until day 14. In part A, a median of 92.5% (range, 87.1-96.9%) of the [ 14 C]-tepotinib dose was recovered in excreta. Radioactivity was mainly excreted via feces (median, 78.7%; range, 69.4-82.5%). Urinary excretion was a minor route of elimination (median, 14.4% [8.8-17.7%]). Parent compound was the main constituent in excreta (45% [feces] and 7% [urine] of the radioactive dose). M506 was the only major metabolite. In part B, absolute bioavailability was 72% (range, 62-81%) after oral administration of 500 mg tablets (the dose and formulation used in phase II trials). In conclusion, tepotinib and its metabolites are mainly excreted via feces; parent drug is the major eliminated constituent. Oral bioavailability of tepotinib is high, supporting the use of the current tablet formulation in clinical trials. Tepotinib was well tolerated in this study with healthy volunteers.

Background and Objective Atacicept is an inhibitor of the B lymphocyte stimulator (BLyS) and a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL), and is being studied in relation to immunological disease. Currently, limited data on atacicept are available in non-Caucasian subjects. Pharmacokinetic data from earlier studies of atacicept were derived using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), which was subsequently found to have inadequacies. Hence, a new bioanalytical ELISA for total atacicept was developed and validated. We conducted this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase I study to compare the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of atacicept in healthy Japanese and Caucasian subjects while generating pharmacokinetic data using the new ELISA. Methods Japanese subjects aged ≥ 18 to ≤ 55 years (n = 24) were randomized (1:1:1:1) to a single subcutaneous dose of atacicept 25, 75, or 150 mg or placebo. Caucasian subjects were then enrolled to match the Japanese subjects' gender, body weight (± 20%), and height (± 15%). Results Atacicept was well tolerated and there were no clinically significant differences in treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs), vital signs, or laboratory parameters between the Japanese and Caucasian subjects. Most (90%) TEAEs were mild; no severe or serious TEAEs or deaths occurred. Weight-adjusted atacicept exposure was comparable between ethnicities and across doses: the Japanese/Caucasian ratio of the area under the serum concentration-time curve from time zero to the last sampling point (AUC 0-t) was 107.21% (90% CI 93.42-123.02%) and the Japanese/Caucasian ratio of maximum serum concentration (C max) was 95.74% (90% CI 74.26-123.43%; ANCOVA). Median time to reach C max (t max) was 20-60 h across all subjects. Dose-exposure relationships were comparable for the two ethnicities, with dose-normalized AUC 0-t decreasing with increasing dose, indicating nonlinear pharmacokinetics for the doses examined. There were no statistically significant differences between ethnicities in the pharmacokinetics-dose relationship. Some transient dose-related decreases in mean serum immunoglobulin (Ig)A and IgM, but not IgG, were observed after atacicept administration. There were small transient increases in peripheral B cell numbers in the first 4 days after dosing that were larger with atacicept than with placebo, with no apparent dose relationship. No anti-atacicept antibodies were detected. Conclusion The safety, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic profiles of atacicept in healthy Japanese subjects were comparable to those in healthy Caucasian subjects. EudraCT-ID: 2013-002703-34.

PurposeRecombinant hCG (r‐hCG) was approved in Japan in 2016. As a prerequisite for a Phase III study in Japan related to this approval, the pharmacokinetic (PK) profile of r‐hCG was investigated.MethodsAn open‐label, partly randomized, single‐center, single‐dose, group‐comparison, Phase I PK‐bridging study was done that compared a single 250 μg dose of r‐hCG with a single 5000 IU dose of urinary hCG (u‐hCG) in healthy Japanese women, as well as comparing a single 250 μg dose of r‐hCG in Japanese and Caucasian women. The Japanese participants were randomized 1:1 to receive either r‐hCG or u‐hCG, while the Caucasian participants were weight‐matched to the Japanese participants who were receiving r‐hCG in a 1:1 fashion. The primary PK parameters were the area under the serum concentration–time curve from time 0 extrapolated to infinity (AUC 0–∞) and the maximum serum concentration (Cmax).ResultsThe mean serum hCG concentration–time profiles of r‐hCG in the Japanese and Caucasian participants were a similar shape, but the level of overall exposure was ~20% lower in the Japanese participants. For the Japanese participants, r‐hCG resulted in an 11% lower Cmax but a 19% higher AUC 0–∞ compared with u‐hCG. No new safety signal was identified.ConclusionThis study cannot exclude a potential difference in the PK profile of r‐hCG between Japanese and Caucasian participants. However, this study does not indicate that there are clinically relevant differences in the serum PK of r‐hCG and u‐hCG in the Japanese participants.