Human immunodeficiency virus protease inhibitors (PIs) modestly affect the plasma pharmacokinetics of tenofovir (TFV; ؊15% to ؉37% change in exposure) following coadministration with the oral prodrug TFV disoproxil fumarate (TDF) by a previously undefined mechanism. TDF permeation was found to be reduced by the combined action of ester cleavage and efflux transport in vitro. Saturable TDF efflux observed in Caco-2 cells suggests that at pharmacologically relevant intestinal concentrations, transport has only a limited effect on TDF absorption, thus minimizing the magnitude of potential intestinal drug interactions. Most tested PIs increased apical-to-basolateral TDF permeation and decreased secretory transport in MDCKII cells overexpressing P-glycoprotein (Pgp; MDCKII-MDR1 cells) and Caco-2 cells. PIs were found to cause a multifactorial effect on the barriers to TDF absorption. All PIs showed similar levels of inhibition of esterase-dependent degradation of TDF in an intestinal subcellular fraction, except for amprenavir, which was found to be a weaker inhibitor. All PIs caused a dose-dependent increase in the accumulation of a model Pgp substrate in MDCKII-MDR1 cells. Pgp inhibition constants ranged from 10.3 M (lopinavir) to >100 M (amprenavir, indinavir, and darunavir). Analogous to hepatic cytochrome P450-mediated drug interactions, we propose that the relative differences in perturbations in TFV plasma levels when TDF is coadministered with PIs are based in part on the net effect of inhibition and induction of intestinal Pgp by PIs. Combined with prior studies, these findings indicate that intestinal absorption is the mechanism for changes in TFV plasma levels when TDF is coadministered with PIs.Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF; Viread, Gilead Sciences, Inc.), a prodrug of the nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor tenofovir (TFV), is used to effectively deliver TFV across the gut wall. Following absorption, TDF rapidly degrades to TFV and TDF is not observed in the systemic circulation. When administered by itself, TFV has poor oral bioavailability (7). TDF is a common once-a-day backbone for use with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) protease inhibitors (PIs). Clinical trials have shown TDF with emtricitabine in combination with either lopinavir (LPV) or atazanavir (ATV), each boosted with ritonavir (RTV, or "r" when referred to as a boosting agent), to be efficacious and well tolerated (22,30).Polypharmacy in HIV patients creates the potential for drug interactions (8,35). No interaction between PIs and TDF would be anticipated due to the lack of cytochrome P450 involvement in the elimination pathway of TDF or TFV (25). However, modest changes in TFV plasma pharmacokinetic parameters have been reported for TDF coadministered with PIs. As summarized in Table 1, PIs can be categorized into three different groups based on their effects on TFV plasma pharmacokinetics. The first group encompasses PIs that cause modest increases in TFV plasma exposure (area under the concentration-time curve from 0 h t...

The experimental pharmacoenhancer cobicistat (COBI), a potent mechanism-based inhibitor of cytochrome P450 3A enzymes, was found to inhibit the intestinal efflux transporters P-glycoprotein and breast cancer resistance protein. Consistent with its transporter inhibition, COBI significantly increased the absorptive flux of potential candidates for clinical coadministration, including the HIV protease inhibitors atazanavir and darunavir and the lymphoid cell-and tissue-targeted prodrug of the nucleotide analog tenofovir, GS-7340, through monolayers of Caco-2 cells in vitro.C obicistat (COBI) is being developed as a pharamacoenhancer (booster) for coformulation with drugs that are metabolized by cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A) enzymes. Similar to ritonavir (RTV; currently used as a pharmacoenhancer of protease inhibitors [PIs] used to treat human immunodeficiency virus [HIV]), COBI is a potent mechanism-based CYP3A inhibitor, and its coadministration with CYP3A substrates can lead to desired boosting effects and unintended drug-drug interactions. COBI has been found to have a number of potentially differentiating attributes relative to RTV: (i) it has more selective CYP3A inhibition over other CYP enzymes, (ii) it has improved solubility and coformulatability, (iii) it has a reduced induction potential mediated by the pregnane X receptor (PXR; also known as the nuclear receptor subfamily 1, group 1, member 2 [NR1I2]), and (iv) it has decreased effects on adipocytes in vitro (21). COBI's lack of anti-HIV activity also eliminates the potential for selection of PI resistance mutations when boosting non-HIV PI drugs (21). Clinically, COBI increases systemic levels of the CYP3A substrates midazolam and elvitegravir (EVG) to a similar extent as RTV (7, 13), and coadministration with COBI allows EVG to be administered once daily (16). A fixed-dose, once-daily, single-tablet regimen that includes EVG/COBI and the nucleos(t)ide reverse transcriptase inhibitors tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and emtricitabine, colloquially known as "QUAD," has completed registrational trials, including meeting its primary endpoints in phase 3 studies (2,3,19,20).Inhibition of efflux transporters expressed in the intestine can serve as a secondary mechanism for a pharmacoenhancer to increase systemic exposure to coadministered drugs by increasing their absorption. P-glycoprotein (Pgp; also known as multidrug resistance protein 1 [MDR1] or ATP-binding cassette subfamily B member 1 [ABCB1]) and the breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP; also known as ATP-binding cassette subfamily G member 2 [ABCG2]), both expressed at the apical side of the small intestine, have been highlighted by regulatory agencies and in the literature as key transporters affecting xenobiotic pharmacokinetics (5, 6). In addition to the role of CYP3A enzymes in RTV boosting, HIV PIs are known to be substrates for transporters, including Pgp (11). Determination of the relative roles of transport and CYP3A inhibition in limiting HIV PI exposure is difficult due to their being sub...

GS-7340 is a prodrug of tenofovir (TFV) that more efficiently delivers TFV into lymphoid cells and tissues than the clinically used prodrug TFV disoproxil fumarate, resulting in higher antiviral potency at greatly reduced doses and lower systemic TFV exposure. First-pass extraction by the intestine and liver represents substantial barriers to the oral delivery of prodrugs designed for rapid intracellular hydrolysis. In order to understand how GS-7340 reduces first-pass clearance to be an effective oral prodrug, its permeability and stability were characterized in vitro and detailed pharmacokinetic studies were completed in dogs. GS-7340 showed concentration-dependent permeability through monolayers of caco-2 cells and dose-dependent oral bioavailability in dogs, increasing from 1.7% at 2 mg/kg to 24.7% at 20 mg/kg, suggesting saturable intestinal efflux transport. Taking into account a 65% hepatic extraction measured in portal vein cannulated dogs, high dose GS-7340 is nearly completely absorbed. Consistent with the proposed role of intestinal efflux transport, coadministration of low dose GS-7340 with a transport inhibitor substantially increased GS-7340 exposure. The result of effective oral absorption and efficient lymphoid cell loading was reflected in the high and persistent levels of the pharmacologically active metabolite, TFV diphosphate, in peripheral blood mononuclear cells following oral administration to dogs. In conclusion, GS-7340 reaches the systemic circulation to effectively load target cells by saturating intestinal efflux transporters, facilitated by its high solubility, and by maintaining sufficient stability in intestinal and hepatic tissue.

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