THE CONDUCT OF IN VITRO AND IN VIVO DRUG-DRUG INTERACTION STUDIES: A PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH AND MANUFACTURERS OF AMERICA (PhRMA) PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

This article is available online at http://dmd.aspetjournals.org ABSTRACT:Current regulatory guidances do not address specific study designs for in vitro and in vivo drug-drug interaction studies. There is a common desire by regulatory authorities and by industry sponsors to harmonize approaches, to allow for a better assessment of the significance of findings across different studies and drugs. There is also a growing consensus for the standardization of cytochrome P450 (P450) probe substrates, inhibitors and inducers and for the development of classification systems to improve the communication of risk to health care providers and to patients. While existing guidances cover mainly P450-mediated drug interactions, the importance of other mechanisms, such as transporters, has been recognized more recently, and should also be addressed. This article was prepared by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) Drug Metabolism and Clinical Pharmacology Technical Working Groups and represents the current industry position. The intent is to define a minimal best practice for in vitro and in vivo pharmacokinetic drug-drug interaction studies targeted to development (not discovery support) and to define a data package that can be expected by regulatory agencies in compound registration dossiers.Drug-drug interactions can lead to severe side effects and have resulted in early termination of development, refusal of approval, severe prescribing restrictions, and withdrawal of drugs from the market. Regulators, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA 1 ) have therefore issued guidances for in vitro and in vivo drug interaction studies to be conducted during development. These guidances, however, do not address the specific designs of the studies, and there is a desire by regulatory authorities to harmonize approaches and study designs to allow for a better assessment and comparison of different drugs. In addition, the existing guidances cover mainly cytochrome P450 (P450)-mediated drug interactions and the importance of other mechanisms, such as transporters, has been recognized only recently. To address these issues, workshops have been held in

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