Barry D. Liboiron

Modulating the Therapeutic Activity of Nanoparticle Delivered Paclitaxel by Manipulating the Hydrophobicity of Prodrug Conjugates

A series of paclitaxel prodrugs designed for formulation in lipophilic nanoparticles are described. The hydrophobicity of paclitaxel was increased by conjugating a succession of increasingly hydrophobic lipid anchors to the drug using succinate or diglycolate cross-linkers. The prodrugs were formulated in well defined block copolymer-stabilized nanoparticles. These nanoparticles were shown to have an elimination half-life of approximately 24 h in vivo. The rate at which the prodrug was released from the nanoparticles could be controlled by adjusting the hydrophobicity of the lipid anchor, resulting in release half-lives ranging from 1 to 24 h. The diglycolate and succinate cross-linked prodrugs were 1-2 orders of magnitude less potent than paclitaxel in vitro. Nanoparticle formulations of the succinate prodrugs showed no evidence of efficacy in HT29 human colorectal tumor xenograph models. Efficacy of diglycolate prodrug nanoparticles increased as the anchor hydrophobicity increased. Long circulating diglycolate prodrug nanoparticles provided significantly enhanced therapeutic activity over commercially formulated paclitaxel at the maximum tolerated dose.

Leukemia-selective uptake and cytotoxicity of CPX-351, a synergistic fixed-ratio cytarabine:daunorubicin formulation, in bone marrow xenografts

The objective of this study was to examine the pharmacodynamic basis for the potent preclinical and clinical anti-leukemic activity of CPX-351, a nano-scale liposome formulation of cytarabine and daunorubicin co-encapsulated at a synergistic 5:1 molar ratio. A bone marrow-engrafting CCRF-CEM leukemia model in Rag2-M mice was utilized to correlate the therapeutic and myelosuppressive properties of CPX-351 with bone marrow delivery and drug uptake in leukemia cells relative to normal bone marrow cell populations. When administered to mice bearing CCRF-CEM human leukemia xenografts, CPX-351 ablated bone marrow (BM) leukemic cells to below detectable levels for multiple weeks, whereas the free-drug cocktail only transiently suppressed leukemia growth. In contrast to the activity against leukemia cells, CPX-351 and free-drug cocktail induced similar myelosuppression in non-tumor-bearing BM. In leukemia-laden BM, drug concentrations were markedly elevated for CPX-351 over free-drug cocktail and the first dose of CPX-351, but not free-drug cocktail, potentiated BM drug accumulation for subsequent doses. Confocal fluorescence microscopy revealed that CPX-351 liposomes are taken up by CCRF-CEM cells and subsequently release drugs intracellularly. The improved in vivo efficacy of CPX-351 appears related to increased and prolonged exposure of synergistic cytarabine:daunorubicin ratios in BM, and the selective killing of leukemia may arise from direct liposome-leukemia cell interactions. These features may also have broader applicability in the treatment of other haematological malignancies.

Nanoscale particulate systems for multidrug delivery: towards improved combination chemotherapy

While combination chemotherapy has led to measurable improvements in cancer treatment outcomes, its full potential remains to be realized. Nanoscale particles such as liposomes, nanoparticles and polymer micelles have been shown to increase delivery to the tumor site while bypassing many drug resistance mechanisms that limit the effectiveness of conventional therapies. Recent efforts in drug delivery have focused on coordinated, controlled delivery of multiple anticancer agents encapsulated within a single particle system. In this review, we analyze recent progress made in multidrug delivery in three main areas of interest: co-delivery of antineoplastic agents with drug sensitizers, sequential delivery via temporal release particles and simultaneous delivery of multiple agents. Future directions of the field, in light of recent advances with molecularly targeted agents, are suggested and discussed.

Drug Ratio-Dependent Antagonism: A New Category of Multidrug Resistance and Strategies for Its Circumvention

A newly identified form of multidrug resistance (MDR) in tumor cells is presented, pertaining to the commonly encountered resistance of cancer cells to anticancer drug combinations at discrete drug:drug ratios. In vitro studies have revealed that whether anticancer drug combinations interact synergistically or antagonistically can depend on the ratio of the combined agents. Failure to control drug ratios in vivo due to uncoordinated pharmacokinetics could therefore lead to drug resistance if tumor cells are exposed to antagonistic drug ratios. Consequently, the most efficacious drug combination may not occur at the typically employed maximum tolerated doses of the combined drugs if this leads to antagonistic ratios in vivo after administration and resistance to therapeutic effects of the drug combination. Our approach to systematically screen a wide range of drug ratios and concentrations and encapsulate the drug combination in a liposomal delivery vehicle at identified synergistic ratios represents a means to mitigate this drug ratio-dependent MDR mechanism. The in vivo efficacy of the improved agents (CombiPlex formulations) is demonstrated and contrasted with the decreased efficacy when drug combinations are exposed to tumor cells in vivo at antagonistic ratios.

Intra and Inter-Molecular Interactions Dictate the Aggregation State of Irinotecan Co-Encapsulated with Floxuridine Inside Liposomes

PurposeThe inter/intramolecular interactions between drugs (floxuridine, irinotecan) and excipients (copper gluconate, triethanolamine) in the dual-drug liposomal formulation CPX-1 were elucidated in order to identify the physicochemical properties that allow coordinated release of irinotecan and floxuridine and maintenance of the two agents at a fixed, synergistic 1:1 molar ratio.MethodsRelease of irinotecan and floxuridine from the liposomes was assessed using an in vitro-release assay. Fluorescence, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and UV–Vis were used to characterize the aggregation state of the drugs within the liposomes.ResultsCoordinated release of the drugs from liposomes was disrupted by removing copper gluconate. Approximately 45% of the total irinotecan was detectable in the copper-containing CPX-1 formulation by NMR, which decreased to 19% without copper present in the liposomal interior. Formation of higher order, NMR-silent aggregates was associated with slower and uncoordinated irinotecan release relative to floxuridine and loss of the synergistic drug/drug ratio. Solution spectroscopy and calorimetry revealed that while all formulation components were required to achieve the highest solubility of irinotecan, direct drug-excipient binding interactions were absent.ConclusionsLong-range interactions between irinotecan, floxuridine and excipients modulate the aggregation state of irinotecan, allowing for simultaneous release of both drugs from the liposomes.

Prediction of nanoparticle prodrug metabolism by pharmacokinetic modeling of biliary excretion.

Pharmacokinetic modeling and simulation is a powerful tool for the prediction of drug concentrations in the absence of analytical techniques that allow for direct quantification. The present study applied this modeling approach to determine active drug release from a nanoparticle prodrug formulation. A comparative pharmacokinetic study of a nanoscale micellar docetaxel (DTX) prodrug, Procet 8, and commercial DTX formulation, Taxotere, was conducted in bile duct cannulated rats. The nanoscale (~40nm) size of the Procet 8 formulation resulted in confinement within the plasma space and high prodrug plasma concentrations. Ex vivo prodrug hydrolysis during plasma sample preparation resulted in unacceptable error that precluded direct measurement of DTX concentrations. Pharmacokinetic modeling of Taxotere and Procet 8 plasma concentrations, and their associated biliary metabolites, allowed for prediction of the DTX concentration profile and DTX bioavailability, and thereby evaluation of Procet 8 metabolism. Procet 8 plasma decay and in vitro plasma hydrolytic rates were identical, suggesting that systemic clearance of the prodrug was primarily metabolic. The Procet 8 and Taxotere plasma profiles, and associated docetaxel hydroxy-tert-butyl carbamate (HDTX) metabolite biliary excretion, were best fit by a two compartment model, with both linear and non-linear DTX clearance, and first order Procet 8 hydrolysis. The model estimated HDTX clearance rate agreed with in vitro literature values, supporting the predictability of the proposed model. Model simulation at the 10mg DTX equivalent/kg dose level predicted DTX formation rate-limited kinetics and a peak plasma DTX concentration of 39ng/mL at 4h for Procet 8, in comparison to 2826ng/mL for Taxotere. As a result of nonlinear DTX clearance, the DTX AUCinf for the Procet 8 formulation was predicted to be 2.6 times lower than Taxotere (775 vs. 2017h×ng/mL, respectively), resulting in an absolute bioavailability estimate of 38%. As DTX clearance in man is considered linear, this low bioavailability is likely species-dependent. These data support the use of pharmacokinetic modeling and simulation in cases of complex formulations, where analytical methods for direct measurement of free (released) drug concentrations are unavailable. Uses of such models may include interpretation of preclinical toxicology studies, selection of first in man dosing regimens, and PK/PD model development.

Versatile Fixed-Ratio Drug Combination Delivery Using Hydrophobic Prodrug Nanoparticles

The current paradigm of cancer chemotherapy involves the co-administration of multiple anticancer agents at their maximum tolerated doses to achieve greater antitumor activity than could be realized with single agents alone. Emerging evidence, however, points to the important role drug ratios play in determining whether in vivo drug interactions are synergistic or antagonistic in nature. The CombiPlex® technology platform was developed to deliver multiple chemotherapy drugs at a defined synergistic drug ratio via a particulate carrier. The promising clinical results of CPX-351 in the treatment of newly diagnosed acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) serve as an example of the magnitude of gains that can be made when combination chemotherapy drugs are delivered to the target site at their synergistic ratio. While the CombiPlex technology had been used to develop three clinical and preclinical liposomal products, there have been several reports of drug combinations formulated into polymer-based nanoparticles, typically involving hydrophobic drugs which are not generally suitable for liposome encapsulation.

Abstract B34: Coordinated delivery of anticancer drug combinations incorporating molecularly targeted agents provides markedly increased plasma drug exposure, decreased toxicity and increased efficacy in preclinical tumor models

Background: Coordinated delivery of established chemotherapy combinations at synergistic drug ratios via nano-scale delivery vehicles has provided marked improvements in efficacy both preclinically and clinically. Many molecularly targeted agent (MTA) combinations have experienced difficulties in achieving optimal target inhibition without inducing dose limiting toxicities. Here we report the application of CombiPlex® technology to combinations incorporating MTAs for which optimal therapeutic effects require simultaneous tumor cell exposure. Methods: Prodrugs conjugates were synthesized for the HSP90 inhibitor AUY922 (AUY), docetaxel (DOC), the MEK inhibitor selumetinib (SEL) and Akt inhibitor ipatasertib (IPA) using cholesterol as a hydrophobic anchor joined via hydrolysable linkers that regenerate the parent drugs upon cleavage. These prodrugs were co-formulated in hydrophobic prodrug nanoparticles (HPN) by rapid mixing in the presence of surface stabilizing block co-polymers. Formulation compositions were iteratively optimized to achieve prolonged plasma drug concentrations while coordinating the PK of the combined agents. The tolerability and efficacy of the HPN combinations were compared to the free drug combinations administered in their conventional formulations. Results: AUY and DOC anchored to cholesterol via a diglycolate linker could be stably co-formulated in HPNs with a mean diameter of ∼65nm using a range of surface stabilizing block co-polymers. Using PLA-PEG block co-polymers, HPN-associated drugs exhibited no early distribution phase and virtually identical PK for AUY and DOC with a plasma half-life in mice of >12hr. Plasma concentrations of both agents over 24h were 2- to 4-orders of magnitude higher than for the free drugs. Similar PK results were obtained with the SEL:IPA combination. Combined IV treatment with DOC and AUY as the conventional free drugs led to significant increases in toxicity such that the DOC dose had to be reduced by 67% and the AUY dose had to be reduced by 60%. In contrast, when co-formulated in HPNs, both drugs could be administered with only a 30% dose reduction. In human xenograft tumor models (taxane resistant as well as taxane sensitive), the HPN formulation of AUY:DOC provided increased tumor growth inhibition; quantitative analysis of tumor growth delay revealed a 5-fold increase in antitumor activity compared to the free drug combination in the HCT15 model. A range of AUY:DOC drug ratio HPN formulations were also tested to identify the optimally efficacious drug ratio. HPN formulations of SEL:IPA also displayed improved tolerability compared to the free drug combination, particularly in view of the lower bioavailability for the agents administered in their oral dosing forms, while providing significant antitumor efficacy. Conclusions: HPN-mediated coordinated delivery of drug combinations incorporating molecularly targeted agents can favorably shift the PK/PD profile resulting in an improved therapeutic index. Initial results suggest this may expand the utility of combinations that to date have been limited by toxicities associated with dosing regimens aimed at ensuring simultaneous and durable multi-target inhibition. Citation Format: Lawrence D. Mayer, Paul Tardi, Sherwin Xie, Barry Liboiron, Winnie Lui, Leon Wan. Coordinated delivery of anticancer drug combinations incorporating molecularly targeted agents provides markedly increased plasma drug exposure, decreased toxicity and increased efficacy in preclinical tumor models. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2015 Nov 5-9; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2015;14(12 Suppl 2):Abstract nr B34.