Shawn Flanagan

In Vitro, In Vivo, and Clinical Studies of Tedizolid To Assess the Potential for Peripheral or Central Monoamine Oxidase Interactions

ABSTRACT Tedizolid phosphate is a novel oxazolidinone prodrug whose active moiety, tedizolid, has improved potency against Gram-positive pathogens and pharmacokinetics, allowing once-daily administration. Given linezolid warnings for drug-drug and drug-food interactions mediated by monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibition, including sporadic serotonergic toxicity, these studies evaluated tedizolid for potential MAO interactions. In vitro, tedizolid and linezolid were reversible inhibitors of human MAO-A and MAO-B; the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) for tedizolid was 8.7 μM for MAO-A and 5.7 μM for MAO-B and 46.0 and 2.1 μM, respectively, with linezolid. Tedizolid phosphate was negative in the mouse head twitch model of serotonergic activity. Two randomized placebo-controlled crossover clinical studies assessed the potential of 200 mg/day tedizolid phosphate (at steady state) to enhance pressor responses to coadministered oral tyramine or pseudoephedrine. Sensitivity to tyramine was determined by comparing the concentration of tyramine required to elicit a ≥30-mmHg increase in systolic blood pressure (TYR30) when administered with placebo versus tedizolid phosphate. The geometric mean tyramine sensitivity ratio (placebo TYR30/tedizolid phosphate TYR30) was 1.33; a ratio of ≥2 is considered clinically relevant. In the pseudoephedrine study, mean maximum systolic blood pressure was not significantly different when pseudoephedrine was coadministered with tedizolid phosphate versus placebo. In summary, tedizolid is a weak, reversible inhibitor of MAO-A and MAO-B in vitro. Provocative testing in humans and animal models failed to uncover significant signals that would suggest potential for hypertensive or serotonergic adverse consequences at the therapeutic dose of tedizolid phosphate. Clinical studies are registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01539473 (tyramine interaction study conducted at Covance Clinical Research Center, Evansville, IN) and NCT01577459 (pseudoephedrine interaction study conducted at Vince and Associates Clinical Research, Overland Park, KS).

Pharmacokinetics of Tedizolid Following Oral Administration: Single and Multiple Dose, Effect of Food, and Comparison of Two Solid Forms of the Prodrug

The single‐ and multiple‐dose pharmacokinetics (PK) of tedizolid were examined after oral administration of tedizolid phosphate disodium (TPD), including the effect of food on PK. The relative bioavailability of TPD to the free acid tedizolid phosphate was determined to bridge the results of these and other studies to the solid form of the prodrug selected for further development.

Tedizolid Population Pharmacokinetics, Exposure Response, and Target Attainment

ABSTRACT Tedizolid phosphate is a novel antibacterial prodrug that is rapidly and extensively converted to its active moiety, tedizolid. We developed a population pharmacokinetics (PK) model for tedizolid using pooled data from seven densely and sparsely sampled clinical trials evaluating oral and intravenous tedizolid. Model-derived exposure estimates were evaluated for relationships to select efficacy and safety outcomes. A two-compartment model with sigmoidal absorption, absolute bioavailability, and linear elimination described the PK data well. Variability was small (clearance, 31% coefficient of variation; volume, 13.4% coefficient of variation), and absolute bioavailability was high (86%). No clinically significant covariate effects on tedizolid PK were found. Based on phase 3 data evaluating 200-mg once-daily tedizolid for acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI), no relationships were seen between various efficacy outcomes and estimated tedizolid exposure; the estimated exposure range (free-drug area under the concentration-time curve over 24 h at steady state [AUCss(0–24)], 7 to 50 μg · h/ml) in these patients was modest. Safety data modeling, using once-daily doses of up to 400 mg, showed a small increase in the probability of an adverse event with increasing model-estimated tedizolid exposure; no such relationship was observed when specifically evaluating the 200-mg dose. There were no trends in neutrophil or platelet counts with increasing tedizolid exposure. Target attainment simulations for 200-mg tedizolid indicated a 98.31% probability of attaining the target measure (AUC for the free, unbound fraction of a drug [fAUC]/MIC = 3) against a Staphylococcus aureus strain for which the MIC was ≤0.5 μg/ml. These findings support 200-mg tedizolid once daily as the optimum dose for treatment of ABSSSI.

Nonclinical and pharmacokinetic assessments to evaluate the potential of tedizolid and linezolid to affect mitochondrial function

ABSTRACT Prolonged treatment with the oxazolidinone linezolid is associated with myelosuppression, lactic acidosis, and neuropathies, toxicities likely caused by impairment of mitochondrial protein synthesis (MPS). To evaluate the potential of the novel oxazolidinone tedizolid to cause similar side effects, nonclinical and pharmacokinetic assessments were conducted. In isolated rat heart mitochondria, tedizolid inhibited MPS more potently than did linezolid (average [± standard error of the mean] 50% inhibitory concentration [IC50] for MPS of 0.31 ± 0.02 μM versus 6.4 ± 1.2 μM). However, a rigorous 9-month rat study comparing placebo and high-dose tedizolid (resulting in steady-state area under the plasma concentration-time curve values about 8-fold greater than those with the standard therapeutic dose in humans) showed no evidence of neuropathy. Additional studies explored why prolonged, high-dose tedizolid did not cause these mitochondriopathic side effects despite potent MPS inhibition by tedizolid. Murine macrophage (J774) cell fractionation studies found no evidence of a stable association of tedizolid with eukaryotic mitochondria. Monte Carlo simulations based on population pharmacokinetic models showed that over the course of a dosing interval using standard therapeutic doses, free plasma concentrations fell below the respective MPS IC50 in 84% of tedizolid-treated patients (for a median duration of 7.94 h) and 38% of linezolid-treated patients (for a median duration of 0 h). Therapeutic doses of tedizolid, but not linezolid, may therefore allow for mitochondrial recovery during antibacterial therapy. The overall results suggest that tedizolid has less potential to cause myelosuppression and neuropathy than that of linezolid during prolonged treatment courses. This, however, remains a hypothesis that must be confirmed in clinical studies.

Single- and multiple-dose pharmacokinetics and absolute bioavailability of tedizolid.

Tedizolid phosphate is a novel antibacterial under investigation for the treatment of gram‐positive infections. This study was conducted to assess the pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of intravenous tedizolid phosphate as well as the oral bioavailability of tedizolid phosphate.

Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion of the Novel Antibacterial Prodrug Tedizolid Phosphate

Tedizolid phosphate is a novel antibacterial prodrug with potent activity against Gram-positive pathogens. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that the prodrug is rapidly converted by nonspecific phosphatases to the biologically active moiety tedizolid. Single oral dose radiolabeled 14C-tedizolid phosphate kinetic studies in human subjects (100 µCi in 204 mg tedizolid phosphate free acid) confirmed a rapid time to maximum tedizolid concentration (Tmax, 1.28 hours), a long terminal half-life (10.6 hours), and a Cmax of 1.99 µg/ml. Metabolite analysis of plasma, fecal, and urine samples from rats, dogs, and humans confirmed that tedizolid is the only measurable metabolite in plasma after intravenous (in animals only) or oral administration and that tedizolid sulfate is the major metabolite excreted from the body. Excellent mass balance recovery was achieved and demonstrated that fecal excretion is the predominant (80–90%) route of elimination across species, primarily as tedizolid sulfate. Urine excretion accounted for the balance of drug elimination but contained a broader range of minor metabolites. Glucuronidation products were not detected. Similar results were observed in rats and dogs after both intravenous and oral administration. The tedizolid metabolites showed less potent antibacterial activity than tedizolid. The observations from these studies support once daily dosing of tedizolid phosphate and highlight important metabolism and excretion features that differentiate tedizolid phosphate from linezolid.

Characterization of the haematological profile of 21 days of tedizolid in healthy subjects

OBJECTIVES Tedizolid is a novel oxazolidinone antibacterial. Oxazolidinones carry concerns for time-dependent myelosuppression. To further explore tedizolids haematological tolerability, we analysed data from a 21 day study comparing safety and pharmacokinetics of tedizolid and linezolid. METHODS This was a Phase 1 study in healthy volunteers comparing five treatments (each n = 8) over 21 days: tedizolid at 200, 300 or 400 mg once daily; linezolid at 600 mg twice daily; and placebo. Routine laboratory haematological parameters (platelet, absolute neutrophil, white blood cell, red blood cell and reticulocyte counts) were compared between groups. Adverse haematological outcomes were pre-specified as any parameter below the standard lower limits of normal (LLN), substantially abnormal (<50% LLN for neutrophils; <75% LLN for other parameters) or ≥50% below baseline (platelets only). ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00671814. RESULTS During the 21 day study period, pre-specified adverse platelet outcomes were observed in the linezolid (n = 2), tedizolid 300 mg (n = 1) and tedizolid 400 mg (n = 3) groups. Mean platelet counts decreased over time in a dose-dependent manner for tedizolid, with higher doses being similar to linezolid. The magnitude of platelet count decreases from baseline was influenced by unbound drug trough plasma concentrations, which were generally higher in subjects with at least a 20% decrease in platelet count. Substantially abnormal haematological parameters were only observed with linezolid and tedizolid 400 mg. One linezolid and two tedizolid 400 mg subjects discontinued due to meeting criteria for pre-specified adverse haematological outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Although limited to small groups of healthy volunteers, these exploratory results support clinical study of extended treatment durations with tedizolid at 200 mg once daily.

Clinical Pharmacokinetics of Alamifovir and Its Metabolites

ABSTRACT Alamifovir, a purine nucleotide analogue prodrug, and its hydrolyzed derivatives have shown preclincal efficacy activity against wild-type and lamivudine-resistant hepatitis B virus. Two studies were conducted to examine the single- and multiple-dose alamifovir pharmacokinetics after oral administration in healthy males. In study 1, subjects were given single doses (0.2 to 80 mg), with a subset receiving 20 mg in a fed state. Study 2 subjects were dosed with 2.5 to 15 mg twice daily for 15 days. Plasma samples were collected over 72 h in study 1 and over 24 h on days 1 and 15 in study 2. Concentrations of alamifovir and its major metabolites were determined using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry methods. The data were analyzed using a noncompartmental technique. Although alamifovir was rapidly absorbed, there was limited systemic exposure due to its rapid hydrolysis and formation of at least three metabolites, suggesting that alamifovir acts as a prodrug. The major metabolites detected were 602074 and 602076, with 602075 detectable only in higher-dose groups. Maximum 602074 plasma concentration was achieved at approximately 0.5 h (Tmax) and declined with a 1- to 2-h terminal half-life (t1/2). Maximum concentrations of 602076 (Cmax) averaged 10% of the 602074 Cmax and reached Tmax in 2.5 h with a 4-h t1/2. Food appeared to decrease the extent of absorption of the compound. Multiple dosing resulted in minimal accumulation, and the concentrations following multiple doses could be predicted using the single-dose data. Alamifovir was well tolerated and the pharmacokinetics were characterized in these studies.

Pharmacokinetics of Tedizolid in Obese and Nonobese Subjects

Obesity, defined as body mass index (BMI) 30 kg/m2, is a growing problem worldwide; the prevalence is 38% in the US adult population.1 Obesity is a risk factor for infection and is associated with antimicrobial treatment failure2 and worse clinical outcomes.3 Communityacquired pneumonia and skin and soft-tissue infections are themost common indications for prescribing outpatient antibiotics for obese patients.4 Obesity can affect the ability of antimicrobial agents to attain therapeutic levels.5,6 Changes in clearance and volume of distribution that may occur in obese patients can alter the dose– exposure relationship with some drugs, resulting in the need to adjust the dose in this patient population.7 With the emergence of antibiotic resistance, dosing decisions become increasingly important. Tedizolid phosphate, the prodrug of the novel oxazolidinone tedizolid, has been approved for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSIs) in a number of countries, among them the United States and countries in the European Union.8,9 Tedizolid phosphate is rapidly and extensively converted by endogenous phosphatases to its microbiologically active moiety, tedizolid, after administration.10,11 Tedizolid is generally at least 4-fold more potent in vitro than linezolid, the only other currently marketed oxazolidinone antibacterial, against staphylococci (including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), streptococci, and enterococci (including vancomycinresistant strains).10,12,13 In 2 recent phase 3 trials in patients with ABSSSIs, tedizolid (200 mg once daily for 6 days) demonstrated noninferior efficacy to linezolid (600 mg twice daily for 10 days) and was generally well tolerated.14,15 The pharmacokinetics (PK) of tedizolid allow for once-daily administration, either orally or intravenously, at equivalent doses.11 Available data suggest that systemic exposure to linezolid is lower in obese than in nonobese patients, which suggests that body weight and/or BMI may be important factors.16–18 The reason for this difference remains undetermined, as does whether linezolid dose modification is warranted for obese patients. In studies of tedizolid, exposure in elderly adults, adolescents, and subjects with severe hepatic or renal impairment (including those requiring hemodialysis) was similar to that in control groups following administration of oral or intravenous tedizolid 200 mg.19,20 The PK in obese subjects were not explicitly studied during the development of tedizolid, but approximately 28% of subjects in phase 1 studies were obese. Thus, a retrospective comparison of the extensive PK data obtained in obese and nonobese subjects would provide useful knowledge of tedizolid PK in obese patients, which could assist in dosing; this is the basis for the current investigation.

Efficacy, safety, tolerability and population pharmacokinetics of tedizolid, a novel antibiotic, in Latino patients with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections

Acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections are caused mainly by Gram-positive bacteria which are often treated with intravenous vancomycin, daptomycin, or linezolid, with potential step down to oral linezolid for outpatients. Tedizolid phosphate 200mg once daily treatment for six days demonstrated non-inferior efficacy, with a favourable safety profile, compared with linezolid 600mg twice daily treatment for 10 days in the Phase 3 ESTABLISH-1 and -2 trials. The objective of the current post-hoc analysis of the integrated dataset of ESTABLISH-1 and -2 was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tedizolid (N=182) vs linezolid (N=171) in patients of Latino origin enrolled into these trials. The baseline demographic characteristics of Latino patients were similar between the two treatment groups. Tedizolid demonstrated comparable efficacy to linezolid at 48-72h in the intent-to-treat population (tedizolid: 80.2% vs linezolid: 81.9%). Sustained clinical success rates were comparable between tedizolid- and linezolid-treated Latino patients at end-of-therapy (tedizolid: 86.8% vs linezolid: 88.9%). Tedizolid phosphate treatment was well tolerated by Latino patients in the safety population with lower abnormal platelet counts at end-of-therapy (tedizolid: 3.4% vs linezolid: 11.3%, p=0.0120) and lower incidence of gastrointestinal adverse events (tedizolid: 16.5% vs linezolid: 23.5%). Population pharmacokinetic analysis suggested that estimated tedizolid exposure measures in Latino patients vs non-Latino patients were similar. These findings demonstrate that tedizolid phosphate 200mg, once daily treatment for six days was efficacious and well tolerated by patients of Latino origin, without warranting dose adjustment.