Current screening, design, and delivery approaches to address low permeability of chemically synthesized modalities in drug discovery and early clinical development

Bioactive Phytophenolics of Vitex negundo Reveal Therapeutic Antifungal Potentials against Candida albicans

OBJECTIVE

To map the potent antifungal properties of the medicinal plant Vitex negundo, in vitro and in silico studies were performed to decipher the pharmacokinetics and ADMET (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, and Toxicity) properties of their phytoconstituents.

METHODS

With the PASS (Prediction of Activity Spectra for Substances) prediction tool, many parameters of V. negundo phenolics were examined, including drug-likeness, bioavailability, antifungal activity, and anti-biofilm activity. Moreover, ADMET parameters were also determined.

RESULTS

Eighteen phenolic compounds from V. negundo with significant antifungal activity against Candida species (human fungal pathogens) were detected. The antioxidant activity, inhibition percentage, and minimum inhibitory concentration value of V. negundo phenolic extracts indicate it as an effective antifungal agent for the treatment of candidiasis caused by the fungal pathogen Candida albicans. Many phenolic compounds showed a significantly high efficiency against Candida's planktonic cells and biofilm condition.

CONCLUSIONS

The phenolics fraction of V. negundo has potent antifungal activities, however, some more pre-clinical studies are a matter of future research to further investigate V. negundo phenolic compound as a potential new antifungal arsenal.

An Integrated AI-PBPK Platform for Predicting Drug In Vivo Fate and Tissue Distribution in Human and Inter-Species Extrapolation

Optimal pharmacokinetic (PK) profile, including tissue distribution, is pivotal for a drug achieving success in clinical trials. Traditionally, PK estimation in early drug development has relied on extensive in vitro and in vivo testing to assess drug-like properties, a process that is not only costly and time-consuming but also limited in its ability to evaluate the synergistic effects of multiple properties. This study aims to develop an integrated artificial intelligence (AI) and physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) platform to rapidly estimate drug in vivo fate based solely on molecular structures. The AI models were trained to predict eight types of key properties (solubility, pKa values, crystal density, intrinsic dissolution rate, apparent permeability, protein unbound fraction, plasma clearance, and tissue partition coefficients for 15 organs), from which the PBPK model forecasted PK curves without further training. The AI-PBPK approach was validated against human PK data of 71 intravenous and 606 oral administrations collected from the PK-DB database. The results were robust, with most of the AUC predictions falling within two and threefold error ranges. The AI-PBPK model also accurately predicted drug organ selectivity, and for drugs exhibiting high plasma clearance, predictions were optimized through an inter-species extrapolation approach. This study illustrates that the developed modeling strategy adeptly addresses pivotal PK challenges in drug discovery and aligns with contemporary drug development processes. The modeling system can guide candidate selection, advancing more drugs with favorable PK profiles into clinical trials, thereby significantly enhancing the efficiency of drug development.

AURA: Accelerating drug discovery with accuracy, utility, and rank-order assessment for data-driven decision making

Biopharmaceutical companies generate a wealth of data, ranging from in silico physicochemical properties and machine learning models to both low and high-throughput in vitro assays and in vivo studies. To effectively harnesses this extensive data, we introduce a statistical methodology facilitated by Accuracy, Utility, and Rank Order Assessment (AURA), which combines basic statistical analyses with dynamic data visualizations to evaluate endpoint effectiveness in predicting intestinal absorption. We demonstrated that various physicochemical properties uniquely influence intestinal absorption on a project-specific basis, considering factors like intestinal efflux, passive permeability, and clearance. Projects within both the "Rule of 5" (Ro5) and beyond "Rule of 5" (bRo5) space present unique absorption challenges, emphasizing the need for tailored optimization strategies over one-size-fits-all approaches. This is corroborated by the improved accuracy of project-specific correlations over global models. The differences in correlations between and within project teams-due to their unique chemical spaces-highlight how complex and nuanced the prediction of intestinal absorption can be. Here, we implement a standardized methodology, AURA, that any organization can incorporate into their workflow to enhance early-stage drug optimization. By automating analytics, integrating diverse data types, and offering flexible visualizations, AURA enables cross-functional teams to make data-driven decisions, optimize workflows, and enhance research efficiency.

To homeostasis and beyond! Recent advances in the medicinal chemistry of heterobifunctional derivatives

The field of induced proximity therapeutics has expanded dramatically over the past 3 years, and heterobifunctional derivatives continue to form a significant component of the activities in this field. Here, we review recent advances in the field from the perspective of the medicinal chemist, with a particular focus upon informative case studies, alongside a review of emerging topics such as Direct-To-Biology (D2B) methodology and utilities for heterobifunctional compounds beyond E3 ligase mediated degradation. We also include a critical evaluation of the latest thinking around the optimisation of physicochemical and pharmacokinetic attributes of these beyond Role of Five molecules, to deliver appropriate therapeutic exposure in vivo.

Fully Biodegradable Elastomer-Based Device for Oral Macromolecule Delivery

Oral devices, such as foil-type devices, show great potential for the delivery of poorly permeable macromolecules by enabling unidirectional release of the loaded pharmaceutical composition in close proximity to the epithelium in the small intestine or colon. However, one of the primary concerns associated with the use of foil-type devices so far has been the utilization of nonbiodegradable elastomers in the fabrication of the devices. Therefore, research into biodegradable substitute materials with similar characteristics enables drug delivery in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner. In this study, a biodegradable elastomer, polyoctanediol citrate (POC), was synthesized via a one-pot reaction, with subsequent purification and microscale pattern replication via casting. The microstructure geometry was designed to enable fabrication of foil-type devices with the selected elastomer, which has a high intrinsic surface free energy. The final elastomer was demonstrated to have an elastic modulus ranging up to 2.2 ± 0.1 MPa, with strain at failure up to 110.1 ± 1.5%. Devices were loaded with acetaminophen and enterically coated, demonstrating 100% release at 2.5 h, following dissolution for 1 h in 0.1 M hydrochloric acid and 1.5 h in pH 6.8 phosphate-buffered saline. The elastomer demonstrated promising properties based on mechanical testing, surface free energy evaluation, and degradation studies.

Early evaluation of opportunities in oral delivery of PROTACs to overcome their molecular challenges

PROteolysis TArgeting Chimeras (PROTACs) offer new opportunities in modern medicine by targeting proteins that are intractable to classic inhibitors. Heterobifunctional in nature, PROTACs are small molecules that offer a unique mechanism of protein degradation by hijacking the ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation pathway, known as the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Herein, we present an analysis on the structural characteristics of this novel chemical modality. Furthermore, we review and discuss the formulation opportunities to overcome the oral delivery challenges of PROTACs in drug discovery.