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Roffel AF, van Hoogdalem EJ. The application of Phase 0 and microtracer approaches in early clinical development: past, present, and future. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1369079. [PMID: 38562464 PMCID: PMC10982362 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1369079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Phase 0 microdosing studies were introduced to the drug development community approximately 20 years ago. A microdose is defined as less than 1/100th of the dose calculated based on animal data to yield a pharmacological effect in humans, with a maximum of 100 μg, or 30 nmoles for protein products. In our experience, Phase 0 microdose studies have not been fully embraced by the pharmaceutical industry. This notion is based on the number of Phase 0 studies that we have been involved in. Thus, we conducted at least 17 Phase 0 microdose studies in the Zero's (on average, two per year), but in the years beyond this, it was only 15 studies (1.4 per year); in these latter years, we did conduct a total of 23 studies which employed an intravenous (i.v.) microdose for absolute bioavailability (ABA) assessments (two per year on average), which are the most used and potentially informative type of clinical study using a microdose, albeit they are formally not microdose studies. In the current review, we summarize the past use of and experience with Phase 0 microdose designs in early clinical development, including intravenous 14C microdose ABA studies, and assess what is needed to increase the adoption of useful applications of Phase 0/microdose studies in the near future.
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Burt T, Roffel AF, Langer O, Anderson K, DiMasi J. Strategic, feasibility, economic, and cultural aspects of Phase 0 approaches. Clin Transl Sci 2022; 15:1355-1379. [PMID: 35278281 PMCID: PMC9199889 DOI: 10.1111/cts.13269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Research conducted over the past 2 decades has enhanced the validity and expanded the applications of microdosing and other phase 0 approaches in drug development. Phase 0 approaches can accelerate drug development timelines and reduce attrition in clinical development by increasing the quality of candidates entering clinical development and by reducing the time to “go‐no‐go” decisions. This can be done by adding clinical trial data (both healthy volunteers and patients) to preclinical candidate selection, and by applying methodological and operational advantages that phase 0 have over traditional approaches. The main feature of phase 0 approaches is the limited, subtherapeutic exposure to the test article. This means a reduced risk to research volunteers, and reduced regulatory requirements, timelines, and costs of first‐in‐human (FIH) testing. Whereas many operational aspects of phase 0 approaches are similar to those of other early phase clinical development programs, they have some unique strategic, regulatory, ethical, feasibility, economic, and cultural aspects. Here, we provide a guidance to these operational aspects and include case studies to highlight their potential impact in a range of clinical development scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tal Burt
- Phase‐0/Microdosing Network New York NY USA
- Burt Consultancy, LLC. New York NY USA
| | - Ad F. Roffel
- ICON plc, Van Swietenlaan 6, 9728 NZ Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Oliver Langer
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology Medical University of Vienna 1090 Vienna Austria
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image‐guided Therapy Medical University of Vienna 1090 Vienna Austria
| | | | - Joseph DiMasi
- Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development Tufts University Boston MA USA
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Abstract
Clinical trials serve as the gold standard to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tested drugs prior to marketing authorization. Nevertheless, there have been a few challenging issues well noted in traditional clinical trials such as tedious processing duration and escalating high costs among others. To improve the efficiency of clinical studies, a spectrum of expedited clinical trial modes has been designed, and selectively implemented in contemporary drug developing landscape. Herein this article presents an update on the innovated human trial designs that are corroborated through coming up with approval of notable therapeutic compounds for clinical utilization including delivery of several blockbuster products. It is intended to inspire clinical investigators and pharmaceutical development not only timely communicating with the regulatory agencies, but also insightful translating from cutting-edge scientific discoveries.
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Bai H, Lu J, Cheng X, Liu L, Zhang W, Wei Y, Wang Y, Liu J, Ding J, Yu Q, Zhang Y, Chen G, Fan Y, Wang X. Development and validation of an ultrasensitive LC-MS/MS method for the quantification of cetagliptin in human plasma and its application in a microdose clinical trial. Biomed Chromatogr 2020; 35:e4994. [PMID: 32986878 DOI: 10.1002/bmc.4994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
This study established and validated an LC-MS/MS method for the ultrasensitive determination of cetagliptin in human plasma. Sample pretreatment was achieved by liquid-liquid extraction with ethyl acetate, and chromatographic separation was performed on an XB-C18 analytical column (50 × 2.1 mm, 5 μm) with gradient elution (0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. For mass spectrometric detection, multiple reaction monitoring was used, and the ion transitions monitored were m/z 421.2-86.0 for cetagliptin and m/z 424.2-88.0 for cetagliptin-d3. Method validation was performed according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Bioanalytical Method Validation Guidance, for which the calibration curve was linear in the range of 50.0-2000 pg/mL. All of the other results, such as selectivity, lower limit of quantitation, precision, accuracy, matrix effect, recovery, and stability, met the acceptance criteria. The validated method was successfully applied in a microdose clinical trial to systematically investigate the pharmacokinetic profile of cetagliptin in healthy subjects. Both rapid absorption and prolonged duration demonstrate the potential value of cetagliptin for diabetes treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haihong Bai
- Phase I Clinical Trial Center, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Jinmiao Lu
- CGeneTech (Suzhou, China) Co., Ltd, Suzhou, China
| | - Xiaoqiang Cheng
- Phase I Clinical Trial Center, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Long Liu
- Phase I Clinical Trial Center, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Phase I Clinical Trial Center, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yali Wei
- Phase I Clinical Trial Center, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Phase I Clinical Trial Center, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Ju Liu
- Phase I Clinical Trial Center, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Juping Ding
- CGeneTech (Suzhou, China) Co., Ltd, Suzhou, China
| | - Qiang Yu
- CGeneTech (Suzhou, China) Co., Ltd, Suzhou, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- Wuhan Hongren Biopharmaceutical Inc., Wuhan, China
| | - Guiying Chen
- Wuhan Hongren Biopharmaceutical Inc., Wuhan, China
| | - Yeqin Fan
- Wuhan Hongren Biopharmaceutical Inc., Wuhan, China
| | - Xinghe Wang
- Phase I Clinical Trial Center, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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Burt T, Young G, Lee W, Kusuhara H, Langer O, Rowland M, Sugiyama Y. Phase 0/microdosing approaches: time for mainstream application in drug development? Nat Rev Drug Discov 2020; 19:801-818. [PMID: 32901140 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-020-0080-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Phase 0 approaches - which include microdosing - evaluate subtherapeutic exposures of new drugs in first-in-human studies known as exploratory clinical trials. Recent progress extends phase 0 benefits beyond assessment of pharmacokinetics to include understanding of mechanism of action and pharmacodynamics. Phase 0 approaches have the potential to improve preclinical candidate selection and enable safer, cheaper, quicker and more informed developmental decisions. Here, we discuss phase 0 methods and applications, highlight their advantages over traditional strategies and address concerns related to extrapolation and developmental timelines. Although challenges remain, we propose that phase 0 approaches be at least considered for application in most drug development scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tal Burt
- Burt Consultancy LLC. talburtmd.com, New York, NY, USA. .,Phase-0/Microdosing Network. Phase-0Microdosing.org, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Graeme Young
- GlaxoSmithKline Research and Development Ltd, Ware, UK
| | - Wooin Lee
- Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Oliver Langer
- Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Vienna, Austria
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Burt T, Vuong LT, Baker E, Young GC, McCartt AD, Bergstrom M, Sugiyama Y, Combes R. Phase 0, including microdosing approaches: Applying the Three Rs and increasing the efficiency of human drug development. Altern Lab Anim 2019; 46:335-346. [PMID: 30657329 DOI: 10.1177/026119291804600603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Phase 0 approaches, including microdosing, involve the use of sub-therapeutic exposures to the tested drugs, thus enabling safer, more-relevant, quicker and cheaper first-in-human (FIH) testing. These approaches also have considerable potential to limit the use of animals in human drug development. Recent years have witnessed progress in applications, methodology, operations, and drug development culture. Advances in applications saw an expansion in therapeutic areas, developmental scenarios and scientific objectives, in, for example, protein drug development and paediatric drug development. In the operational area, the increased sensitivity of Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), expansion of the utility of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging, and the introduction of Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy (CRDS), have led to the increased accessibility and utility of Phase 0 approaches, while reducing costs and exposure to radioactivity. PET has extended the application of microdosing, from its use as a predominant tool to record pharmacokinetics, to a method for recording target expression and target engagement, as well as cellular and tissue responses. Advances in methodology include adaptive Phase 0/Phase 1 designs, cassette and cocktail microdosing, and Intra-Target Microdosing (ITM), as well as novel modelling opportunities and simulations. Importantly, these methodologies increase the predictive power of extrapolation from microdose to therapeutic level exposures. However, possibly the most challenging domain in which progress has been made, is the culture of drug development. One of the main potential values of Phase 0 approaches is the opportunity to terminate development early, thus not only applying the principle of 'kill-early-kill-cheap' to enhance the efficiency of drug development, but also obviating the need for the full package of animal testing required for therapeutic level Phase 1 studies. Finally, we list developmental scenarios that utilised Phase 0 approaches in novel drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tal Burt
- Burt Consultancy, LLC, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth Baker
- Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Graeme C Young
- Translational Medicine, Research, GSK, David Jack Centre for R&D, Ware, Hertfordshire, UK
| | | | - Mats Bergstrom
- Department of Pharmacology and PET-centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Yuichi Sugiyama
- Sugiyama Laboratory, RIKEN Innovation Center, RIKEN (The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research(, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
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