Pharmacokinetics,metabolism, and excretion of nefopam,a dual reuptake inhibitor in healthy male volunteers

1.?The disposition of nefopam, a serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, was characterized in eight healthy male volunteers following a single oral dose of 75?mg [¹⁴C]-nefopam (100 μCi). Blood, urine, and feces were sampled for 168 h post-dose.

2.?Mean (±?SD) maximum blood and plasma radioactivity concentrations were 359?±?34.2 and 638?±?64.7 ngEq free base/g, respectively, at 2 h post-dose. Recovery of radioactive dose was complete (mean 92.6%); a mean of 79.3% and 13.4% of the dose was recovered in urine and feces, respectively.

3.?Three main radioactive peaks were observed in plasma (metabolites M2 A-D, M61, and M63). Intact [¹⁴C]-nefopam was less than 5% of the total radioactivity in plasma. In urine, the major metabolites were M63, M2 A-D, and M51 which accounted for 22.9%, 9.8%, and 8.1% of the dose, respectively. An unknown entity, M55, was the major metabolite in feces (4.6% of dose). Excretion of unchanged [¹⁴C]-nefopam was minimal.     

Disposition and metabolism of TAK-438 (vonoprazan fumarate), a novel potassium-competitive acid blocker,in rats and dogs

1.?Following oral administration of [¹⁴C]TAK-438, the radioactivity was rapidly absorbed in rats and dogs. The apparent absorption of the radioactivity was high in both species.

2.?After oral administration of [¹⁴C]TAK-438 to rats, the radioactivity in most tissues reached the maximum at 1-hour post-dose. By 168-hour post-dose, the concentrations of the radioactivity were at very low levels in nearly all the tissues. In addition, TAK-438F was the major component in the stomach, whereas TAK-438F was the minor component in the plasma and other tissues. High accumulation of TAK-438F in the stomach was observed after oral and intravenous administration.

3.?TAK-438F was a minor component in the plasma and excreta in both species. Its oxidative metabolite (M-I) and the glucuronide of a secondary metabolite formed by non-oxidative metabolism of M-I (M-II-G) were the major components in the rat and dog plasma, respectively. The glucuronide of M-I (M-I-G) and M-II-G were the major components in the rat bile and dog urine, respectively, and most components in feces were other unidentified metabolites.

4.?The administered radioactive dose was almost completely recovered. The major route of excretion of the drug-derived radioactivity was via the feces in rats and urine in dogs.     

Biotransformation and mass balance of faldaprevir,a hepatitis C NS3/NS4 protease inhibitor in rats

Abstract

1.?The metabolism, pharmacokinetics, excretion and tissue distribution of a hepatitis C NS3/NS4 protease inhibitor, faldaprevir, were studied in rats following a single 2?mg/kg intravenous or 10?mg/kg oral administration of [¹⁴C]-faldaprevir.

2.?Following intravenous dosing, the terminal elimination t_1/2 of plasma radioactivity was 1.75?h (males) and 1.74?h (females). Corresponding AUC_0–∞, CL and V_ss were 1920 and 1900?ngEq?·?h/mL, 18.3 and 17.7?mL/min/kg and 2.32 and 2.12?mL/kg for males and females, respectively.

3.?After oral dosing, t_1/2 and AUC_0–∞ for plasma radioactivity were 1.67 and 1.77?h and 11?300 and 17?900 ngEq?·?h/mL for males and females, respectively.

4.?In intact rats, ≥90.17% dose was recovered in feces and only ≤1.08% dose was recovered in urine for both iv and oral doses. In bile cannulated rats, 54.95, 34.32 and 0.27% dose was recovered in feces, bile and urine, respectively.

5.?Glucuronidation plays a major role in the metabolism of faldaprevir with minimal Phase I metabolism.

6.?Radioactivity was rapidly distributed into tissues after the oral dose with peak concentrations of radioactivity in most tissues at 6?h post-dose. The highest levels of radioactivity were observed in liver, lung, kidney, small intestine and adrenal gland.     

Metabolism,excretion and pharmacokinetics of [14C]glasdegib (PF-04449913) in healthy volunteers following oral administration

1.?The metabolism, excretion and pharmacokinetics of glasdegib (PF-04449913) were investigated following administration of a single oral dose of 100?mg/100 μCi [¹⁴C]glasdegib to six healthy male volunteers (NCT02110342).

2.?The peak concentrations of glasdegib (890.3?ng/mL) and total radioactivity (1043 ngEq/mL) occurred in plasma at 0.75?hours post-dose. The AUC_inf were 8469?ng.h/mL and 12,230 ngEq.h/mL respectively, for glasdegib and total radioactivity.

3.?Mean recovery of [¹⁴C]glasdegib-related radioactivity in excreta was 91% of the administered dose (49% in urine and 42% in feces). Glasdegib was the major circulating component accounting for 69% of the total radioactivity in plasma. An N-desmethyl metabolite and an N-glucuronide metabolite of glasdegib represented 8% and 7% of the circulating radioactivity, respectively. Glasdegib was the major excreted component in urine and feces, accounting for 17% and 20% of administered dose in the 0–120?hour pooled samples, respectively. Other metabolites with abundance <3% of the total circulating radioactivity or dose in plasma or excreta were hydroxyl metabolites, a desaturation metabolite, N-oxidation and O-glucuronide metabolites.

4.?Elimination of [¹⁴C]glasdegib-derived radioactivity was essentially complete, with similar contribution from urinary and fecal routes. Oxidative metabolism appears to play a significant role in the biotransformation of glasdegib.     

Absorption,metabolism and excretion of [14C]omarigliptin,a once-weekly DPP-4 inhibitor,in humans

1.?Omarigliptin (MARIZEV®) is a once-weekly DPP-4 inhibitor approved in Japan for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The objective of this study was to investigate the absorption, metabolism and excretion of omarigliptin in humans.

2.?Six healthy subjects received a single oral dose of 25?mg (2.1?μCi) [^14?C]omarigliptin. Blood, plasma, urine and fecal samples were collected at various intervals for up to 20?days post-dose. Radioactivity levels in excreta and plasma/blood samples were determined by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS).

3.?[^14?C]Omarigliptin was rapidly absorbed, with peak plasma concentrations observed at 0.5–2?h post-dose. The majority of the radioactivity was recovered in urine (～74.4% of the dose), with less recovered in feces (～3.4%), suggesting the compound was well absorbed.

4.?Omarigliptin was the major component in urine (～89% of the urinary radioactivity), indicating renal excretion of the unchanged drug as the primary clearance mechanism. Omarigliptin accounted for almost all the circulating radioactivity in plasma, with no major metabolites detected.

5.?The predominantly renal elimination pathway, combined with the fact that omarigliptin is not a substrate of key drug transporters, suggest omarigliptin is unlikely to be subject to pharmacokinetic drug-drug interactions with other commonly prescribed agents.     

Metabolic disposition of gefitinib,an epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor,in rat,dog and man

1.?Following oral administration of [¹⁴C]-gefitinib to albino and pigmented rats, radioactivity was widely and rapidly distributed, with the highest levels being found in liver, kidney, lung and gastrointestinal tract, but with only low levels penetrating the brain. Levels of radioactivity persisted in melanin-containing tissues (pigmented eye and skin).

2.?Binding to plasma proteins was high (86–94%) across the range of species examined and was 91% in human plasma. Substantial binding occurred to both human serum albumin and α-1 acid glycoprotein.

3.?Following oral and intravenous administration of [¹⁴C]-gefitinib, excretion of radioactivity by rat, dog and human occurred predominantly via the bile into faeces, with <7% of the dose being eliminated in urine.

4.?In all three species, gefitinib was cleared primarily by metabolism. In rat, morpholine ring oxidation was the major route of metabolism, leading to the formation of M537194 and M608236 as the main biliary metabolites. Morpholine ring oxidation, together with production of M523595 by O-demethylation of the quinazoline moiety, were the predominant pathways in dog, with oxidative defluorination also occurring to a lesser degree.

5.?Pathways in healthy human volunteers were similar to dog, with O-demethylation and morpholine ring oxidation representing the major routes of metabolism.     

Disposition and metabolism of [14C]PTZ601 in healthy volunteers

1.?Six healthy male subjects were given a single dose of 500 mg of [14C]PTZ601 (mean radioactivity 79.2 μCi) by intravenous (IV) infusion over 1 h, and observed for 5 days post-dose during which pharmacokinetic (PK) samples were collected. Plasma PTZ601 concentrations and metabolite identification were determined using LC-MS/MS; PK parameters were estimated by non-compartmental analysis. Excretion and mass balance were determined with liquid scintillation analysis and metabolites profiling was characterized by HPLC online radiochemical detection.

2.?The disposition of PTZ601 was best described by a fast absorption, followed by a biphasic elimination phase. Peak PTZ601 plasma concentrations were reached within 0.5–1 h. The mean elimination half-life was 1.6 h and clearance was 13 L/h.

3.?Recovery of the radioactivity dose was complete (mean 92%). The main route of excretion (parent and metabolites) was the renal route, as urine accounted for 69–77%, while feces only 13–22%, of the total radioactivity.

4.?The majority of the drug was excreted in urine as multiple open ring metabolites: M17.3 (oxidative ring-opened product) and M22.2 (di-cysteine conjugate of 17.3); unchanged PTZ601 in urine contributed to 15% of radioactivity. The major metabolites detected in plasma were M17.3, M12.8 (acetylated M17.3), M22.2, and M41.4 (methylated M17.3).

5.?PTZ601 was well tolerated.     

Pharmacokinetics,metabolism and excretion of [14C]-lanicemine (AZD6765), a novel low-trapping N-methyl-d-aspartic acid receptor channel blocker,in healthy subjects

Abstract

1.?(1S)-1-phenyl-2-(pyridin-2-yl)ethanamine (lanicemine; AZD6765) is a low-trapping N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) channel blocker that has been studied as an adjunctive treatment in major depressive disorder. The metabolism and disposition of lanicemine was determined in six healthy male subjects after a single intravenous infusion dose of 150?mg [¹⁴C]-lanicemine.

2.?Blood, urine and feces were collected from all subjects. The ratios of C_max and AUC_(0–∞) of lanicemine to plasma total radioactivity were 84 and 66%, respectively, indicating that lanicemine was the major circulating component with T_1/2 at 16?h. The plasma clearance of lanicemine was 8.3?L/h, revealing that lanicemine is a low-clearance compound. The mean recovery of radioactivity from urine was 93.8% of radioactive dose.

3.?In urine samples, 10 metabolites of lanicemine were identified. Among which, an O-glucuronide conjugate (M1) was the most abundant metabolite (～11% of the dose in excreta). In plasma, the circulatory metabolites were identified as a para-hydroxylated metabolite (M1), an O-glucuronide (M2), an N-carbamoyl glucuronide (M3) and an N-acetylated metabolite (M6). The average amount of each of metabolite was less than 4% of total radioactivity detected in plasma or urine.

4.?In conclusion, lanicemine is a low-clearance compound. The unchanged drug and metabolites are predominantly eliminated via urinary excretion.     

Clinical disposition,metabolism and in vitro drug–drug interaction properties of omadacycline

1.?Absorption, distribution, metabolism, transport and elimination properties of omadacycline, an aminomethylcycline antibiotic, were investigated in vitro and in a study in healthy male subjects.

2.?Omadacycline was metabolically stable in human liver microsomes and hepatocytes and did not inhibit or induce any of the nine cytochrome P450 or five transporters tested. Omadacycline was a substrate of P-glycoprotein, but not of the other transporters.

3.?Omadacycline metabolic stability was confirmed in six healthy male subjects who received a single 300?mg oral dose of [¹⁴C]-omadacycline (36.6 μCi). Absorption was rapid with peak radioactivity (～610 ngEq/mL) between 1–4?h in plasma or blood. The AUC_last of plasma radioactivity (only quantifiable to 8?h due to low radioactivity) was 3096 ngEq?h/mL and apparent terminal half-life was 11.1?h. Unchanged omadacycline reached peak plasma concentrations (～563?ng/mL) between 1–4?h. Apparent plasma half-life was 17.6?h with biphasic elimination. Plasma exposure (AUC_inf) averaged 9418?ng?h/mL, with high clearance (CL/F, 32.8?L/h) and volume of distribution (Vz/F 828?L). No plasma metabolites were observed.

4.?Radioactivity recovery of the administered dose in excreta was complete (>95%); renal and fecal elimination were 14.4% and 81.1%, respectively. No metabolites were observed in urine or feces, only the omadacycline C4-epimer.     

Absorption,distribution, metabolism and excretion of gemigliptin,a novel dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitor,in rats

Abstract

1.?The absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of a novel dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitor, gemigliptin, were examined following single oral administration of ¹⁴C-labeled gemigliptin to rats.

2.?The ¹⁴C-labeled gemigliptin was rapidly absorbed after oral administration, and its bioavailability was 95.2% (by total radioactivity). Distribution to specific tissues other than the digestive organs was not observed. Within 7 days after oral administration, 43.6% of the administered dose was excreted via urine and 41.2% was excreted via feces. Biliary excretion of the radioactivity was about 17.7% for the first 24?h. After oral administration of gemigliptin to rats, the in vivo metabolism of gemigliptin was investigated with bile, urine, feces, plasma and liver samples.

3.?The major metabolic pathway was hydroxylation, and the major circulating metabolites were a dehydrated metabolite (LC15-0516) and hydroxylated metabolites (LC15-0635 and LC15-0636).     

Pharmacokinetics and metabolite profiling of fimasartan,a novel antihypertensive agent,in rats

Abstract

1.?The objectives of this study were to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and metabolism of fimasartan in rats.

2.?Unlabeled fimasartan or radiolabeled [¹⁴C]fimasartan was dosed by intravenous injection or oral administration to rats. Concentrations of unlabeled fimasartan in the biological samples were determined by a validated LC/MS/MS assay. Total radioactivity was quantified by liquid scintillation counting and the radioactivity associated with the metabolites was analyzed by using the radiochemical detector. Metabolite identification was conducted by product ion scanning using LC/MS/MS.

3.?After oral administration of [¹⁴C]fimasartan, total radioactivity was found primarily in feces. In bile duct cannulated rats, 58.8?±?14.4% of the radioactive dose was excreted via bile after oral dosing. Major metabolites of fimasartan including the active metabolite, desulfo-fimasartan, were identified, yet none represented more than 7.2% of the exposure of the parent drug. Fimasartan was rapidly and extensively absorbed and had an oral bioavailability of 32.7–49.6% in rats. Fimasartan plasma concentrations showed a multi-exponential decline after oral administration. Double peaks and extended terminal half-life were observed, which was likely caused by enterohepatic recirculation.

4.?These results provide better understanding on the pharmacokinetics of fimasartan and may aid further development of fimasartan analogs.     

Preclinical metabolism and disposition of luseogliflozin,a novel antihyperglycemic agent

Abstract

1. We investigated the metabolism and disposition of luseogliflozin, a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, in rats and dogs, as well as in vitro metabolism in rats, dogs and humans. In addition, we studied its localization in the rat kidney.

2. [¹⁴C]Luseogliflozin was rapidly and well absorbed (>86% of the dose) after oral administration to rats and dogs. The drug-derived radioactivity was mainly excreted via the feces in both species.

3.?The predominant radioactivity component in the excreta was associated with the metabolites, with only a minor fraction of unchanged luseogliflozin. The major metabolites were two glucuronides (M8 and M16) in the rats, and the O-deethylated form (M2) and other oxidative metabolites (M3 and M17) in the dogs.

4. The in vitro metabolism in dog and human hepatocytes was significantly slower than that in the rat hepatocytes. The biotransformation in animal hepatocytes was similar to that observed in vivo. Incubation with human hepatocytes resulted in the formation of metabolites, including M2, M3, M8 and M17, via multiple metabolic pathways.

5. [¹⁴C]Luseogliflozin was well-distributed to its target organ, the kidney, and was found to be localized in the renal cortex, which shows SGLT2 expression. This characteristic distribution was inhibited by preinjection of phlorizin, an SGLT inhibitor, suggesting that the renal radioactivity was associated with SGLT2.     

The comparative disposition and metabolism of dolutegravir,a potent HIV-1 integrase inhibitor,in mice,rats, and monkeys

Abstract

1.?Plasma clearance of dolutegravir, an unboosted HIV-1 integrase inhibitor, was low in rat and monkey (0.23 and 2.12?mL/min/kg, respectively) as was the volume of distribution (0.1 and 0.28?L/kg, respectively) with terminal elimination half-life approximately 6?h. Dolutegravir was rapidly absorbed from oral solution with a high bioavailability in rat and monkey (75.6 and 87.0% respectively), but solubility or dissolution rate limited when administered as suspension.

2.?Dolutegravir was highly bound (>99%) to serum proteins in rat and monkey, similar to binding to plasma and serum proteins in human. Radioactivity was associated with the plasma versus cellular components of blood across all species.

3.?Following oral administration to rats, [¹⁴C]dolutegravir-related radioactivity was distributed to most tissues, due in part to high permeability; however, because of high plasma protein binding, tissue to blood ratios were low. In mouse, rat and monkey, the absorbed dose was extensively metabolized and secreted into bile, with the majority of the administered radioactivity eliminated in feces within 24?h.

4.?The primary route of metabolism of dolutegravir was through the formation of an ether glucuronide. Additional biotransformation pathways: benzylic oxidation followed by hydrolysis to an N-dealkylated product, glucose conjugation, oxidative defluorination, and glutathione conjugation.     

Structure identification and elucidation of mosapride metabolites in human urine,feces and plasma by ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method

Abstract

1.?Mosapride citrate (mosapride) is a potent gastroprokinetic agent. The only previous study on mosapride metabolism in human reported one phase I oxidative metabolite, des-p-fluorobenzyl mosapride, in human plasma and urine using HPLC method. Our aim was to identify mosapride phase I and phase II metabolites in human urine, feces and plasma using UPLC-ESI-MS/MS.

2.?A total of 16 metabolites were detected. To the best of our knowledge, 15 metabolites have not been reported previously in human.

3.?Two new metabolites, morpholine ring-opened mosapride (M15) and mosapride N-oxide (M16), alone with one known major metabolite, des-p-fluorobenzyl mosapride (M3), were identified by comparison with the reference standards prepared by our group. The chemical structures of seven phase I and six phase II metabolites of mosapride were elucidated based on UPLC–MS/MS analyses.

4.?There were two major phase I reactions, dealkylation and morpholine ring cleavage. Phase II reactions included glucuronide, glucose and sulfate conjugation. The comprehensive metabolic pathway of mosapride in human was proposed for the first time.

5.?The metabolites in humans were compared with those in rats reported previously. In addition to M10, the other 15 metabolites in humans were also found in rats. This result suggested that there was little qualitative species difference in the metabolism of mosapride between rats and humans.

6.?In all, 16 mosapride metabolites including 15 new metabolites were reported. These results allow a better understanding of mosapride disposition in human.     

Absorption,metabolism and excretion of cobimetinib,an oral MEK inhibitor,in rats and dogs

1.?The absorption, metabolism and excretion of cobimetinib, an allosteric inhibitor of MEK1/2, was characterized in mass balance studies following single oral administration of radiolabeled (¹⁴C) cobimetinib to Sprague–Dawley rats (30?mg/kg) and Beagle dogs (5?mg/kg).

2.?The oral dose of cobimetinib was well absorbed (81% and 71% in rats and dogs, respectively). The maximal plasma concentrations for cobimetinib and total radioactivity were reached at 2–3?h post-dose. Drug-derived radioactivity was fully recovered (～90% of the administered dose) with the majority eliminated in feces via biliary excretion (78% of the dose for rats and 65% for dogs). The recoveries were nearly complete after the first 48?h following dosing.

3.?The metabolic profiles indicated extensive metabolism of cobimetinib prior to its elimination. For rats, the predominant metabolic pathway was hydroxylation at the aromatic core. Lower exposures for cobimetinib and total radioactivity were observed in male rats compared with female rats, which was consistent to in vitro higher clearance of cobimetinib for male rats. For dogs, sequential oxidative reactions occurred at the aliphatic portion of the molecule. Though rat metabolism was well-predicted in vitro with liver microsomes, dog metabolism was not.

4.?Rats and dogs were exposed to the two major human circulating Phase II metabolites, which provided relevant metabolite safety assessment. In general, the extensive sequential oxidative metabolism in dogs, and not the aromatic hydroxylation in rats, was more indicative of the metabolism of cobimetinib in humans.     

The metabolism and pharmacokinetics of [14C]-S-777469, a new cannabinoid receptor 2 selective agonist,in healthy human subjects

Abstract

1.?The metabolism and pharmacokinetics of S-777469 were investigated after a single oral administration of [¹⁴C]-S-777469 to healthy human subjects.

2.?Total radioactivity was rapidly and well absorbed in humans, with C_max of 11?308?ng eq. of S-777469/ml at 4.0?h. The AUC_inf ratio of unchanged S-777469 to total radioactivity was approximately 30%, indicating that S-777469 was extensively metabolized in humans.

3.?The metabolite profiling in human plasma showed that S-777469 5-carboxymethyl (5-CA) and S-777469 5-hydroxymethyl (5-HM) were the main circulating metabolites, and the AUC_inf ratio of 5-CA and 5-HM to total radioactivity were 24 and 9.1%, respectively. These data suggest that S-777469 was subsequently metabolized to 5-CA in humans although the production amount of 5-CA was extremely low in human hepatocytes.

4.?Total radioactivity was mainly excreted via the feces, with 5-CA and 5-HM being the main excretory metabolites in feces and urine. Urinary excretion of 5-CA was comparable with that of 5-HM, whereas fecal excretion of 5-CA was lower than that of 5-HM.

5.?In conclusion, the current mass balance study revealed the metabolic and pharmacokinetic properties of S-777469 in humans. These data should be useful to judge whether or not the safety testing of metabolite of S-777469 is necessary.     

Identification of domperidone metabolites in plasma and urine of gastroparesis patients with LC–ESI-MS/MS

Abstract

1. Domperidone is a prokinetic agent used to treat gastroparesis. Previous studies reported oxidative metabolites of domperidone, detected by radiometric high-performance liquid chromatography or single quadrupole mass spectrometric techniques. Our aim was to identify domperidone Phase I and Phase II metabolites using liquid chromatography combined with electrospray ionization-enabled tandem mass spectrometry.

2. Domperidone metabolites were identified in the plasma and urine of 11 gastroparesis patients currently being treated with domperidone. In addition, oxidative and conjugative metabolites of domperidone were characterized in human liver subcellular fractions.

3. Seven metabolites were detected in vivo. Domperidone was metabolized to two mono-hydroxylated metabolites (M1 and M2), a de-alkylated metabolite (M5) and a di-hydroxylated metabolite (M7). The mono-hydroxylated metabolites were further glucuronidated to M8, M9 and sulfated to M11. To the best of our knowledge, M7, M8, M9 and M11 have not been reported previously. Five additional metabolites were identified in vitro in human subcellular fractions which comprise two additional mono-hydroxylated metabolites (M3 and M4), an alcohol metabolite (M6) possibly formed from an aldehyde intermediate, and other conjugative metabolites (M10 and M12). M6, M10 and M12 have not been characterized previously.

4. In total, 12 domperidone metabolites including 7 new metabolites were identified in the present study. These results allow a better understanding of domperidone disposition in humans.     

Pharmacokinetics of gefitinib,an epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor,in rat and dog

1.?The pharmacokinetics of gefitinib and its metabolites in rat and dog were investigated in preclinical studies conducted to support the safety evaluation and clinical development of gefitinib, the first EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer.

2.?Following intravenous dosing (5?mg?kg^?1), gefitinib plasma half-life was 3–6?h in rats and dogs, although studies using a more sensitive HPLC-MS assay produced longer estimates of half-life (7–14?h).

3.?In these studies, plasma clearance was high (male rat: 25?ml?min^?1?kg^?1; female rat: 16?ml?min^?1?kg^?1; male dog: 16?ml?min^?1?kg^?1), as was the volume of distribution (8.0–10.4?l?kg^?1 in rat; 6.3?l?kg^?1 in dog), and exposure in female rats was double that in males.

4.?Following administration of [¹⁴C]-gefitinib, concentrations of radioactivity in plasma exceeded gefitinib throughout the profile, indicating the presence of circulating metabolites in both rat and dog.

5.?An HPLC-MS assay was developed to measure concentrations of gefitinib and five potential metabolites in plasma. All five metabolites were detected in the rat, but at levels much lower than gefitinib. In the dog, exposure to gefitinib and M523595 was similar, with much lower concentrations of M537194 and only trace levels of the other metabolites. This profile of metabolites is similar to that observed in man.     

Metabolic disposition of enciprazine,a non-benzodiazepine anxiolytic drug,in rat,dog and man

1. The excretion and metabolism of enciprazine, an anxiolytic drug, was examined in rat, dog and man.

2. In rats and dogs that received ¹⁴C-enciprazine dihydrochloride orally and by i.v. injection, the drug was well absorbed. Radioactivity was excreted predominantly in the faeces of rats, equally in urine and faeces of dogs, and to a major extent in human urine.

3. Metabolic profiles, which were evaluated in urine and in rat bile, were similar following oral and i.v. dosing to rats and dogs.

4. Unchanged drug was not detected in rat, dog or human excreta. Glucuronide conjugates of 4-hydroxyenciprazine, m-desmethylenciprazine, p-desmethylenciprazine and enciprazine were detected in the excreta of all three species. A glycol metabolite was present only in rat bile and human urine. A metabolite desmethylated in the phenyl ring of the phenylpiperazine moiety also appeared to be present only in human urine.

5. Structural confirmation of the major metabolites in human urine and rat bile was accomplished by?h.p.l.c.-mass spectrometry.     

Absorption,metabolism and excretion of darexaban (YM150), a new direct factor Xa inhibitor in humans

1.?The absorption, metabolism and excretion of darexaban (YM150), a novel oral direct factor Xa inhibitor, were investigated after a single oral administration of [¹⁴C]darexaban maleate at a dose of 60?mg in healthy male human subjects.

2.?[¹⁴C]Darexaban was rapidly absorbed, with both blood and plasma concentrations peaking at approximately 0.75?h post-dose. Plasma concentrations of darexaban glucuronide (M1), the pharmacological activity of which is equipotent to darexaban in vitro, also peaked at approximately 0.75?h.

3.?Similar amounts of dosed radioactivity were excreted via faeces (51.9%) and urine (46.4%) by 168?h post-dose, suggesting that at least approximately half of the administered dose is absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract.

4.?M1 was the major drug-related component in plasma and urine, accounting for up to 95.8% of radioactivity in plasma. The N-oxides of M1, a mixture of two diastereomers designated as M2 and M3, were also present in plasma and urine, accounting for up to 13.2% of radioactivity in plasma. In faeces, darexaban was the major drug-related component, and N-demethyl darexaban (M5) was detected as a minor metabolite.

5.?These findings suggested that, following oral administration of darexaban in humans, M1 is quickly formed during first-pass metabolism via UDP-glucuronosyltransferases, exerting its pharmacological activity in blood before being excreted into urine and faeces.