Pharmacokinetic analysis and antitumor efficacy of MKT-077, a novel antitumor agent

MKT-077 (1-ethyl-2-{[3-ethyl-5-(3-methylbenzothiazolin-2-yliden)]-4-oxothiazolidin-2-ylidenemethyl} pyridinium chloride), a novel rhodacyanine dye in phase I/II clinical trials, may provide a new approach to cancer therapy based on the accumulation in the mitochondria of the cells of certain carcinomas, for example, those of the colon, breast and pancreas. To support the development of MKT-077 for clinical application as an intravenous (i.v.) therapy, we investigated the metabolic fate of [¹⁴C]MKT-077 in BDF1 mice as well as the distribution of MKT-077 in experimental LS174T tumor-bearing mice using a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. The plasma levels of ¹⁴C after i.v. administration of [¹⁴C]MKT-077 declined in a triphasic manner. In the first distribution phase, the levels of ¹⁴C decreased with a T_1/2 of ∼5 min. In the second and terminal phase, the T_1/2 of ¹⁴C was 2.8–4.6 h and 16.2 h, respectively. C_max (1 min after injection) increased from 0.3 to 1.5 μg/ml linearly, but less than proportionately between the doses. The AUC_(0–∞) at 0.3, 1 and 3 mg/kg were 0.030 ± 0.002, 0.60 ± 0.12 and 1.73 ± 0.25 μg · h/ml, respectively. Plasma clearance was ∼1.8 l/h per kg (at doses of 1 and 3 mg/kg). The steady state volume of distribution (6.8 and 25.1 l/kg) indicated that MKT-077 distributed as a lipid-soluble molecule. The mean residence time (MRT) was 4.1 (at a dose of 1 mg/kg) and 14.1 h (at a dose of 3 mg/kg). In the first rapid phase (5 min after dosing), ¹⁴C radioactivity was detected in most of the tissues and organs, most strongly in the kidney cortex, and not in the central nervous system and testes. In the terminal phase (24 h after dosing), ¹⁴C contents increased in the intestinal tract, and in the kidney and liver were nearly to the background level. After i.v. bolus administration at a dose of 3 mg/kg of [¹⁴C]MKT-077, the predominant route of elimination of the radioactivity was via the feces, and recoveries of total radioactivity in urine and feces corresponded to 33.5% and 61.1%, respectively. More than 60% was recovered within 24 h and 95% within 1 week. MKT-077 was primarily excreted in unmetabolized form with five unidentified metabolites found in the urine and plasma. Intact MKT-077 was retained in the tumor tissue longer than in plasma and kidney in LS174T tumor-bearing mice receiving MKT-077 at an i.v. therapeutic dose (10 mg/kg). This accumulation decreased very slowly, suggesting that the high membrane potentials of tumor cell mitochondria may help retain the drug in tumors. Received: 4 February 1998 / Accepted: 29 June 1998