(Circulation. 1995;91:411-416.)
© 1995 American Heart Association, Inc.
Articles |
From the Department of Cardiovascular Diseases Research (J.A.S., N.F.H., A.K.S., B.B.T., N.S.N., L.P.F.) and the Department of Clinical Statistics, Searle, Skokie, Ill.
Correspondence to James A. Szalony, Searle, 4901 Searle Pkwy, Skokie, IL 60077.
| Abstract |
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-chain block the platelet
glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa receptor for fgn and effectively inhibit
aggregation. SC-54684A (SCp, orally active prodrug of the active moiety
SC-54701, SCa) is a mimetic of the RGD-containing peptide sequence that
is recognized by the platelet GPIIb/IIIa receptor. SCa blocks the
binding of fgn to the platelet and therefore prevents platelet
aggregation in response to all agonists. Methods and Results SCp was administered orally at 1.25, 2.5, 5.0, and 7.5 mg/kg in a single-dose, dose-ranging study. Blood samples were taken periodically for 24 hours, and platelet-rich plasma was prepared and tested for inhibition of ex vivo collagen-induced platelet aggregation. The plasma concentration of active moiety was determined by bioassay. The time, inhibition, and concentration data were used to predict two doses that would result in minimum daily inhibition levels of 30% and 70% when administered twice daily (0.6 and 2.4 mg/kg, respectively). SCp was administered orally to conscious dogs twice daily for 14 days (after dose adjustment). Blood samples were obtained at daily peak and trough plasma levels (predicted from dose-ranging study). Inhibition of ex vivo collagen-induced platelet aggregation and concentration of active moiety in the plasma were determined. Average inhibition of platelet aggregation and plasma concentration of active moiety amounted to approximately 21% and 14 ng/mL at 1.5 mg/kg BID and 75% and 24 ng/mL at 2.4 mg/kg BID at daily minimum plasma levels (trough) in steady state. Platelet counts in the 2.4-mg/kg group declined from 3.2x105/µL to 2.5x105/µL in the first 9 days of dosing, with no further decline despite continued administration of compound. No changes were observed in the animals receiving 1.5 mg/kg.
Conclusions The results of the dose-ranging study show that oral administration of SCp results in dose-dependent inhibition of platelet aggregation. As shown in the 14-day administration, this dose-dependent inhibition can be maintained for an extended period while exhibiting no adverse effects. SCp is a leading candidate for development and is currently in clinical trials.
Key Words: platelets thrombosis platelet aggregation inhibitors
| Introduction |
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Another approach to inhibiting platelet aggregation is to block
fibrinogen (fgn) binding to glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa on the membranes
of activated platelets using anti-GPIIb/IIIa antibodies or small,
nonpeptide mimetics of the RGDX sequence on the fgn
-chain. Because
fgn binding to GPIIb/IIIa on activated platelets is an obligatory step
in platelet aggregation,11 these molecules block
aggregation regardless of the activating stimulus. This mechanism
should afford these compounds greater benefit in the circulation, where
multiple stimuli are present (eg, exposed subendothelial collagen
in injured vessels or shear forces near atherosclerotic plaques).
SC-54684A (SCp) is a prodrug of a nonpeptide mimetic of the tetrapeptide RGDF. SCp is relatively inactive when tested in vitro but leads to inhibition of ex vivo platelet aggregation after oral administration. The active metabolite of SCp, SC-54701A (SCa), is a potent inhibitor of GPIIb/IIIa and exhibits specificity for this receptor with respect to other integrins.12 SCp has a greater oral bioavailability and longer duration of action than any agent of this class described in the literature to date.13 14 15 16 This report describes the use of SCp to maintain platelet inhibition in dogs over a 2-week period. We demonstrate the effects of repeated dosing and show that SCp leads to predictable and reversible antiplatelet effects. There were no serious adverse effects associated with administration of SCp.
The specificity, oral bioavailability, duration characteristics, and the apparent safety of SCp indicate that it has potential for clinical use as an oral agent for the prevention of platelet aggregation resulting in thrombosis. Based on these characteristics, SCp has been chosen as a leading candidate for development and is currently in clinical trials.
| Materials |
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| Methods |
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Bioassay
The concentration of the active agent (SCa) in
plasma was
estimated using plasma from treated dogs to inhibit aggregation in PRP
from donor dogs by the method of Salyers et al.17 Briefly,
blood was collected in citrate (9:1 vol/vol) from nontreated dogs and
centrifuged (500g, 3 minutes, x2) to yield PRP (platelet
count
4.0x108 platelets/mL). The remaining blood sample
was centrifuged at 1800g for 10 minutes to obtain PPP used
to set baseline in the aggregometer and for dilution of samples. Plasma
(225 µL) from treated dogs was mixed with 225 µL of PRP from donor
dogs and incubated for 2 minutes at 37°C in the aggregometer.
Collagen (50 µL, 333 µg/mL) was added, and aggregation was
monitored for an additional 4 minutes. Final percent aggregation was
recorded. Percent inhibition was calculated, and the concentration of
active compound in plasma from treated dogs was calculated by
comparison with the inhibition observed in a standard curve of plasma
to which had been added known amounts of SCa. If the sample plasma from
the treated animals produced
80% inhibition, the sample was diluted
with PPP to produce inhibition that was within the 20% to 80% range
of the standard curve.
Oral Administration
Dose Range Study
Eight dogs
were weighed and randomly divided into four groups of
two. Before administration of SCp, two blood samples (2x2 mL each)
were drawn by venipuncture from the cephalic vein of each animal.
Platelet aggregation was measured as described above. Aggregation in
these samples was used as the baseline (0% inhibition). SCp was
administered orally (single dose) by gelatin capsule. Four doses
(n=2/dose) were administered: 1.25, 2.5, 5.0, and 7.5 mg/kg. Blood
samples (2x2 mL) were collected at selected times for 14 hours and
again at 24 hours after dosing. Blood was centrifuged, and PRP was
prepared as described above. The remaining blood was centrifuged for 2
minutes at 12 000g to prepare PPP for determination of
concentration of active moiety in the plasma samples by bioassay (see
above). Inhibition of collagen-induced platelet aggregation was
determined by comparing aggregation responses in the samples after
compound administration with the responses of samples before compound
administration (baseline). Inhibition and plasma concentration data
were analyzed and, using the principle of superposition, two doses were
predicted that would lead to minimum daily inhibition of 30% or 70%
at the time of minimum plasma concentration (just before the morning
dose) when the compound was administered twice daily.
Extended Administration
Dogs were assigned to two
treatment groups (n=4/group). Control
aggregation was determined as stated previously. Treatment was by oral
administration of SCp in gelatin capsules and continued for 16 days. A
third group of four dogs received placebo and served as controls. Dogs
were dosed (initially one group received 0.6 mg/kg and the other
received 2.4 mg/kg BID) twice daily, at 7:30 AM and 3:30
PM. The study was designed to achieve plasma levels that
resulted in 30% and 70% inhibition in steady state at the time of
minimum plasma concentration, as predicted from the dose range study.
Blood samples were collected by venipuncture for determination of ex
vivo platelet aggregation, plasma concentration of active compound as
measured by bioassay, platelet count and platelet volume (as part of a
complete blood count, [CBC]), cell differentials, activated partial
thromboplastin time, prothrombin time, fibrinogen concentration, and
liver/kidney function (Table
). CBC was performed using a
Coulter S+IV using the manufacturer's reagents and recommended
procedures. Coagulation parameters were measured using a Biodata MCA
110 using the manufacturer's reagents and recommended procedures.
Liver function parameters were measured using a Cobas Fara I & II using
the manufacturer's reagents and recommended procedures (Roche
Diagnostic Systems Inc). Kidney function parameters were measured using
a Synchron AS/Astra 8 using the manufacturer's reagents and
recommended procedures (Beckman Instruments Inc). A repeated-measures
ANOVA was used to detect statistically significant differences in the
square roots of platelet counts between treated and control groups.
Blood samples were collected before initial dosing and during the
course of treatment at specified intervals. Samples to determine
minimum plasma concentration and inhibition were collected immediately
before morning dosing, 16 hours after previous dosing. Samples to
determine maximum plasma concentration and inhibition were collected 5
hours after administration of the morning dose (time of peak
concentration observed in the dose-ranging study). Aggregation
measurements were made each day for the first 3 days to ensure that the
targeted platelet inhibition levels were achieved. Dose adjustments
were made based on these aggregation measurements. After 2 days, the
0.6-mg/kg dose was adjusted upward to 1.2 mg/kg and then to 1.5 mg/kg
on day 3 because the inhibition of aggregation was less than predicted
by the dose-ranging study. Subsequent samples were obtained every third
day for a total of 17 days. Plasma samples collected for bioassay
throughout the study were frozen for subsequent analysis.
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| Results |
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Extended Administration
Platelet Inhibition
SCp
was administered to animals twice daily for 16 days.
Aggregation measurements performed on samples taken on day 17 indicated
that recovery of platelet function was in progress. Platelet function
was fully restored (no inhibition of aggregation) in all animals by day
20. Fig 2
illustrates the trough levels of platelet
inhibition for both the high-dose and low-dose groups at steady state.
During the steady-state period, average inhibition of platelet
aggregation at the high dose of 2.4 mg/kg BID amounted to 76±3%, and
average inhibition at the low dose of 1.5 mg/kg BID was 27±1%.
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No bleeding episodes, either spontaneous or after blood sampling, were observed in any of the animals. The time required to stop bleeding after venipuncture was not observed to be any longer in treated animals than in control dogs, even when platelet inhibition was 100%. Template bleeding times were not measured in the animals from the present study. A correlation of bleeding time and ex vivo platelet aggregation after treatment with SCa is presented by Nicholson et al.12
Plasma Concentrations
Steady-state trough plasma concentrations were 24±3 ng/mL and
14±1 ng/mL for the 2.4-mg/kg BID and the 1.5-mg/kg BID doses,
respectively (Fig 3a
). Fig 3b
illustrates peak
and
trough plasma levels of active compound after administration of 2.4
mg/kg BID. Peak plasma concentrations in these animals averaged 99±23
ng/mL over the 2-week, steady-state period.
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Hematologic
Profile
Fig 4
illustrates the results of platelet count
determinations during the study. Platelet count was reduced from about
320 000/µL before treatment to about 250 000/µL by day 9 in the
high-dose group. No further decrease was noted despite continued
dosing. Using a repeated-measures ANOVA, on average, square roots of
platelet counts in the 2.4-mg/kg BID group were found to be
significantly lower (P<.05) than those in the control group
on days 6 through 20. (The square root transformation was used to make
the data better suited for a formal statistical analysis.) Despite
the relative decrease, platelet counts in all dogs remained within the
normal range. No changes were seen in the low-dose group. Platelet
volumes were increased slightly (9.9 fL initial, 12.9 fL final) in the
high-dose group. No changes were seen in the low-dose group. Data
summarized in Fig 5
suggest an inverse relation between
platelet count and platelet volume. No changes were observed in any
other test in the CBC (data not shown). No changes were observed in the
blood coagulation parameters of prothrombin time, activated partial
thromboplastin time, or plasma fibrinogen concentrations (data not
shown).
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Clinical Chemistry
Liver and kidney
function data from blood samples taken before and
after the study during the long-term study were analyzed. Since it was
expected that any effects would be dose related, the observed
differences between the prestudy and poststudy values were analyzed by
a sequential trend testing strategy. Using this approach (for each
variable separately), the means in the placebo and 1.5-mg/kg group were
formally compared only if the difference between means in the placebo
and 2.4-mg/kg group was deemed statistically significant. Since the
direction of the drug effect (if any) was unknown, a two-sided trend
test was used (a trend analog of the Brown-Forsythe
test18 ). The only evidence of statistical significance in
terms of prestudy and poststudy differences was found in the comparison
placebo versus 2.4 mg/kg for albumin (31±1 and 31±1 versus
31±1 and
32±2; prestudy and poststudy, placebo versus 2.4 mg/kg, respectively.)
Data from other clinical chemistry tests did not exhibit any
differences and are not shown.
| Discussion |
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We demonstrated in our preliminary dose-ranging study that plasma levels of SCa (measured by bioassay) were proportional to dose in the range from 1.25 to 7.5 mg/kg. Pharmacokinetic predictions were used to define a regimen that would result in target plasma concentrations of SCa leading to the desired levels of platelet inhibition. Although the lower dose had to be adjusted twice, steady-state platelet inhibition for both doses was achieved after 4 days. These results demonstrate that a desired antiplatelet effect may be achieved quickly despite the steep dose-response curve exhibited by these compounds.12
The dosing regimen was designed to maintain specific levels of platelet inhibition at trough plasma concentrations of SCa (ie, the lowest concentrations during a 24-hour period). SCp was administered twice daily in an effort to minimize the difference between peak and trough plasma concentrations. After dosing, SCa concentrations, and subsequently, platelet inhibition, increased to a peak approximately 5 hours after dosing. However, at no time did SCa levels or inhibition fall below the desired targets. To maintain the target trough levels, peak levels of SCa were about four times those measured at the trough. For example, at the 2.4-mg/kg BID dose, plasma concentrations at peak were 99 ng/mL compared with 24 ng/mL at trough. The peak to trough ratio may be of interest because the potential for adverse effects is likely to increase with increasing plasma levels of active compound. Inhibition was 100% for only a portion of the day for both the 1.5- and 2.4-mg/kg doses. These doses gave the target levels of inhibition (27% and 76%) of collagen-induced platelet aggregation at trough levels.
In the present study, collagen was the only agonist used for platelet aggregation because it is the agonist routinely used in our ex vivo procedures. However, previous studies have shown that SCa is effective at inhibiting platelet aggregation resulting from several stimuli, including ADP,12 thrombin (in washed platelets), and electrical injury of the endothelium (data not shown).
Several parameters were monitored over the course of the study, in addition to the animals being observed for general condition. Platelet counts decreased in the group receiving the high dose for the first 9 days of the study, with subsequent counts being relatively constant. In addition, there was an increase in platelet volume that followed the same course as the decrease in platelet count. The causes and implications for this apparent relation are unknown. Kleiman et al22 reported thrombocytopenia in 6 of 54 patients receiving the antiplatelet antibody 7E3 Fab. Severe thrombocytopenia occurred in 2 of 54 patients but in none after a change in the procedure for handling the antibody. In the 4 less severe cases, the authors do not exclude the 7E3 Fab as a cause of the thrombocytopenia but do show that there is no common time course between the incidents. The effect of chronic inhibition of the GPIIb/IIIa receptor on platelet counts in humans remains to be determined. However, at no time in the present study did platelet counts fall below the normal range for the dog.
The only evidence of statistical significance in the clinical chemistry profile was an increase in the serum albumin levels of the 2.4-mg/kg animals. Because no change was observed in the 1.5-mg/kg group and the albumin levels in the high-dose group remained within the normal range for the dog, this increase was not considered biologically significant.
This report shows that an orally available compound based on the RGD sequence of fibrinogen can give persistent inhibition of ex vivo platelet aggregation. This inhibition is dose related and predictable from concentrations of active compound in the plasma. At doses and plasma concentrations resulting in 76% and 27% minimum daily inhibition of aggregation, only minor physiological effects (slight increase in platelet volume and decrease in platelet count and a statistically although not biologically significant increase in serum albumin concentration) were observed. No parameters fell outside of normal ranges for the dog. From this study, it is estimated that a dose of 2.0 mg/kg BID would provide a minimum of 50% inhibition of ex vivo platelet aggregation over a 24-hour period. However, it is not yet known what degree of inhibition will be required chronically to prevent thrombotic events.
Recent studies with the antiGPIIb/IIIa antibody 7E3 suggest that >90% inhibition of platelet aggregation is required to prevent acute thrombotic events in percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty,22 while studies with integrilin in unstable angina showed a significant reduction in ischemic events with 40% inhibition of aggregation.23 Further studies will be required to determine what level of inhibition will be required in both chronic and acute situations with this new class of platelet inhibitors. SCp is under development as an oral RGD mimetic antiplatelet agent and is currently in clinical trials.
Received May 27, 1994; accepted August 19, 1994.
| References |
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