Alogliptin

Chemical formula: C₁₈H₂₁N₅O₂  Molecular mass: 339.392 g/mol  PubChem compound: 11450633

Pharmacodynamic properties

Alogliptin is a potent and highly selective inhibitor of DPP-4, >10,000-fold more selective for DPP-4 than other related enzymes including DPP-8 and DPP-9. DPP-4 is the principal enzyme involved in the rapid degradation of the incretin hormones, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide), which are released by the intestine and levels are increased in response to a meal. GLP-1 and GIP increases insulin biosynthesis and secretion from pancreatic beta cells, while GLP-1 also inhibits glucagon secretion and hepatic glucose production. Alogliptin therefore improves glycaemic control via a glucose-dependent mechanism, whereby insulin release is enhanced and glucagon levels are suppressed when glucose levels are high.

Pharmacokinetic properties

The pharmacokinetics of alogliptin has been shown to be similar in healthy subjects and in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Absorption

The absolute bioavailability of alogliptin is approximately 100%.

Administration with a high-fat meal resulted in no change in total and peak exposure to alogliptin. Alogliptin may, therefore, be administered with or without food.

After administration of single, oral doses of up to 800 mg in healthy subjects, alogliptin was rapidly absorbed with peak plasma concentrations occurring 1 to 2 hours (median Tmax) after dosing.

No clinically relevant accumulation after multiple dosing was observed in either healthy subjects or in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Total and peak exposure to alogliptin increased proportionately across single doses of 6.25 mg up to 100 mg alogliptin (covering the therapeutic dose range). The inter-subject coefficient of variation for alogliptin AUC was small (17%).

Distribution

Following a single intravenous dose of 12.5 mg alogliptin to healthy subjects, the volume of distribution during the terminal phase was 417 L indicating that the active substance is well distributed into tissues.

Alogliptin is 20-30% bound to plasma proteins.

Biotransformation

Alogliptin does not undergo extensive metabolism, 60-70% of the dose is excreted as unchanged active substance in the urine. Two minor metabolites were detected following administration of an oral dose of [14C] alogliptin, N-demethylated alogliptin, M-I (<1% of the parent compound), and N-acetylated alogliptin, M-II (<6% of the parent compound). M-I is an active metabolite and is a highly selective inhibitor of DPP-4 similar to alogliptin; M-II does not display any inhibitory activity towards DPP-4 or other DPP-related enzymes. In vitro data indicate that CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 contribute to the limited metabolism of alogliptin.

In vitro studies indicate that alogliptin does not induce CYP1A2, CYP2B6 and CYP2C9 and does not inhibit CYP1A2, CYP2B6, CYP2C8, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6 or CYP3A4 at concentrations achieved with the recommended dose of 25 mg alogliptin. Studies in vitro have shown alogliptin to be a mild inducer of CYP3A4, but alogliptin has not been shown to induce CYP3A4 in studies in vivo.

In studies in vitro, alogliptin was not an inhibitor of the following renal transporters; OAT1, OAT3 and OCT2.

Alogliptin exists predominantly as the (R)-enantiomer (>99%) and undergoes little or no chiral conversion in vivo to the (S)-enantiomer. The (S)-enantiomer is not detectable at therapeutic doses.

Elimination

Alogliptin was eliminated with a mean terminal half-life (T1/2) of approximately 21 hours.

Following administration of an oral dose of [14C] alogliptin, 76% of total radioactivity was eliminated in the urine and 13% was recovered in the faeces.

The average renal clearance of alogliptin (170 mL/min) was greater than the average estimated glomerular filtration rate (approx. 120 mL/min), suggesting some active renal excretion.

Time-dependency

Total exposure (AUC(0-inf)) to alogliptin following administration of a single dose was similar to exposure during one dose interval (AUC(0-24)) after 6 days of once daily dosing. This indicates no time-dependency in the kinetics of alogliptin after multiple dosing.

Special populations

Renal impairment

A single-dose of 50 mg alogliptin was administered to 4 groups of patients with varying degrees of renal impairment (CrCl using the Cockcroft-Gault formula): mild (CrCl = >50 to ≤80 mL/min), moderate (CrCl = ≥30 to ≤50 mL/min), severe (CrCl = <30 mL/min) and end-stage renal disease on haemodialysis.

An approximate 1.7-fold increase in AUC for alogliptin was observed in patients with mild renal impairment. However, as the distribution of AUC values for alogliptin in these patients was within the same range as control subjects, no dose adjustment for patients with mild renal impairment is necessary.

In patients with moderate or severe renal impairment, or end-stage renal disease on haemodialysis, an increase in systemic exposure to alogliptin of approximately 2- and 4-fold was observed, respectively. (Patients with end-stage renal disease underwent haemodialysis immediately after alogliptin dosing. Based on mean dialysate concentrations, approximately 7% of the active substance was removed during a 3-hour haemodialysis session.) Therefore, in order to maintain systemic exposures to alogliptin that are similar to those observed in patients with normal renal function, lower doses of alogliptin should be used in patients with moderate or severe renal impairment, or end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis.

Hepatic impairment

Total exposure to alogliptin was approximately 10% lower and peak exposure was approximately 8% lower in patients with moderate hepatic impairment compared to healthy control subjects. The magnitude of these reductions was not considered to be clinically relevant. Therefore, no dose adjustment is necessary for patients with mild to moderate hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh scores of 5 to 9). Alogliptin has not been studied in patients with severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh score >9).

Age, gender, race, body weight

Age (65-81 years old), gender, race (white, black and Asian) and body weight did not have any clinically relevant effect on the pharmacokinetics of alogliptin. No dose adjustment is necessary.

Paediatric population

The pharmacokinetics of alogliptin following oral doses of alogliptin benzoate were evaluated in children with type 2 diabetes mellitus aged 10 to 17 years. Based on the population pharmacokinetic analysis, the mean paediatric exposures were modestly lower i.e. less than 25% difference with AUCτ and Cmax of adult exposures following multiple daily 25 mg doses. The body weight range was from 54.5 to 195 kg in children and from 71.7 to 130 kg in adults.

Preclinical safety data

Nonclinical data reveal no special hazard for humans based on conventional studies of safety pharmacology and toxicology.

The no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) in the repeated dose toxicity studies in rats and dogs up to 26 and 39 weeks in duration, respectively, produced exposure margins that were approximately 147- and 227-fold, respectively, the exposure in humans at the recommended dose of 25 mg alogliptin.

Alogliptin was not genotoxic in a standard battery of in vitro and in vivo genotoxicity studies.

Alogliptin was not carcinogenic in 2-year carcinogenicity studies conducted in rats and mice. Minimal to mild simple transitional cell hyperplasia was seen in the urinary bladder of male rats at the lowest dose used (27 times the human exposure) without establishment of a clear NOEL (no observed effect level).

No adverse effects of alogliptin were observed upon fertility, reproductive performance, or early embryonic development in rats up to a systemic exposure far above the human exposure at the recommended dose. Although fertility was not affected, a slight, statistical increase in the number of abnormal sperm was observed in males at an exposure far above the human exposure at the recommended dose.

Placental transfer of alogliptin occurs in rats.

Alogliptin was not teratogenic in rats or rabbits with a systemic exposure at the NOAELs far above the human exposure at the recommended dose. Higher doses of alogliptin were not teratogenic but resulted in maternal toxicity, and were associated with delayed and/or lack of ossification of bones and decreased foetal body weights.

In a pre- and postnatal development study in rats, exposures far above the human exposure at the recommended dose did not harm the developing embryo or affect offspring growth and development. Higher doses of alogliptin decreased offspring body weight and exerted some developmental effects considered secondary to the low body weight.

Studies in lactating rats indicate that alogliptin is excreted in milk.

No alogliptin-related effects were observed in juvenile rats following repeat-dose administration for 4 and 8 weeks.

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