BACKGROUND: Iguratimod is a new type of disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug, which reduced the production of inflammatory cytokines. The purpose of this study was to evaluate pharmacokinetic characteristics and safety profiles of iguratimod after a single oral administration in healthy Korean volunteers. METHODS: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group, single oral dose study was conducted in 24 healthy male volunteers. Three groups of eight subjects each received 25 mg, 50 mg, or 100 mg dosage, respectively. Two subjects in each dose group were administered matching placebo. Plasma concentrations of iguratimod were measured till 72 hours after drug administration. Tolerability was evaluated by monitoring adverse events, clinical laboratory tests, and 12-lead electrocardiograms. RESULTS: The mean area under the concentration-time curve from 0 to 72 hours (AUClast) were 11.9, 25.2, and 51.8 mg x h/L and the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) were 1.15, 2.33, and 4.78 mg/L in 25, 50 and 100 mg dose groups, respectively. All doses of iguratimod were well tolerated without serious adverse events or clinically meaningful changes. CONCLUSION: Cmax and AUClast values of iguratimod proportionally increased with incremental dose. Iguratimod was generally safe and well tolerated.
Administration, Oral* ; Cytokines ; Electrocardiography ; Humans ; Male ; Pharmacokinetics* ; Plasma

BACKGROUND: JES9501 is dehydroevodiamine, the extract of Evodia rutaecarpa, expected to be a new therapeutic for Alzheimer disease. This study aims to investigate the pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD) and safety of JES9501 after single or multiple dosing. METHODS: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, dose ascending, parallel study was conducted in healthy subjects. A single dose of JES9501 50.100.200.400 or 800 mg and multiple doses of JES9501 100.200 or 400 mg once-daily for 7days was administered. Serial blood and urine samples for PK evaluation were collected. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was measured for PD evaluation in multiple dose group. RESULTS: In the single dose study, means of dose-normalized peak concentration (Cmax) of 100.200.400 and 800 mg dose group are comparable except 50 mg dose group. Means of dose-normalized area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) from dosing to the last quantifiable concentration of corresponding dose group were similar. At steady state in the multiple dose study, means of dose-normalized Cmax and AUC for dosing interval of 100.200 and 400 mg dose group decreased as the dose increased, however those were not relevant. There was no significant difference of AChE activity between three dosage groups and placebo group. Adverse events related to study drug were all mild and there were no remarkable findings. CONCLUSION: JES9501 was safe and well-tolerated after single or multiple doses in healthy male subjects. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the PK of optimized dosage form and to prove the drug effect in clinical trials for Alzheimer disease patients.
Acetylcholinesterase ; Administration, Oral* ; Alzheimer Disease ; Area Under Curve ; Dosage Forms ; Evodia ; Humans ; Male ; Pharmacokinetics* ; Plasma

In this report, we present a case study of how pharmacogenomics and pharmacometabolomics can be useful to characterize safety and pharmacokinetic profiles in early phase new drug development clinical trials. During conducting a first-in-human trial for a new molecular entity, we were able to determine the mechanism of dichotomized variability in plasma drug concentrations, which appeared closely related to adverse drug reactions (ADRs) through integrated omics analysis. The pharmacogenomics screening was performed from whole blood samples using the Affymetrix DMET (Drug-Metabolizing Enzymes and Transporters) Plus microarray, and confirmation of genetic variants was performed using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Metabolomics profiling was performed from plasma samples using liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. A GSTM1 null polymorphism was identified in pharmacogenomics test and the drug concentrations was higher in GSTM1 null subjects than GSTM1 functional subjects. The apparent drug clearance was 13-fold lower in GSTM1 null subjects than GSTM1 functional subjects (p < 0.001). By metabolomics analysis, we identified that the study drug was metabolized by cysteinylglycine conjugation in GSTM functional subjects but those not in GSTM1 null subjects. The incidence rate and the severity of ADRs were higher in the GSTM1 null subjects than the GSTM1 functional subjects. Through the integrated omics analysis, we could understand the mechanism of inter-individual variability in drug exposure and in adverse response. In conclusion, integrated multi-omics analysis can be useful for elucidating the various characteristics of new drug candidates in early phase clinical trials.
Chromatography, Liquid ; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions ; Incidence ; Mass Screening ; Mass Spectrometry ; Metabolomics ; Pharmacogenetics* ; Plasma ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction