Pharmacokinetics and Safety of Vortioxetine in the Chinese Population

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with a significant burden of disease in China. Awareness and better access to treatments could help alleviate the burden associated with MDD. Because variations have been observed in the pharmacokinetics (PK) of antidepressants across different races and ethnicities, evaluation of the clinical pharmacology of vortioxetine in diverse populations remains important to assess the potential need for dose adjustments.

Data were pooled from two phase I open-label PK studies in healthy Chinese subjects, and one phase III double-blind noninferiority study in Chinese patients with MDD to describe the PK and safety data for vortioxetine. Doses in these studies ranged from 10 mg (single dose) to 10 and 20 mg (multiple daily doses). A population PK analysis of vortioxetine in the Chinese population was conducted using nonlinear mixed-effect modeling.

In total, 186 individuals were included in the PK analysis: 79 healthy Chinese subjects and 107 Chinese patients with MDD. No clinically significant differences in the PK of vortioxetine were observed between the Chinese population and the previous data in non-Chinese populations. Because of a generally lower weight in the Chinese population compared with the non-Chinese population, exposures were 19% and 18% higher in the Chinese population than in the non-Chinese population (for maximum observed plasma concentration and area under the plasma concentration-time curve, respectively), which is not considered clinically relevant. A high prevalence of pruritus was observed in one phase I PK study (56% overall); however, this was not reflected in the phase III study in Chinese patients with MDD (0.8%).

The PK parameters of vortioxetine in Chinese subjects were comparable to previous data in non-Chinese subjects. Overall, no new safety concerns were raised among the Chinese population. On the basis of this analysis, the tolerability profile of vortioxetine in Chinese healthy subjects and in patients with MDD is expected to be comparable to that in the non-Chinese population.

H. Lundbeck A/S, Valby, Denmark.

NCT01676571.