A PKPD Case Study: Achieving Clinically Relevant Exposures of AZD5991 in Oncology Mouse Models

Michael J White1, Letitia Cheatham2, Shenghua Wen2

  • 1AstraZeneca Research and Development Boston: AstraZeneca R&D Boston, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA. michael.white1@astrazeneca.com.

The AAPS Journal
|June 28, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Accurately modeling preclinical drug exposure is crucial for effective translation. This study developed a mathematical model to match human drug exposure in mice, improving efficacy predictions for Mcl-1 inhibitors.

Area of Science:

  • Pharmacology and Toxicology
  • Translational Medicine
  • Mathematical Modeling

Background:

  • Translating preclinical drug data to human efficacy is challenging.
  • Accurate recapitulation of human pharmacokinetics (PK) in animal models is essential.
  • The Mcl-1 inhibitor AZD5991 requires precise preclinical exposure modeling.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a mathematical model for predicting drug efficacy based on PK profiles.
  • To establish methods for achieving human equivalent drug exposures in mice.
  • To investigate the exposure-efficacy relationship for AZD5991.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a refined mathematical model linking drug concentration to efficacy.
  • Exploration of various administration routes to achieve target exposures.
  • Utilizing vascular access button (VAB) technology for intravenous infusion in mice.

Main Results:

  • Intravenous infusion via VAB technology successfully reproduced clinical AZD5991 exposures in mice.
  • Dissimilar PK profiles led to significant differences in target engagement and efficacy.
  • The developed model demonstrated a relationship between PK metrics and efficacy outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • Accurate preclinical pharmacokinetic modeling is vital for predicting clinical efficacy.
  • Achieving human equivalent drug exposures in mice enhances translational validity.
  • This methodology improves the reliability of efficacy predictions for novel therapeutics.