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Exposure to Budesonide, Glycopyrronium, and Formoterol With a Next-Generation Propellant Does Not Exceed Exposure
Hitesh Pandya1, Mehul Patel1, Michael Gillen2
1Respiratory and Immunology, Clinical Development, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK.
Purpose:
Hydrofluoroalkane-134a (HFA-134a), the propellant in the marketed budesonide/glycopyrronium/formoterol fumarate dihydrate (BGF) formulation, has a global warming potential (GWP) that falls above environmental regulation thresholds and therefore will be phased out. With global efforts to minimize carbon emissions, the hydrofluoroolefin-1234ze (HFO-1234ze) propellant, with a >99% lower GWP than HFA-134a, is in development for pressurized metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs). Spacers support drug delivery in patients with poor pMDI inhalation technique, but it is unknown if BGF exposure with HFO-1234ze exceeds that observed with HFA-134a when using a spacer.
Methods:
This Phase I study assessed systemic BGF component exposure with HFO-1234ze versus HFA-134a when using a spacer, and for HFO-1234ze with and without a spacer. Participants (N = 42) were randomized to BGF with HFA-134a with a spacer (reference), HFO-1234ze with a spacer (test), and HFO-1234ze without a spacer (descriptive treatment) over 3 treatment periods in 1 of 6 sequences. As spacer devices help to increase exposure, the upper limit of the 90% confidence interval (CI) of geometric mean ratios (GMRs) was of interest, and bioequivalence was not included as a study objective.
Findings:
Analyses demonstrated the upper 90% CI of the GMRs for maximum observed plasma concentration (Cmax) and area under the plasma concentration curve from time zero to the time of the last quantifiable concentration (AUClast) were <125% for all BGF components for HFO-1234ze versus HFA-134a when using a spacer, indicating exposure with HFO-1234ze did not exceed exposure with HFA-134a. Additionally, Cmax was increased for all BGF components with HFO-1234ze when using versus not using a spacer, with the largest increases observed among participants with the lowest exposure when not using a spacer, likely due to poor inhalation technique. No new safety findings, and no deaths or serious adverse events, occurred during the study.
Implications:
These findings provide evidence that may help to support the future use of HFO-1234ze propellant in BGF pMDIs.
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