I-54

Population pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of benralizumab in healthy volunteers and asthma patients

B. Wang(1), Z. Yao(1), L. Yan(1), W. White(2), H. Kawai(3), C. Ward(4), D. Raible(5), L. Roskos(2)

(1) Clinical Pharmacology & DMPK, MedImmune, Hayward, CA, USA;(2) Clinical Pharmacology & DMPK, MedImmune, Gaithersburg, MD, USA;(3) Clinical Science Department, Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co.,LTD., Tokyo, Japan;(4) Translational Sciences, MedImmune, Gaithersburg, MD, USA; (5) Clinical Development, MedImmune, Gaithersburg, MD, USA

Objectives:  To characterize the pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of benralizumab, an afucosylated human IgG1 monoclonal antibody direct against interleukin-5 receptor, in healthy volunteers and asthma patients using a population approach.

Methods: Pharmacokinetic and blood eosinophil count data from two healthy volunteer studies (n=48, Japan) and four studies in asthma patients (n=141, North America) were pooled and simultaneously modeled in this meta-analysis. To reduce the parameter estimation bias the PHI subroutine implemented in NONMEM 7 was used to censor the zero observations. The final model was evaluated using posterior visual predictive check and bootstrapping.

Results: Benralizumab PK was adequately described by a two-compartment model with first-order elimination from the central compartment, and first-order absorption from the dosing site for subcutaneously administered benralizumab. The estimated systemic clearance and volume of distribution were typical for human IgG not subject to the target-mediated clearance (antigen-sink). Only body weight was identified as a relevant PK demographic covariate. The depletion of blood eosinophil counts was depicted by a modified transit model in which benralizumab induced destruction of eosinophils in each age compartment. A tissue compartment was also incorporated in the model to account for the extravascular eosinophils. Stochastic simulations demonstrated comparable PK exposure and eosinophil suppression in adolescence and adult subjects.

Conclusions: The mechanistic model appropriately described the PK of benralizumab and the depletion of blood eosinophil counts. Results from the meta-analysis facilitated the exposure-response relationship assessment and the selection of appropriate dose and dosing schedule for late-stage clinical studies.  

Reference: PAGE 22 (2013) Abstr 2810 [www.page-meeting.org/?abstract=2810]

Poster: Other Drug/Disease Modelling