Effect of ketoconazole on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of ixabepilone
2005 Background: Ixabepilone (Ixa) is the first analog in a new class of antineoplastic agents, the epothilones, which stabilizes microtubules and induces apoptosis. Ixa has shown clinical activity in a broad range of tumors. Oxidative metabolism by CYP3A4/5 appears to be a prominent route of Ixa biotransformation in vitro. As a single agent, the recommended dose is 40 mg/m2 over 3 hours once every three weeks. Methods: This was an open-label, sequential study to assess the effect of CYP3A4/5 inhibition on the pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of Ixa. Ketoconazole (K) was used as a model inhibitor of CYP3A4/5. Patients were administered a single 10 (n=4), 20 (n=12), 25 (n=7) or 30 (n=4) mg/m2 intravenous (iv) infusion of Ixa with K (400 mg/d orally x 6 days) during cycle 1, and a single 40 mg/m2 iv infusion of Ixa during Cycle 2. Cycles were repeated every 21 days. Detailed PK and PD analysis was performed in cycles 1 and 2. Results: The observed adjusted geometric mean of Ixa AUC for subjects with K was 2892 vs. 1628 ng/mL*hr in subjects without K. The ratio of the geometric means of normalized Ixa AUC and Cmax in Cycle 1/Cycle 2 were 1.78 and 1.07, respectively. The percent of peripheral blood mononuclear cells with tubulin bundle formation after administration of 20 mg/m2 Ixa with K was similar to that observed with single agent Ixa at a dose of 40 mg/ m2. The maximum tolerated dose of Ixa with K was 20 mg/m2. Dose limiting toxicities of Ixa with K were similar to those observed in previous Phase 1 studies of single agent Ixa and included prolonged neutropenia, febrile neutropenia, mucositis, elevated liver function enzymes, and fatigue. Conclusions: Oxidative metabolism by CYP3A4/5 appears to be a clinically important route of Ixa biotransformation. Inhibition of CYP3A4/5 by K affects the Ixa tolerable dose, increases the AUC and results in similar PD effects at half the recommended dose. [Table: see text]