CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY
Mechanism of Action
Incretins, such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), enhance glucose-dependent insulin secretion and exhibit other antihyperglycemic actions following their release into the circulation from the gut. BYETTA is a GLP-1 receptor agonist that enhances glucose-dependent insulin secretion by the pancreatic beta-cell, suppresses inappropriately elevated glucagon secretion, and slows gastric emptying.
The amino acid sequence of exenatide partially overlaps that of human GLP-1. Exenatide has been shown to bind and activate the human GLP-1 receptor in vitro. This leads to an increase in both glucose-dependent synthesis of insulin, and in vivo secretion of insulin from pancreatic beta cells, by mechanisms involving cyclic AMP and/or other intracellular signaling pathways.
BYETTA improves glycemic control by reducing fasting and postprandial glucose concentrations in patients with type 2 diabetes through the actions described below.
Pharmacodynamics
Glucose-dependent insulin secretion: BYETTA has acute effects on pancreatic beta-cell responsiveness to glucose leading to insulin release predominantly in the presence of elevated glucose concentrations. This insulin secretion subsides as blood glucose concentrations decrease and approach euglycemia. However, BYETTA does not impair the normal glucagon response to hypoglycemia.
First-phase insulin response: In healthy individuals, robust insulin secretion occurs during the first 10 minutes following intravenous (IV) glucose administration. This secretion, known as the "first-phase insulin response," is characteristically absent in patients with type 2 diabetes. The loss of the first-phase insulin response is an early beta-cell defect in type 2 diabetes. Administration of BYETTA at therapeutic plasma concentrations restored first-phase insulin response to an IV bolus of glucose in patients with type 2 diabetes (Figure 1). Both first-phase insulin secretion and second-phase insulin secretion were significantly increased in patients with type 2 diabetes treated with BYETTA compared with saline (p <0.001 for both).
Figure 1: Mean (+SEM) Insulin Secretion Rate During Infusion of BYETTA or Saline in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and During Infusion of Saline in Healthy Subjects
Glucagon secretion: In patients with type 2 diabetes, BYETTA moderates glucagon secretion and lowers serum glucagon concentrations during periods of hyperglycemia. Lower glucagon concentrations lead to decreased hepatic glucose output and decreased insulin demand.
Gastric emptying: BYETTA slows gastric emptying, thereby reducing the rate at which meal-derived glucose appears in the circulation.
Food intake: In both animals and humans, administration of exenatide has been shown to reduce food intake.
Postprandial Glucose
In patients with type 2 diabetes, BYETTA reduces postprandial plasma glucose concentrations (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Mean (+SEM) Postprandial Plasma Glucose Concentrations on Day 1 of BYETTAa Treatment in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Treated With Metformin, a Sulfonylurea, or Both (N = 54)
Fasting Glucose
In a single-dose crossover study in patients with type 2 diabetes and fasting hyperglycemia, immediate insulin release followed injection of BYETTA. Plasma glucose concentrations were significantly reduced with BYETTA compared with placebo (Figure 3).
Figure 3: Mean (+SEM) Serum Insulin and Plasma Glucose Concentrations Following a One-Time Injection of BYETTAa or Placebo in Fasting Patients With Type 2 Diabetes (N = 12)
Cardiac Electrophysiology
The effect of exenatide 10 µg subcutaneously on QTc interval was evaluated in a randomized, placebo-, and active-controlled (moxifloxacin 400 mg) crossover thorough QTc study in 62 healthy subjects. In this study with demonstrated ability to detect small effects, the upper bound of the 90% confidence interval for the largest placebo-adjusted, baseline-corrected QTc was below 10 ms. Thus, BYETTA (10 mcg single dose) was not associated with clinically meaningful prolongation of the QTc interval.
Pharmacokinetics
Absorption
Following SC administration to patients with type 2 diabetes, exenatide reaches median peak plasma concentrations in 2.1 h. The mean peak exenatide concentration (Cmax) was 211 pg/mL and overall mean area under the time-concentration curve (AUC0-inf) was 1036 pg∙h/mL following SC administration of a 10-mcg dose of BYETTA. Exenatide exposure (AUC) increased proportionally over the therapeutic dose range of 5 mcg to 10 mcg. The Cmax values increased less than proportionally over the same range. Similar exposure is achieved with SC administration of BYETTA in the abdomen, thigh, or upper arm.
Distribution
The mean apparent volume of distribution of exenatide following SC administration of a single dose of BYETTA is 28.3 L.
Metabolism and Elimination
Nonclinical studies have shown that exenatide is predominantly eliminated by glomerular filtration with subsequent proteolytic degradation. The mean apparent clearance of exenatide in humans is 9.1 L/h and the mean terminal half-life is 2.4 h. These pharmacokinetic characteristics of exenatide are independent of the dose. In most individuals, exenatide concentrations are measurable for approximately 10 h post-dose.
Drug Interactions
Acetaminophen
When 1000 mg acetaminophen elixir was given with 10 mcg BYETTA (0 h) and 1 hour, 2 hours, and 4 hours after BYETTA injection, acetaminophen AUCs were decreased by 21%, 23%, 24%, and 14%, respectively; Cmax was decreased by 37%, 56%, 54%, and 41%, respectively; Tmax was increased from 0.6 hour in the control period to 0.9 hour, 4.2 hours, 3.3 hours, and 1.6 hours, respectively. Acetaminophen AUC, Cmax and Tmax were not significantly changed when acetaminophen was given 1 hour before BYETTA injection.
Digoxin
Administration of repeated doses of BYETTA (10 mcg BID) 30 minutes before oral digoxin (0.25 mg QD) decreased the Cmax of digoxin by 17% and delayed the Tmax of digoxin by approximately 2.5 hours; however, the overall steady-state pharmacokinetic exposure (e.g., AUC) of digoxin was not changed.
Lovastatin
Administration of BYETTA (10 mcg BID) 30 minutes before a single oral dose of lovastatin (40 mg) decreased the AUC and Cmax of lovastatin by approximately 40% and 28%, respectively, and delayed the Tmax by about 4 hours compared with lovastatin administered alone. In the 30-week controlled clinical trials of BYETTA, the use of BYETTA in patients already receiving HMG CoA reductase inhibitors was not associated with consistent changes in lipid profiles compared to baseline.
Lisinopril
In patients with mild to moderate hypertension stabilized on lisinopril (5 to 20 mg/day), BYETTA (10 mcg BID) did not alter steady-state Cmax or AUC of lisinopril. Lisinopril steady-state Tmax was delayed by 2 hours. There were no changes in 24-h mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Oral Contraceptives
The effect of BYETTA (10 mcg BID) on single and on multiple doses of a combination oral contraceptive (30 mcg ethinyl estradiol plus 150 mcg levonorgestrel) was studied in healthy female subjects. Repeated daily doses of the oral contraceptive (OC) given 30 minutes after BYETTA administration decreased the Cmax of ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel by 45% and 27%, respectively and delayed the Tmax of ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel by 3.0 hours and 3.5 hours, respectively, as compared to the oral contraceptive administered alone. Administration of repeated daily doses of the OC one hour prior to BYETTA administration decreased the mean Cmax of ethinyl estradiol by 15% but the mean Cmax of levonorgestrel was not significantly changed as compared to when the OC was given alone. BYETTA did not alter the mean trough concentrations of levonorgestrel after repeated daily dosing of the oral contraceptive for both regimens. However, the mean trough concentration of ethinyl estradiol was increased by 20% when the OC was administered 30 minutes after BYETTA administration injection as compared to when the OC was given alone. The effect of BYETTA on OC pharmacokinetics is confounded by the possible food effect on OC in this study. Therefore, OC products should be administered at least one hour prior to BYETTA injection.
Warfarin
Administration of warfarin (25 mg) 35 minutes after repeated doses of BYETTA (5 mcg BID on days 1-2 and 10 mcg BID on days 3-9) in healthy volunteers delayed warfarin Tmax by approximately 2 hours. No clinically relevant effects on Cmax or AUC of S- and R-enantiomers of warfarin were observed. BYETTA did not significantly alter the pharmacodynamic properties (e.g., international normalized ratio) of warfarin [see Drug Interactions].
Specific Populations
Renal Impairment
Pharmacokinetics of exenatide was studied in subjects with normal, mild, or moderate renal impairment and subjects with end stage renal disease. In subjects with mild to moderate renal impairment (creatinine clearance 30 to 80 mL/min), exenatide exposure was similar to that of subjects with normal renal function. However, in subjects with end-stage renal disease receiving dialysis, mean exenatide exposure increased by 3.37-fold compared to that of subjects with normal renal function. [see Use in Specific Populations].
Hepatic Impairment
No pharmacokinetic study has been performed in patients with a diagnosis of acute or chronic hepatic impairment [see Use in Specific Populations].
Age
Population pharmacokinetic analysis of patients ranging from 22 to 73 years of age suggests that age does not influence the pharmacokinetic properties of exenatide [see Use in Specific Population].
Gender
Population pharmacokinetic analysis of male and female patients suggests that gender does not influence the distribution and elimination of exenatide.
Race
Population pharmacokinetic analysis of samples from Caucasian, Hispanic, Asian, and Black patients suggests that race has no significant influence on the pharmacokinetics of exenatide.
Body Mass Index
Population pharmacokinetic analysis of patients with body mass indices (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2 and <30 kg/m2 suggests that BMI has no significant effect on the pharmacokinetics of exenatide.
NONCLINICAL TOXICOLOGY
Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, Impairment of Fertility
A 104-week carcinogenicity study was conducted in male and female rats at doses of 18, 70, or 250 mcg/kg/day administered by bolus SC injection. Benign thyroid C-cell adenomas were observed in female rats at all exenatide doses. The incidences in female rats were 8% and 5% in the two control groups and 14%, 11%, and 23% in the low-, medium-, and high-dose groups with systemic exposures of 5, 22, and 130 times, respectively, the human exposure resulting from the maximum recommended dose of 20 mcg/day, based on plasma area under the curve (AUC).
In a 104-week carcinogenicity study in mice at doses of 18, 70, or 250 mcg/kg/day administered by bolus SC injection, no evidence of tumors was observed at doses up to 250 mcg/kg/day, a systemic exposure up to 95 times the human exposure resulting from the maximum recommended dose of 20 mcg/day, based on AUC.
Exenatide was not mutagenic or clastogenic, with or without metabolic activation, in the Ames bacterial mutagenicity assay or chromosomal aberration assay in Chinese hamster ovary cells. Exenatide was negative in the in vivo mouse micronucleus assay.
In mouse fertility studies with SC doses of 6, 68 or 760 mcg/kg/day, males were treated for 4 weeks prior to and throughout mating, and females were treated 2 weeks prior to mating and throughout mating until gestation day 7. No adverse effect on fertility was observed at 760 mcg/kg/day, a systemic exposure 390 times the human exposure resulting from the maximum recommended dose of 20 mcg/day, based on AUC.
Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology
In female mice given SC doses of 6, 68, or 760 mcg/kg/day beginning 2 weeks prior to and throughout mating until gestation day 7, there were no adverse fetal effects at doses up to 760 mcg/kg/day, systemic exposures up to 390 times the human exposure resulting from the maximum recommended dose of 20 mcg/day, based on AUC.
In pregnant mice given SC doses of 6, 68, 460, or 760 mcg/kg/day from gestation day 6 through 15 (organogenesis), cleft palate (some with holes) and irregular fetal skeletal ossification of rib and skull bones were observed at 6 mcg/kg/day, a systemic exposure 3 times the human exposure resulting from the maximum recommended dose of 20 mcg/day, based on AUC.
In pregnant rabbits given SC doses of 0.2, 2, 22, 156, or 260 mcg/kg/day from gestation day 6 through 18 (organogenesis), irregular fetal skeletal ossifications were observed at 2 mcg/kg/day, a systemic exposure 12 times the human exposure resulting from the maximum recommended dose of 20 mcg/day, based on AUC.
In pregnant mice given SC doses of 6, 68, or 760 mcg/kg/day from gestation day 6 through lactation day 20 (weaning), an increased number of neonatal deaths was observed on postpartum days 2-4 in dams given 6 mcg/kg/day, a systemic exposure 3 times the human exposure resulting from the maximum recommended dose of 20 mcg/day, based on AUC.
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