Pharmacokinetic Profile of Brepocitinib with Topical Administration in Atopic Dermatitis and Psoriasis Populations: Strategy to Inform Clinical Trial Design in Adult and Pediatric Populations

• Published in: Pharmaceutical research 2024-04, Vol.41 (4), p.623-636
• Main Authors: Maleki, Farzaneh, Chang, Cheng, Purohit, Vivek S., Nicholas, Timothy
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Administration, Topical; Adult; Advertising executives; Atopic dermatitis; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering; Biomedicine; Child; Clinical trials; Clinical Trials as Topic; Dermatitis; Dermatitis, Atopic - drug therapy; Humans; Janus kinase; Medical Law; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Original; Original Research Article; Patients; Pediatrics; Pharmacokinetics; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Pharmacy; Psoriasis; Psoriasis - drug therapy; Tofacitinib; Treatment Outcome; Type 2 diabetes; Tyrosine
• ISSN: 0724-8741; 1573-904X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11095-024-03654-w

Introduction Topical brepocitinib, a tyrosine kinase (TYK)2/Janus kinase (JAK)1 inhibitor, is in development for psoriasis (PsO) and atopic dermatitis (AD). Quantitative analyses of prior clinical trial data were used to inform future clinical trial designs. Methods Two phase 2b studies in patients with AD and PsO were used to characterize the amount of topical brepocitinib and the resultant systemic trough concentration ( C Trough ) using a linear mixed-effects regression (LMER). This model was used to predict brepocitinib systemic C Trough for higher treated body surface areas (BSAs) in adults and children. Information from non-clinical and clinical trials with oral brepocitinib was leveraged to set safety thresholds. This combined approach was used to inform future dose-strength selection and treated BSA limits. Results Data from 256 patients were analyzed. Patient type, dose strength, and frequency had significant impacts on the dose–exposure relationship. Systemic concentration in patients with PsO was predicted to be 45% lower than in patients with AD from the same dose. When topically applied to the same percentage BSA, brepocitinib systemic exposures are expected to be comparable between adults and children. The systemic steady-state exposure after 3% once daily and twice daily (2 mg/cm 2 ) cream applied to less than 50% BSA in patients with AD and PsO, respectively, maintains at least a threefold margin to non-clinical safety findings and clinical hematologic markers. Conclusion The relationship between the amount of active drug applied and brepocitinib systemic C Trough , described by LMER, may inform the development strategy for dose optimization in the brepocitinib topical program.