Posaconazole is a potent, broad-spectrum triazole antifungal agent currently in clinical development for the treatment of refractory invasive fungal infections. Eight healthy male subjects received a single 399-mg (81.7 Ci) oral dose of [ 14 C]posaconazole after consuming a high-fat breakfast. Urine, feces, and blood samples were collected for up to 336 h postdose and assayed for total radioactivity; plasma and urine samples were also assayed for parent drug. Posaconazole was orally bioavailable, with a median maximum posaconazole concentration in plasma achieved by 10 h postdose. Thereafter, posaconazole was slowly eliminated, with a mean half-life of 20 h. The greatest peak in the radioactivity profile of pooled plasma extracts was due to posaconazole, with smaller peaks due to a monoglucuronide, a diglucuronide, and a smaller fragment of the molecule. The mean total amount of radioactivity recovered was 91.1%; the cumulative excretion of radioactivity in feces and in urine was 76.9 and 14.0% of the dose, respectively. Most of the fecal radioactivity was associated with posaconazole, which accounted for 66.3% of the administered dose; however, urine contained only trace amounts of unchanged posaconazole. The radioactivity profile of pooled urine extracts included two monoglucuronide conjugates and a diglucuronide conjugate of posaconazole. These observations suggest that oxidative (phase 1) metabolism by cytochrome P450 isoforms represents only a minor route of elimination for posaconazole, and therefore cytochrome P450-mediated drug interactions should have a limited potential to impact posaconazole pharmacokinetics.Posaconazole (SCH 56592) is a potent, extended-spectrum triazole antifungal agent currently in late-phase clinical development for the treatment and prophylaxis of invasive fungal infections due to a wide range of common, rare, and emerging molds and yeasts. Posaconazole has demonstrated in vitro activity against several commonly encountered pathogens, including Candida, Aspergillus, Cryptococcus, and Coccidioides species (1,7,12,13). In addition, its activity against several emerging pathogens, such as the filamentous fungus Scedosporium (3, 10), has been explored clinically. In an immunocompromised patient, posaconazole has been used to effectively treat Scedosporium-induced brain abscesses that were refractory to itraconazole and amphotericin B therapy (11).The anticipated clinical dosage regimen of posaconazole oral suspension for the treatment of refractory invasive fungal infections is 400 mg twice daily. The purpose of the present study was to determine the absorption, metabolism, and excretion of a single 400-mg dose of [ 14 C]posaconazole oral suspension in human subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS Radiolabeled posaconazole and dosage forms. [14 C]posaconazole ( Fig. 1) was synthesized and formulated by the radiochemistry group at the Schering-Plough Research Institute (Kenilworth, N.J.). Its specific activity was 0.205 Ci/mg, and its radiochemical purity was 98.7%. The radiolabeled drug was ...

Parenteral naloxone has been approved to treat opiate overdose for over 4 decades. Intranasal naloxone, administered "off label" using improvised devices, has been widely used by both first responders and the lay public to treat overdose. However, these improvised devices require training for effective use, and the recommended volumes (2 to 4 mL) exceed those considered optimum for intranasal administration. The present study compared the pharmacokinetic properties of intranasal naloxone (2 to 8 mg) delivered in low volumes (0.1 to 0.2 mL) using an Aptar Unit-Dose device to an approved (0.4 mg) intramuscular dose. A parallel study assessed the ease of use of this device in a simulated overdose situation. All doses of intranasal naloxone resulted in plasma concentrations and areas under the curve greater than those observed following the intramuscular dose; the time to reach maximum plasma concentrations was not different following intranasal and intramuscular administration. Plasma concentrations of naloxone were dose proportional between 2 and 8 mg and independent of whether drug was administered to 1 or both nostrils. In a study using individuals representative of the general population, >90% were able to perform both critical tasks (inserting nozzle into a nostril and pressing plunger) needed to deliver a simulated dose of naloxone without prior training. Based on both pharmacokinetic and human use studies, a 4-mg dose delivered in a single device (0.1 mL) was selected as the final product. This product can be used by first responders and the lay public, providing an important and potentially life-saving intervention for victims of an opioid overdose.

DOV 216,303 [(±)-1-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-3-azabicyclo-[3.1.0]hexane hydrochloride] is the prototype of a class of compounds referred to as "triple" reuptake inhibitors. Such compounds inhibit the reuptake of norepinephrine (NE), serotonin (5-HT), and dopamine (DA), the three neurotransmitters most closely linked to major depressive disorder. DOV 216,303 inhibits [ 3 H]NE, [ 3 H]5-HT, and [ 3 H]DA uptake to the corresponding human recombinant transporters (expressed in HEK 293 cells) with IC 50 values of~20, 14, and 78 nM, respectively. DOV 216,303 is active in tests predictive of antidepressant activity including the mouse forced swim test and reversal of tetrabenazine-induced ptosis and locomotor depression. The pharmacodynamic, pharmacokinetic, and toxicological profile of DOV 216,303 in animals prompted us to initiate clinical studies. In both single and multiple dose studies using normal volunteers, DOV 216,303 was safe and welltolerated. Furthermore, both C max and AUC values were dose-proportional between 5-150 mg. The plasma concentrations of DOV 216,303 at doses >10 mg were in excess of the IC 50 values for inhibition of biogenic amine reuptake. In a Phase II study designed to explore the safety and tolerability of DOV 216,303 in depressed individuals, patients received either 100 mg DOV 216,303 (50 mg b.i.d.) or 40 mg citalopram (20 mg, b.i.d.) for two weeks. A placebo arm was not employed in this study because several institutional review boards required administration of an active control to severely depressed individuals. Time dependent reductions in HAM-D scores (the primary outcome measure) were observed in both the DOV 216,303 and citalopram groups compared to baseline scores (p < 0.0001). The side effect profile was not remarkably different between treatment arms. These findings provide preliminary evidence of a clinically meaningful 123

The dramatic rise in overdose deaths linked to synthetic opioids (e.g., fentanyl, carfentanil) may require more potent, longerduration opiate antagonists than naloxone. Both the high affinity of nalmefene at m opiate receptors and its long half-life led us to examine the feasibility of developing an intranasal (IN) formulation as a rescue medication that could be especially useful in treating synthetic opioid overdose. In this study, the pharmacokinetic properties of IN nalmefene were compared with an intramuscular (i.m.) injection in a cohort of healthy volunteers. Nalmefene was absorbed slowly following IN administration, with a median time to reach C max (T max) of 2 hours. Addition of the absorption enhancer dodecyl maltoside (Intravail, Neurelis, Inc., Encinitas, CA) reduced T max to 0.25 hour and increased C max by ∼2.2-fold. The pharmacokinetic properties of IN nalmefene (3 mg) formulated with dodecyl maltoside has characteristics consistent with an effective rescue medication: its onset of action is comparable to an i.m. injection of nalmefene (1.5 mg) previously approved to treat opioid overdose. Furthermore, the C max following IN administration was ∼3-fold higher than following i.m. dosing, comparable to previously reported plasma concentrations of nalmefene observed 5 minutes following a 1-mg i.v. dose. The high affinity, very rapid onset, and long half-life (.7 hours) of IN nalmefene present distinct advantages as a rescue medication, particularly against longer-lived synthetic opioids.