DOJOLVI Oral liquid Ref.[10250] Active ingredients:

No formal pharmacodynamic studies have been conducted with DOJOLVI.

Following oral administration, triheptanoin is extensively hydrolyzed to heptanoate and glycerol by pancreatic lipases in the intestines. The exposure of triheptanoin in the human plasma is minimal. Pharmacokinetics of heptanoate exhibits high inter-patient variability. Heptanoate exposure increases greater than dose-proportional in the dose range between triheptanoin 0.3 and 0.4 g/kg.

Absorption

The pharmacokinetics of heptanoate in healthy adult subjects following an oral administration of DOJOLVI mixed with food are summarized in Table 1.

Table 1. Summary of Pharmacokinetic Parameters of Heptanoate after Single and Multiple Oral Administration of DOJOLVI to Healthy Adults (N=13):

* After oral administration of DOJOLVI, more than one peak concentration of heptanoate is observed.

Distribution

The plasma protein binding of heptanoate is approximately 80% and is independent of total concentration.

Elimination

After a single dose of either 0.3 g/kg or 0.4 g/kg triheptanoin to healthy subjects, the mean apparent clearance (CL/F) of heptanoate was 6.05 and 4.31 L/hr/kg, respectively. Half-life (t_1/2) of heptanoate could not be determined due to multiple peak concentrations of heptanoate observed.

Metabolism

Heptanoate, formed by hydrolysis of triheptanoin, can be metabolized to beta-hydroxypentanoate (BHP) and beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) in the liver.

Excretion

After single or multiple repeat doses of triheptanoin to healthy subjects, triheptanoin and its metabolites were minimally excreted in urine.

Drug Interaction Studies

In Vitro Studies

Heptanoate is not an inhibitor of CYP1A2, CYP2B6, CYP2C8, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, or CYP3A4. Heptanoate and BHP are not CYP substrates nor UGT substrates. Heptanoate increases the unbound fraction of valproic acid by approximately 2-fold.

Carcinogenesis

Nonclinical animal studies evaluating long-term administration of triheptanoin have not been conducted to assess the carcinogenic potential of the drug. In a published chronic 9-month dietary study conducted in rats, daily administration of triheptanoin at dose levels up to 1.14 g/kg was associated with atrophy or hyperplasia of the intestinal villa. In a chronic 9-month dietary study conducted in juvenile minipigs, treatment with triheptanoin at dose levels up to 10 g/kg was well tolerated with no changes in histopathology suggestive of any carcinogenic potential.

Published studies with structurally similar triglycerides (i.e. MCTs) were also evaluated. In a 2-year dietary study of rats fed tricaprylin (C8 MCT) at dose levels up to 9.5 g/kg (approximately 1.2 times the anticipated maximum clinical dose), there were increased incidences of pancreatic and forestomach hyperplasia and adenomas but not carcinomas. Chronic administration of a diet containing approximately 17% MCT was not shown to promote effects on colon tumor incidence in an azomethane-induced colon tumorigenicity rat model.

Mutagenesis

Triheptanoin was not genotoxic in a battery of genotoxicity tests including the in vitro bacterial reverse mutation in S. typhimurium and E. coli, in vitro mammalian chromosomal aberration test in human peripheral blood lymphocytes and the in vivo mammalian erythrocyte micronucleus test in rat bone marrow.

Impairment of Fertility

Triheptanoin had no effect on fertility or any other parameters of mating performance in rats exposed to repeat dietary administration at dose levels equivalent to up to 50% daily caloric intake (16 g/kg) that resulted in systemic drug exposure (AUC) of heptanoate approximately equal to the maximum recommended human dose.

The efficacy of triheptanoin as a source of calories and fatty acids was evaluated in Study 3, a 4-month double-blind randomized controlled study comparing triheptanoin (7-carbon chain fatty acid) with trioctanoin (8-carbon chain fatty acid). The study enrolled 32 adult and pediatric patients with a confirmed diagnosis of LC-FAOD and evidence of at least one significant episode of rhabdomyolysis and at least two of the following diagnostic criteria: disease specific elevation of acylcarnitines on a new born blood spot or in plasma, low enzyme activity in cultured fibroblasts, or one or more known pathogenic mutations in CPT2, ACADVL, HADHA, or HADHB.

The dosage of study drug was titrated to a protocol-specified target of 20% DCI (actual mean daily dose achieved was 16% for triheptanoin and 14% for trioctanoin). The recommended target dosage of DOJOLVI is up to 35% of DCI [see Dosage and Administration (2.1)]. Patients ranged in age from 7 years to 64 years (median 24 years) and 12 were male.

Baseline cardiovascular function in both groups was normal and within test/retest variability normally observed in repeated echocardiograms. After 4 months, patients in both groups had similar mean changes from baseline in left ventricular ejection fraction and wall mass on resting echocardiogram and similar maximal heart rates on treadmill ergometry.

Five patients experienced 7 events of rhabdomyolysis in the triheptanoin group and 4 patients experienced 7 events of rhabdomyolysis in the trioctanoin group.

No differences were observed between triheptanoin and trioctanoin groups in blood markers of metabolism including glucose, insulin, lactate, total serum, ketones, acylcarnitines, and serum-free fatty acid concentrations.