Chemical formula: C₁₇H₂₅N₃O₂ Molecular mass: 303.399 g/mol PubChem compound: 6918537
Vildagliptin, a member of the islet enhancer class, is a potent and selective DPP-4 inhibitor.
The administration of vildagliptin results in a rapid and complete inhibition of DPP-4 activity, resulting in increased fasting and postprandial endogenous levels of the incretin hormones GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide 1) and GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide).
By increasing the endogenous levels of these incretin hormones, vildagliptin enhances the sensitivity of beta cells to glucose, resulting in improved glucose-dependent insulin secretion. Treatment with vildagliptin 50-100 mg daily in patients with type 2 diabetes significantly improved markers of beta cell function including HOMA-β (Homeostasis Model Assessment–β), proinsulin to insulin ratio and measures of beta cell responsiveness from the frequently-sampled meal tolerance test. In non-diabetic (normal glycaemic) individuals, vildagliptin does not stimulate insulin secretion or reduce glucose levels.
By increasing endogenous GLP-1 levels, vildagliptin also enhances the sensitivity of alpha cells to glucose, resulting in more glucose-appropriate glucagon secretion.
The enhanced increase in the insulin/glucagon ratio during hyperglycaemia due to increased incretin hormone levels results in a decrease in fasting and postprandial hepatic glucose production, leading to reduced glycaemia.
The known effect of increased GLP-1 levels delaying gastric emptying is not observed with vildagliptin treatment.
Following oral administration in the fasting state, vildagliptin is rapidly absorbed, with peak plasma concentrations observed at 1.7 hours. Food slightly delays the time to peak plasma concentration to 2.5 hours, but does not alter the overall exposure (AUC). Administration of vildagliptin with food resulted in a decreased Cmax (19%). However, the magnitude of change is not clinically significant, so that vildagliptin can be given with or without food. The absolute bioavailability is 85%.
The plasma protein binding of vildagliptin is low (9.3%) and vildagliptin distributes equally between plasma and red blood cells. The mean volume of distribution of vildagliptin at steady-state after intravenous administration (Vss) is 71 litres, suggesting extravascular distribution.
Metabolism is the major elimination pathway for vildagliptin in humans, accounting for 69% of the dose. The major metabolite (LAY 151) is pharmacologically inactive and is the hydrolysis product of the cyano moiety, accounting for 57% of the dose, followed by the glucuronide (BQS867) and the amide hydrolysis products (4% of dose). In vitro data in human kidney microsomes suggest that the kidney may be one of the major organs contributing to the hydrolysis of vildagliptin to its major inactive metabolite, LAY151. DPP-4 contributes partially to the hydrolysis of vildagliptin based on an in vivo study using DPP-4 deficient rats. Vildagliptin is not metabolised by CYP 450 enzymes to any quantifiable extent. Accordingly, the metabolic clearance of vildagliptin is not anticipated to be affected by co-medications that are CYP 450 inhibitors and/or inducers. In vitro studies demonstrated that vildagliptin does not inhibit/induce CYP 450 enzymes. Therefore, vildagliptin is not likely to affect metabolic clearance of co-medications metabolised by CYP 1A2, CYP 2C8, CYP 2C9, CYP 2C19, CYP 2D6, CYP 2E1 or CYP 3A4/5.
Following oral administration of [14C] vildagliptin, approximately 85% of the dose was excreted into the urine and 15% of the dose is recovered in the faeces. Renal excretion of the unchanged vildagliptin accounted for 23% of the dose after oral administration. After intravenous administration to healthy subjects, the total plasma and renal clearances of vildagliptin are 41 and 13 l/h, respectively. The mean elimination half-life after intravenous administration is approximately 2 hours. The elimination half-life after oral administration is approximately 3 hours.
The Cmax for vildagliptin and the area under the plasma concentrations versus time curves (AUC) increased in an approximately dose proportional manner over the therapeutic dose range. Characteristics in specific groups of patients
No clinically relevant differences in the pharmacokinetics of vildagliptin were observed between male and female healthy subjects within a wide range of age and body mass index (BMI). DPP-4 inhibition by vildagliptin is not affected by gender.
In healthy elderly subjects (≥70 years), the overall exposure of vildagliptin (100 mg once daily) was increased by 32%, with an 18% increase in peak plasma concentration as compared to young healthy subjects (18-40 years). These changes are, however, not considered to be clinically relevant. DPP-4 inhibition by vildagliptin is not affected by age.
The effect of impaired hepatic function on the pharmacokinetics of vildagliptin was studied in patients with mild, moderate and severe hepatic impairment based on the Child-Pugh scores (ranging from 6 for mild to 12 for severe) in comparison with healthy subjects. The exposure to vildagliptin after a single dose in patients with mild and moderate hepatic impairment was decreased (20% and 8%, respectively), while the exposure to vildagliptin for patients with severe impairment was increased by 22%. The maximum change (increase or decrease) in the exposure to vildagliptin is ~30%, which is not considered to be clinically relevant. There was no correlation between the severity of the hepatic disease and changes in the exposure to vildagliptin.
A multiple-dose, open-label trial was conducted to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of the lower therapeutic dose of vildagliptin (50 mg once daily) in patients with varying degrees of chronic renal impairment defined by creatinine clearance (mild: 50 to <80 ml/min, moderate: 30 to <50 ml/min and severe: <30 ml/min) compared to normal healthy control subjects.
Vildagliptin AUC increased on average 1.4, 1.7 and 2-fold in patients with mild, moderate and severe renal impairment, respectively, compared to normal healthy subjects. AUC of the metabolites LAY151 and BQS867 increased on average about 1.5, 3 and 7-fold in patients with mild, moderate and severe renal impairment, respectively. Limited data from patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) indicate that vildagliptin exposure is similar to that in patients with severe renal impairment. LAY151 concentrations were approximately 2-3-fold higher than in patients with severe renal impairment. Vildagliptin was removed by haemodialysis to a limited extent (3% over a 3-4 hour haemodialysis session starting 4 hours post dose).
Limited data suggest that race does not have any major influence on vildagliptin pharmacokinetics.
Intra-cardiac impulse conduction delays were observed in dogs with a no-effect dose of 15 mg/kg (7-fold human exposure based on Cmax).
Accumulation of foamy alveolar macrophages in the lung was observed in rats and mice. The no- effect dose in rats was 25 mg/kg (5-fold human exposure based on AUC) and in mice 750 mg/kg (142-fold human exposure).
Gastrointestinal symptoms, particularly soft faeces, mucoid faeces, diarrhoea and, at higher doses, faecal blood were observed in dogs. A no-effect level was not established.
Vildagliptin was not mutagenic in conventional in vitro and in vivo tests for genotoxicity.
A fertility and early embryonic development study in rats revealed no evidence of impaired fertility, reproductive performance or early embryonic development due to vildagliptin. Embryo-foetal toxicity was evaluated in rats and rabbits. An increased incidence of wavy ribs was observed in rats in association with reduced maternal body weight parameters, with a no-effect dose of 75 mg/kg (10-fold human exposure). In rabbits, decreased foetal weight and skeletal variations indicative of developmental delays were noted only in the presence of severe maternal toxicity, with a no-effect dose of 50 mg/kg (9-fold human exposure). A pre- and postnatal development study was performed in rats. Findings were only observed in association with maternal toxicity at ≥150 mg/kg and included a transient decrease in body weight and reduced motor activity in the F1 generation.
A two-year carcinogenicity study was conducted in rats at oral doses up to 900 mg/kg (approximately 200 times human exposure at the maximum recommended dose). No increases in tumour incidence attributable to vildagliptin were observed. Another two-year carcinogenicity study was conducted in mice at oral doses up to 1,000 mg/kg. An increased incidence of mammary adenocarcinomas and haemangiosarcomas was observed with a no-effect dose of 500 mg/kg (59-fold human exposure) and 100 mg/kg (16-fold human exposure), respectively. The increased incidence of these tumours in mice is considered not to represent a significant risk to humans based on the lack of genotoxicity of vildagliptin and its principal metabolite, the occurrence of tumours only in one species and the high systemic exposure ratios at which tumours were observed.
In a 13-week toxicology study in cynomolgus monkeys, skin lesions have been recorded at doses ≥5 mg/kg/day. These were consistently located on the extremities (hands, feet, ears and tail). At 5 mg/kg/day (approximately equivalent to human AUC exposure at the 100 mg dose), only blisters were observed. They were reversible despite continued treatment and were not associated with histopathological abnormalities. Flaking skin, peeling skin, scabs and tail sores with correlating histopathological changes were noted at doses ≥20 mg/kg/day (approximately 3 times human AUC exposure at the 100 mg dose). Necrotic lesions of the tail were observed at ≥80 mg/kg/day. Skin lesions were not reversible in the monkeys treated at 160 mg/kg/day during a 4-week recovery period.
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