Background: Kisspeptin is an essential regulator of hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone release and is required for physiological ovulation. Native kisspeptin-54 can induce oocyte maturation during in vitro fertilization treatment, including in women who are at high risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. MVT-602 is a potent kisspeptin receptor agonist with prospective utility to treat anovulatory disorders by triggering oocyte maturation and ovulation during medically assisted reproduction (MAR). Currently, the endocrine profile of MVT-602 during ovarian stimulation is unreported. Design:Two randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, dose-finding trials Setting:Clinical trials unit. Objective: To determine the endocrine profile of MVT-602 in the follicular phase of healthy premenopausal women (phase-1 trial), and after minimal ovarian stimulation to more closely reflect the endocrine milieu encountered during MAR (phase-2a trial). Patients: Healthy women aged 18-35 years, either without (phase-1; n = 24), or with ovarian stimulation (phase-2a; n = 75). Interventions: Phase-1: single subcutaneous dose of MVT-602 (0.3, 1.0, or 3.0 mu g) or placebo, (n = 6 per dose). Phase-2a: single subcutaneous dose of MVT-602 (0.1, 0.3, 1.0, or 3.0 mu g; n = 16-17 per dose), triptorelin 0.2 mg (n = 5; active comparator), or placebo (n = 5). Main Outcome Measures: Phase-1: safety/tolerability; pharmacokinetics; and pharmacodynamics (luteinizing hormone [LH] and hormones); and time to ovulation assessed by transvaginal ultrasound. Results: In both the trials, MVT-602 was safe and well tolerated across the entire dose range. It was rapidly absorbed and eliminated, with a mean elimination half-life of 1.3-2.2 hours. In the phase-2a trial, LH concentrations increased dose dependently; mean maximum change from baseline of 82.4 IU/L at 24.8 hours was observed after administration of 3 mu g MVT-602 and remained >15 IU/L for 33 hours. Time to ovulation after drug administration was 3.3-3.9 days (MVT-602), 3.4 days (triptorelin), and 5.5 days (placebo). Ovulation occurred within 5 days of administration in 100% (3 mu g), 88% (1 mu g), 82% (0.3 mu g), and 75% (0.1 mu g),ofwomen after MVT-602, 100% after triptorelin and 60% after placebo. Conclusions: MVT-602 induces LH concentrations of similar amplitude and duration as the physiological midcycle LH surge with potential utility for induction of oocyte maturation and ovulation during MAR.

Background: The dual orexin receptor antagonist daridorexant did not impact nighttime respiratory function as assessed by the apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) and nocturnal oxygen saturation (SpO(2)) and improved sleep in patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). These analyses were supplemented with further evaluations of various indices of OSA severity and sleep variables.Methods: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-period, crossover study, 50 mg daridorexant or placebo was administered every evening for 5 days to 28 patients with mild to moderate OSA. Treatment differences (daridorexant placebo) were explored for indices of OSA severity including the number and duration of apneas and hypopneas, mean and lowest nocturnal SpO(2), sleep duration during each hour of polysomnography recording, and the number and mean and longest duration of awakenings.Results: After repeated-dose daridorexant, more respiratory events were observed compared to placebo, ie., treatment difference of 16.4 events (90% confidence interval:-0.4, 33.2) which is explained by a longer total sleep time. However, no treatment difference was detected for the longest duration of apneas and hypopneas (1.5 s [-8.3, 11.2] and 8.2 s [-6.6, 23.0], respectively), and lowest SpO(2) (0.9% [-0.3, 2.1]). The number of awakenings was similar between daridorexant and placebo while daridorexant shortened the longest duration by 16.2 min (8.5, 23.8). Overall, results were similar after single and repeated dosing for both respiratory and sleep aspects. Conclusion: These results suggest safe use of daridorexant in patients with mild to moderate OSA. Clinical trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03765294. A study to investigate the effects of ACT 541468 on nighttime respiratory function in patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03765294.(c) 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), sleep is often fragmented while, conversely, the use of sleep medications is of concern in these patients due to potential impairment of nocturnal breathing. This randomised, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, two‐period crossover study was conducted to evaluate the effect of the new dual orexin receptor antagonist daridorexant on night‐time respiratory function and sleep in patients with moderate COPD. In each period, the highest Phase‐III dose of 50 mg daridorexant or placebo was administered once daily in the evening for 5 consecutive days. The primary endpoint was peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) during total sleep time (TST) after last dosing. Night‐time respiratory function and sleep were further evaluated based on the apnea–hypopnea index (AHI), sleep duration, and objective sleep parameters. Pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability were also assessed. Primary endpoint analysis revealed no significant mean treatment difference (i.e. daridorexant – placebo) for SpO2 during TST as it was 0.18% (90% confidence interval: −0.21 to 0.57). There was also no difference from placebo for SpO2 during non‐rapid eye movement (REM) and REM sleep at Night 5 and after first dosing. The AHI was slightly increased compared to placebo, but not to a clinically meaningful extent. In addition, daridorexant improved objective sleep parameters (i.e. prolonged TST, increased sleep efficiency, and decreased wake after sleep onset), reached expected plasma concentrations, and was safe and well tolerated. In conclusion, single and multiple doses of 50 mg daridorexant do not impair night‐time respiratory function and improves sleep in patients with moderate COPD.

Abstract Introduction Daridorexant is a dual orexin receptor antagonist developed for the treatment of insomnia. The effect of the highest phase-3 dose of 50 mg daridorexant on nighttime respiratory function was evaluated in patients with mild/moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This study showed that repeated doses of daridorexant had no clinically meaningful effect on the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) or on peripheral oxygen saturation. In the same study, the effect on objective sleep parameters was also explored by polysomnography (PSG). Methods In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-period, crossover study, daridorexant or placebo was administered in each period once daily for 5 consecutive nights to 28 patients. Treatment difference (daridorexant – placebo) for total sleep time (TST), latency to persistent sleep (LPS), and wake after sleep onset (WASO) was analyzed for Night 5 using linear mixed-effects modeling. In addition, sleep was further explored based on sleep duration during each hour of PSG recording, duration of the different sleep phases (rapid eye movement [REM], non-REM [including N1 to N3 sleep stages]), as well as number and mean/longest duration of awakenings. Results Of 28 patients enrolled, 25 completed the study and were included in the analysis (n=15/10 with mild/moderate OSA; mean [standard deviation] AHI: 16.3 [8.2] events/h). One patient had mild insomnia symptoms at baseline. Compared to placebo, daridorexant prolonged mean TST by 38.8 min (90% confidence interval: 19.7–57.9), shortened mean LPS by 17.2 min (-35.5–1.02), and reduced mean WASO by 31.0 min (-47.3 to 14.7). Sleep architecture was maintained as no treatment differences in the duration of the evaluated sleep stages were observed when normalized to TST. Sleep duration was prolonged in the second part of the night. mean and longest duration of awakenings were decreased by a mean (90% CI) of 2.0 min (-3.1 to 0.9) and 16.3 min (-24.1 to -8.6), respectively, without treatment difference for the total number of awakenings. Conclusion Daridorexant improved objective sleep parameters in patients with mild to moderate OSA without modifying sleep architecture. Support (if any) Funded by Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

Selatogrel is a potent, reversible, and selective antagonist of the platelet P2Y12 receptor currently developed for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). In the completed Phase I/II studies, selatogrel was subcutaneously (s.c.) administered as a lyophilizate-based formulation by syringe by a healthcare professional. In the Phase III study, selatogrel will be self-administered s.c. as a liquid formulation with an autoinjector at the onset of AMI symptoms to shorten treatment delay. This clinical bridging study compared the pharmacokinetics (PK) of selatogrel between the different formulations. This was a single-center, randomized, open-label, three-period, cross-over Phase I study in 24 healthy subjects. In each period, a single subcutaneous dose of 16 mg selatogrel was administered as (1) a Phase III liquid formulation by autoinjector (Treatment A), (2) a Phase III liquid formulation by prefilled syringe (Treatment B), or (3) a Phase I/II reconstituted lyophilizate-based formulation by syringe (Treatment C). PK parameters including area under the plasma concentration–time curve from zero to infinity (AUC0–∞), maximum plasma concentration (Cmax), time to reach Cmax(tmax), and terminal half-life (t1/2) were determined using noncompartmental analysis. Pharmacodynamic (PD) parameters were estimated using PK/PD modeling, including the time of first occurrence of inhibition of platelet aggregation (IPA) ≥ 80% (tonset), duration of IPA above 80% (tduration), and responder rate defined as the percentage of subjects with tonset ≤ 30 min and tduration ≥ 3 h. Safety and tolerability were also assessed. Comparing Treatment A to Treatment C, the exposure (AUC0–∞) was bioequivalent with a geometric mean ratio (GMR) (90% confidence interval) of 0.95 (0.92–0.97) within the bioequivalence range (0.80–1.25). Absorption following Treatment A was slightly slower with a tmax occurring approximately 30 min later and a 20% lower Cmax. The autoinjector itself had no impact on the PK of selatogrel, as similar values of Cmax and AUC0–∞ were determined after administration as a Phase III liquid formulation by autoinjector or by prefilled syringe (i.e., GMR [90% confidence interval] of 1.06 [0.97–1.15] and 0.99 [0.96–1.03] for Cmax and AUC0–∞, respectively). PK/PD modeling predicted that the median tonset will occur slightly later for Treatment A (7.2 min) compared to Treatment C (4.2  min), while no relevant differences in tduration and responder rate were estimated between the two treatments. Selatogrel was safe and well tolerated following all three treatments. PK and simulated PD effects of selatogrel were similar across treatments. NCT04557280.

Abstract Introduction Daridorexant is a dual orexin receptor antagonist developed for the treatment of insomnia. The effect of the highest phase-3 dose of 50 mg daridorexant on nighttime respiratory function was evaluated in patients with mild/moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This study showed that repeated doses of daridorexant had no clinically meaningful effect on nighttime respiration (i.e., apnea-hypopnea index [AHI] and peripheral oxygen saturation [SpO2]). In the same study, other relevant respiratory endpoints were evaluated. Methods In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-period, crossover study, daridorexant or placebo was administered in each period once daily for 5 consecutive nights to 28 patients. Treatment differences (daridorexant – placebo) for total number and mean/longest duration of apneas and hypopneas as well as mean and lowest SpO2 during apnea/hypopnea events in Night 5 were explored using linear mixed-effects modeling. Treatment differences for the above-mentioned endpoints versus AHI during TST at baseline (i.e., OSA severity) was analyzed by linear regression using least square approach. Results Of 28 patients enrolled, 25 completed the study and were included in the analysis (n=15/10 with mild/moderate OSA; mean [standard deviation, SD] AHI: 16.3 events/h [8.2]). Compared to placebo, daridorexant increased mean duration of TST and accordingly to a not statistically significant extent the mean number of apneas + hypopneas by 16.4 events (n=103 versus 86.2; 90% confidence interval [CI]: -0.4–33.2]) without difference in mean [SD] AHI between daridorexant (15.1 events/h [7.9] and placebo (14.2 [7.7]). No treatment difference was detected for mean (0.0 sec [-2.6–2.7]) or longest (0.8 sec [-8.9–10.5]) duration of apneas nor for mean (0.2 sec [-2.2–2.5]) or longest (8.3 sec [6.4–23.1]) duration of hypopneas. No treatment difference was observed for mean (0.3% [-0.2–2.1]) and lowest (0.9% [0.3–2.1]) SpO2 during apnea/hypopnea events. Treatment differences for any of the evaluated endpoints did not significantly correlate with AHI at baseline as a marker of OSA severity (r2 ≤ 0.09). Conclusion Daridorexant can safely be administered to patients with mild/moderate OSA as treatment differences for respiratory-related endpoints were not of statistical significance and independent of disease severity in the studied population. Support (if any) Funded by Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

Daridorexant is a new dual orexin receptor antagonist currently in late-stage clinical development for the treatment of insomnia. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, four-period crossover study investigated the effect of daridorexant at a therapeutic and supratherapeutic dose on QT interval duration. Thirty-six healthy subjects received single oral doses of daridorexant (50 mg; 200 mg), moxifloxacin (400 mg; open label), and placebo. All treatments were administered at bedtime to mimic therapeutic practice. The primary analysis was based on linear mixed-effects concentration-QT modelling. Triplicate ECG data were extracted from Holter recordings at baseline and until 24 h post dosing at time points matching those for pharmacokinetic sampling. Plasma concentrations of daridorexant were determined over 24 h. Assay sensitivity was demonstrated based on mean baseline- and placebo-corrected QT interval using Fridericia’s formula (ΔΔQTcF) > 5 ms following moxifloxacin administration (p < 0.01). Following daridorexant administration, mean (90% confidence interval, CI) ΔΔQTcF was 1.40 ms (0.48; 2.32 ms) and 1.84 ms (−0.12; 3.79 ms) at the Cmax of 747 ng/mL (50 mg dose) and 1809 ng/mL (200 mg dose), respectively, i.e., the upper bounds of the CIs were < 10 ms defined as threshold of regulatory concern. Lack of relevant QT prolongation was confirmed by secondary by-time point analysis and absence of relevant findings in the categorical outlier analysis. Daridorexant was safe and well tolerated and its pharmacokinetics were consistent with previous data. Daridorexant does not impair cardiac repolarization evidenced by absence of relevant QT prolongation at therapeutic and supratherapeutic doses. Clinical Trials Registration ID: NCT04250506.

The C‐X‐C chemokine receptor 7 (CXCR7) has evolved as a promising, druggable target mainly in the immunology and oncology fields modulating plasma concentrations of its ligands CXCL11 and CXCL12 through receptor‐mediated internalization. This “scavenging” activity creates concentration gradients of these ligands between blood vessels and tissues that drive directional cell migration. This randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled first‐in‐human study assessed the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of ACT‐1004‐1239, a first‐in‐class drug candidate small‐molecule CXCR7 antagonist. Food effect and absolute bioavailability assessments were also integrated in this multipurpose study. Healthy male subjects received single ascending oral doses of ACT‐1004‐1239 ( n = 36) or placebo ( n = 12). At each of six dose levels (1–200 mg), repeated blood sampling was done over 144 hours for pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic assessments using CXCL11 and CXCL12 as biomarkers of target engagement. ACT‐1004‐1239 was safe and well tolerated up to the highest tested dose of 200 mg. CXCL12 plasma concentrations dose‐dependently increased and more than doubled compared with baseline, indicating target engagement, whereas CXCL11 concentrations remained unchanged. An indirect‐response pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic model well described the relationship between ACT‐1004‐1239 and CXCL12 concentrations across the full dose range, supporting once‐daily dosing for future clinical studies. At doses ≥ 10 mg, time to reach maximum plasma concentration ranged from 1.3 to 3.0 hours and terminal elimination half‐life from 17.8 to 23.6 hours. The exposure increase across the dose range was essentially dose‐proportional and no relevant food effect on pharmacokinetics was determined. The absolute bioavailability was 53.0% based on radioactivity data after oral vs. intravenous 14 C‐radiolabeled microtracer administration of ACT‐1004‐1239. Overall, these comprehensive data support further clinical development of ACT‐1004‐1239.

Study Objectives: Abuse potential properties have been reported for the dual orexin receptor antagonists (DORAs) suvorexant and lemborexant. Daridorexant is a new DORA currently in late-stage clinical development. This randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, placebo- and active-controlled six-period crossover study assessed its abuse potential in healthy recreational sedative drug users (n = 63). Methods: In each study period, a single, oral, morning dose of either daridorexant (50, 100, and 150 mg), placebo, or active control, i.e. suvorexant (150 mg) or zolpidem (30 mg), was administered. Primary pharmacodynamic (PD) endpoint was the E-max of the drug-liking visual analog scale (VAS) assessed over 24 h. Several secondary subjective and objective PD endpoints were also assessed. Results: Study validity was confirmed based on drug-liking of suvorexant and zolpidem greater than placebo applying a predefined 15-point validity margin (p < 0.0001). Drug-liking VAS E-max (mean; 95% confidence interval) of daridorexant at 50 mg (73.2; 69.0-77.5) was significantly lower compared to suvorexant (80.7; 77.0-84.5) and zolpidem (79.9; 76.2-83.5) (p < 0.001), but similar at 100 mg (79.1; 75.0-83.3) and 150 mg (81.3; 77.7, 84.8). Such dose-related patterns were also observed for most secondary endpoints. At each daridorexant dose, Drug-liking VAS scores were greater than placebo. Both control drugs and daridorexant were safe and the pharmacokinetics of daridorexant was consistent with earlier trials indicating quick absorption and elimination. Conclusions: In this large, valid human abuse potential study, daridorexant showed dose-related drug-liking among recreational sedative drug users with lower effects at the highest phase-3 dose, and similar effects at higher doses compared to supratherapeutic doses of suvorexant and zolpidem.

Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) may lead to cerebral vasospasm and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. It represents a major unmet medical need due to few treatment options with limited efficacy. The role of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and its receptor ET A in the pathogenesis of aSAH-induced vasospasm suggests antagonism of this receptor as promising asset for pharmacological treatment. Clazosentan is a potent ET A receptor antagonist for intravenous use currently under development for the prevention of aSAH-induced cerebral vasospasm. The pharmacokinetics of clazosentan are characterized by an intermediate clearance, a volume of distribution similar to that of the extracellular fluid volume, dose-proportional exposure, an elimination independent of drug-metabolizing enzymes, and a disposition mainly dependent on the hepatic uptake transporter organic anion transport polypeptide 1B1/1B3. In healthy subjects, clazosentan leads to an increase in ET-1 concentration and prevents the cardiac and renal effects mediated by infusion of ET-1. In patients, it significantly reduced the incidence of moderate or severe vasospasm as well as post-aSAH vasospasm-related morbidity and mortality. Clazosentan is well tolerated up to the expected therapeutic dose of 15 mg/h and, in aSAH patients, lung complications, hypotension, and anemia were adverse events more commonly reported following clazosentan than placebo. In summary, clazosentan has a pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and safety profile suitable to become a valuable asset in the armamentarium of therapeutic modalities to prevent aSAH-induced cerebral vasospasm.

Reduced pharmacodynamic (PD) effects of irreversible oral P2Y(12) receptor antagonists have been reported when administered during cangrelor infusion. Therefore, the PD interaction liability of the novel P2Y(12) receptor antagonist selatogrel with irreversible (i.e., clopidogrel, prasugrel) and reversible (i.e., ticagrelor) oral P2Y(12) receptor antagonists was investigated in vitro and in healthy subjects. In vitro, selatogrel reduced the effects of clopidogrel and prasugrel in a concentration-dependentmanner, while additive effects were observed for the combination of selatogrel and ticagrelor. Accordingly, a single- center, randomized, double-blind, two-way crossover study was conducted consisting of six groups. In each group (N = 12), an open-label loading dose of 300 or 600mg clopidogrel, 60 mg prasugrel, or 180mg ticagrelor was administered 30minutes (i. e., at tmax of selatogrel) or 12 hours after a single subcutaneous dose of 16mg selatogrel or placebo. Inhibition of platelet aggregation (IPA) was assessed at various time points up to 48 hours. Reduced IPA was determined when clopidogrel or prasugrel was administered 30 minutes after selatogrel (similar to 40 and 70% lower IPA, respectively, at 24 hours postdosing). However, when administering prasugrel 12 hours after selatogrel, IPA was not impacted (>90% IPA) and in the case of clopidogrel reduced effects were partially mitigated. Similar IPA was determined for ticagrelor when administered 30 minutes after selatogrel or placebo. In conclusion, reduced IPA was observed for clopidogrel and prasugrel when administered after selatogrel, which can be mitigated by applying an appropriate time interval. No PD interaction with ticagrelor was observed.

Cenerimod is a sphingosine‐1‐phosphate 1 receptor (S1P1R) modulator in phase II development for treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus. Its pharmacokinetics (PKs), pharmacodynamics (PDs), as well as safety and tolerability were investigated in white and Asian subjects to allow for recruitment of Asian patients in future studies. A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled parallel‐group study was performed in 20 healthy male subjects (n = 10 per ethnicity). A single, oral dose of 4 mg cenerimod or placebo (ratio 8:2) was administered under fasted conditions. The PKs of cenerimod were similar in white and Asian subjects indicated by geometric mean ratios (90% confidence interval) of 0.99 (0.80–1.21) for maximum plasma concentration, 0.96 (0.75–1.24) for area under the plasma concentration‐time curve from 0 to infinity, and 1.04 (0.86–1.25) for terminal half‐life. Accordingly, the extent and time course of reduction in lymphocyte count (as PD biomarker) were also similar in white and Asian subjects as compared with placebo. As observed for other S1PR modulators, a transient mean (SD) heart rate reduction in white (15.1 (14.8) bpm) and Asian (11.8 (6.16) bpm) subjects was observed following administration of cenerimod. The drug was safe and well‐tolerated indicated by occurrence of a single adverse event of chemical conjunctivitis in a white subject that was not suspected as study drug related. In conclusion, the determined absence of any relevant PK or PD differences supports using the same doses of cenerimod in white and Asian patients in upcoming late‐phase studies.

Umibecestat, an orally active β‐secretase inhibitor, reduces the production of amyloid beta‐peptide that accumulates in the brain of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. The echocardiogram effects of umibecestat, on QTcF (Fridericia‐corrected QT), on PR and QRS and heart rate (HR), were estimated by concentration‐effect modeling. Three phase I/II studies with durations up to 3 months, with 372 healthy subjects over a wide age range, including both sexes and 2 ethnicities, were pooled, providing a large data set with good statistical power. No clinically relevant effect on QTcF, PR interval, QRS duration, or HR were observed up to supratherapeutic doses. The upper bound of 90% confidence intervals of the ∆QTcF was below the 10 ms threshold of regulatory concern for all concentrations measured. Prespecified sensitivity analysis confirmed the results in both sexes, in those over and below 60 years, and in Japanese subjects. All conclusions were endorsed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The P2Y12 receptor antagonist selatogrel which exhibits rapid inhibition of platelet aggregation following subcutaneous administration is in development for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction. This human ADME study was performed in six healthy male subjects to determine the routes of elimination and to identify/quantify the metabolites of selatogrel at a therapeutically relevant dose of 16 mg [C-14]-radiolabelled selatogrel. The median t(max) and t(1/2) of selatogrel was 0.75 h and 4.7 h, respectively. It was safe and well tolerated based on adverse event, ECG, vital sign and laboratory data. Geometric mean total recovery of [C-14]-radioactivity was 94.9% of which 92.5% was recovered in faeces and 2.4% in urine. Selatogrel was the most abundant entity in each matrix. In plasma, no major metabolite was identified. In excreta, the glucuronide M21 (14.7% of radioactivity) and the mono-oxidized A1 (6.2%) were the most abundant metabolites in urine and faeces, respectively. Overall, none of the metabolic pathways contributed to a relevant extent to the overall elimination of selatogrel, i.e. by more than 25% as defined per regulatory guidance. Hence, no pharmacokinetic interaction studies with inhibitors or inducers of drug-metabolizing enzymes are warranted for clinical development of selatogrel.

In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-period crossover study, the effect of the dual orexin receptor antagonist daridorexant was evaluated on nighttime respiratory function and sleep in 28 patients with mild and moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). In each period, 50 mg daridorexant or placebo was administered every evening for 5 days. The primary endpoint was apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) during total sleep time (TST) after the last dosing. Other endpoints included peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO(2)), sleep duration, latency to persistent sleep (LPS), wake after sleep onset (WASO), and sleep efficiency index (SEI). Pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability were also assessed. The mean treatment difference for AHI during TST (i.e. daridorexant - placebo) after the last dosing was 0.74 events/hour (90% confidence interval [CI]: -1.43, 2.92). The corresponding treatment difference for SpO(2) during TST was 0.16% [90% CI: -0.21, 0.53]. Overall, there was no clinically relevant effect of daridorexant on AHI or SpO(2)-related data after single and repeated dosing irrespective of sleep phase (i.e. rapid eye movement [REM] vs non-REM). Moreover, after single and repeated dosing, daridorexant prolonged TST by 39.6 minutes (90% CI: 16.9, 62.3) and 38.8 minutes (19.7, 57.9), respectively, compared with placebo and favorably modulated other sleep-related endpoints (i.e. increased SEI, decreased WASO, and shortened LPS). It attained expected plasma concentrations and was well tolerated in patients with mild and moderate OSA. These results indicate that single and repeated doses of 50 mg daridorexant do not impair nighttime respiratory function and improve sleep in patients with mild and moderate OSA.

This study investigated the potential QT liability of the selective endothelin-1 A receptor antagonist clazosentan at a therapeutic (20 mg/h) and supratherapeutic (60 mg/h) intravenous (i.v.) dose. A randomized, placebo- and moxifloxacin-controlled, double-blind, 3-period, crossover study was conducted in 36 healthy subjects receiving clazosentan (20 mg/h followed by 60 mg/h i.v. for 3 h each), placebo (i.v. for 6 h), and moxifloxacin (single oral dose of 400 mg concomitantly with placebo i.v. for 6 h). At least three replicate ECGs were extracted from Holter recordings at predefined time points from 1 h pre-dose to 24 h after end of infusion. Pharmacokinetic blood sampling was performed for concentration/QT analysis (primary endpoint). For moxifloxacin, the lower bound of the 90% confidence interval (CI) of baseline- and placebo-corrected QTcF (ΔΔQTcF) was > 5 ms at its maximum plasma concentration together with a positive slope of the concentration/QT regression line demonstrating assay sensitivity. For clazosentan, time of peak exposure preceded maximum ΔΔQTcF by 4 h indicating delayed QT-prolonging effects leading to invalidity of the concentration/QT analysis. The secondary by-time-point analysis revealed QT liability of clazosentan (i.e., upper bound of 90% CI ∆∆QTcF > 10 ms). Delayed QT prolongation (i.e., hysteresis) was predominantly observed in subjects with nausea and vomiting, potentially caused by vagal reaction and/or decreases in potassium concentration. By contrast, there was no association with other adverse events, food intake, or concomitant medication. In conclusion, clazosentan at therapeutic and supratherapeutic doses has QT liability with hysteresis effects being associated with nausea and vomiting.

Cenerimod is a sphingosine-1-phosphate 1 receptor modulator under development for treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus. This single-centre, open-label, single-dose study investigated the mass balance and excretion routes and aimed at identifying and quantifying cenerimod metabolites in plasma, urine, and faeces after oral administration of 2 mg/100 mu Ci (3.7 MBq) of C-14-cenerimod. Total mean cumulative recovery was 84% of the administered dose (58-100% in faeces and 4.6-12% in urine). In a 0-504 h cross-subject area under the curve plasma pool, cenerimod and two metabolites were detected accounting for 78, 6.0, and 4.9% of total radioactivity, respectively, i.e. no major metabolite was identified in plasma. Cenerimod was only detected in faeces and accounted for 17% of the radioactivity excreted in this matrix. The metabolite M32 was detected in both urine and faeces and represented 23% and 66% of radioactivity excreted in these matrices, respectively. Other metabolites of unknown structure were detected in small amounts. Overall, M32 and cenerimod accounted for 52% and 13%, respectively, of the total radioactivity recovered. Among the excreted metabolites, only the non-enzymatically formed M32 represented more than 25% of total drug-related material. Therefore, no pharmacokinetic drug-drug interaction studies are foreseen.