Assessment of Remogliflozin Etabonate, a Sodium-Dependent Glucose Co-Transporter-2 Inhibitor, as a Perpetrator of Clinical Drug Interactions: A Study on Drug Transporters and Metabolic Enzymes

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease characterized by progressive deterioration of glycemic control and an increased risk of associated complications. Remogliflozin etabonate is the ester prodrug of remogliflozin, a selective sodium-dependent glucose transporter-2 inhibitor that was under development to treat type 2 diabetes. This work investigated the in vitro inhibition of efflux and uptake transporters and cytochrome P450 enzymes by remogliflozin etabonate, remogliflozin and a number of other metabolites. As well, the ability of remogliflozin to induce cytochrome P450 enzymes in human hepatocytes was examined. Remogliflozin etabonate, remogliflozin and GSK279782 (an active pharmacological metabolite of remogliflozin) were inhibitors of organic anion transporting polypeptide-1B1 with IC 50 values of 5.3, 25 and 14 µM, respectively. Remogliflozin etabonate and remogliflozin were inhibitors of organic cation transporter-1 with IC50 values of 43 and 39 µM, respectively. In contrast, remogliflozin etabonate, remogliflozin, GSK279782, and GSK333081 (a metabolite of remogliflozin) were not inhibitors of P-glycoprotein, a number of other renal transporters, or cytochrome P450 enzymes. Further, three circulating glucuronide metabolites found in human plasma were not inhibitors of cytochrome P450 enzymes or organic anion transporters. Remogliflozin etabonate, but not remogliflozin or GSK279782, activated the pregnane X Receptor in vitro. Further studies demonstrated that remogliflozin (up to 100 µM) did not induce cytochrome P450 3A 4 or 1A1 mRNA in human hepatocytes; however a small increase was noted for CYP2B6 mRNA. Combined with pharmacokinetic data from healthy volunteers and diabetic subjects, these in vitro investigations provide a low drug interaction potential for remogliflozin etabonate, remogliflozin and the associated metabolites to be perpetrators of clinical drug interactions. This information has been used to guide the design of clinical studies with remogliflozin etabonate when given with other co-medications.