In vitro and in vivo studies of pharmacokinetics and antitumor efficacy of D07001-F4, an oral gemcitabine formulation

Purpose: The chemotherapy agent gemcitabine is currently administered intravenously because the drug has poor oral bioavailability. In order to assess the pharmacokinetics and antitumor activity of D07001-F4, a new self-microemulsifying oral drug delivery system preparation of gemcitabine, this study was performed to compare the effect of D07001-F4 with administered gemcitabine in vitro and in vivo. Methods: D07001-F4 pharmacokinetics was examined by evaluation of in vitro deamination of D07001-F4 and gemcitabine hydrochloride by recombinant human cytidine deaminase (rhCDA) and in vivo evaluation of D07001-F4 pharmacokinetics in mice. Antitumor activity was evaluated by comparing the effect of D07001-F4 and gemcitabine hydrochloride in inhibiting growth in nine cancer cell lines and by examining the effect of D07001-F4 and gemcitabine in two xenograft tumor models in mice. Results: In vitro deamination of D07001-F4 by rhCDA was 3.3-fold slower than deamination of gemcitabine hydrochloride. Growth inhibition by D07001-F4 of 7 of the 8 cancer cell lines was increased compared with that seen with gemcitabine hydrochloride, and D07001-F4 inhibited the growth of pancreatic and colon cancer xenografts. In vivo pharmacokinetics showed the oral bioavailability of D07001-F4 to be 34 %. Conclusions: D07001-F4 was effective against several cancer types, was metabolized more slowly than gemcitabine hydrochloride, and exhibited enhanced oral bioavailability.