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Metabolism, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the factor Xa inhibitor apixaban in rabbits

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Abstract

Apixaban has similar affinity for human and rabbit factor Xa (FXa). Rabbits are commonly used in development of thrombosis disease models; however, unlike in other species, apixaban demonstrated poor oral bioavailability (F = 3%) and a high clearance rate (2.55 l/h/kg) in rabbits. Oxidative metabolism of [14C] apixaban by liver microsomes was approximately 20 times faster in rabbits than in rats or humans. Following an intravenous (IV) dose of 5 mg/kg, circulating levels of [14C] apixaban decreased from the earliest sampling time (5 min) to undetectable at 4 h. After an oral dose of 30 mg/kg, levels of [14C] apixaban were only detected at 1 and 4 h. Radioactivity profiling showed that apixaban was a significant component in plasma only after IV administration; O-demethyl apixaban (M2), O-demethyl apixaban glucuronide (M14) and O-demethyl apixaban sulfate (M1) were prominent metabolites after both IV and oral administration. Studies of apixaban in rabbits showed a good correlation between apixaban concentrations and inhibition of FXa activity, prolongation of prothrombin time and modified prothrombin time, with no lag time between these ex vivo pharmacodynamic markers and plasma drug levels. The apixaban concentration required for 50% inhibition (IC50) of FXa activity ex vivo (0.22 ± 0.02 μM) agreed with the IC50 from in vitro experiments in rabbit and human plasma. In summary, apixaban shows similar affinity for human and rabbit FXa. It produces a rapid onset of action, predictable concentration-dependent pharmacodynamic responses, and, unlike rats or humans, a rapid hepatic metabolism in rabbits.

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Acknowledgments

Editorial support was provided by Leigh Prevost, BSc, of PAREXEL. This work was funded by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer Inc.

Conflict of interest

The authors are employees of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pharmaceutical Candidate Optimization, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, 311 Pennington-Rocky Hill Road, Pennington, NJ, 08534, USA

    Donglu Zhang, Kan He, Nirmala Raghavan, Lifei Wang, Bing He & Baomin Xin

  2. Thrombosis Research, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, 311 Pennington-Rocky Hill Road, Pennington, NJ, 08534, USA

    Earl J. Crain, Joseph M. Luettgen & Pancras C. Wong

Authors
  1. Donglu Zhang
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  2. Kan He
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  9. Pancras C. Wong
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Correspondence to Pancras C. Wong.

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Zhang, D., He, K., Raghavan, N. et al. Metabolism, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the factor Xa inhibitor apixaban in rabbits. J Thromb Thrombolysis 29, 70–80 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11239-009-0401-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11239-009-0401-8

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