Skip to main content
Log in

Effect of Food (Low and High Fat) on Pharmacokinetics of FCN-159, a Selective MEK Inhibitor, in Healthy Chinese Males

  • Original Research
  • Published:
Advances in Therapy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Introduction

FCN-159 is a novel, oral, potent, selective MEK1/2 inhibitor in clinical development for the treatment of NRAS-mutant advanced melanoma and neurofibromatosis type 1. We investigated the effect of food on the pharmacokinetics (PK), safety, and tolerability of FCN-159.

Methods

In this single-center, open-label, phase 1 study with a three-period, three-sequence, crossover design, healthy Chinese male subjects (n = 24) were randomized (1:1:1) to receive a single, oral 8 mg dose of FCN-159 in the fasted state (overnight, > 10 h), and with a low-fat and a high-fat meal, separated by a 10-day washout. PK parameters including time to maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) and area under the concentration–time curve (AUC) were compared using geometric least-squares mean ratios (GLSMR), with the fasted state as the reference. A 90% CI for the GLSMR within 80–125% indicated no significant food effect.

Results

A low-fat meal (n = 23) did not affect the PK profile of FCN-159: G LSMR for AUC from time 0 to t (AUC0–t), 106.9% (90% CI 99.9–114.4%); AUC from time 0 to infinity (AUC0–∞), 106.8% (90% CI 100.0–114.0%); Cmax, 96.4% (90% CI 83.9–110.8%). A high-fat meal (n = 24) did not affect exposure to FCN-159 (GLSMR for AUC0–t, 99.4%; 90% CI 99.0–106.3%; AUC0–∞, 99.5 5%; 90% CI 93.2–106.1%), but modestly reduced Cmax by 15% (GLSMR 84.9%; 90% CI 74.0–97.3%). Both the low-fat and high-fat meals slightly prolonged the median time to Cmax by 0.5 h (90% CI 0.5–1.0 h). FCN-159 was generally well tolerated, with a lower incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events following administration in the fasted state than with a low-fat or high-fat meal (20.8%, 39.1%, and 37.5%, respectively).

Conclusion

Food did not affect the PK profile of FCN-159 to a clinically meaningful extent compared with administration in the fasted state.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Yaeger R, Corcoran RB. Targeting Alterations in the RAF-MEK Pathway. Cancer Discov. 2019;9(3):329–41. https://doi.org/10.1158/2159-8290.CD-18-1321.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  2. Linares MA, Zakaria A, Nizran P. Skin cancer. Prim Care. 2015;42(4):645–59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pop.2015.07.006.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Siegel RL, Miller KD, Fuchs HE, Jemal A. Cancer statistics, 2021. CA Cancer J Clin. 2021;71(1):7–33. https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.21654.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Davies H, Bignell GR, Cox C, Stephens P, Edkins S, Clegg S, et al. Mutations of the BRAF gene in human cancer. Nature. 2002;417(6892):949–54. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature00766.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. BioPharma A. Mektovi (binimetinib) US Prescribing Information (January 2019) [June 2022]. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2019/210498s001lbl.pdf.

  6. Genentech. Cotelli (cobimetinib) US Prescribing Information (January 2018). https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2018/206192s002lbl.pdf.

  7. Novartis. Mekinist (trametinib) US Prescribing Information (January 2022) [June 2022]. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2022/204114s021lbl.pdf.

  8. Novartis. Mekinist (trametinib) EU Summary of Product Characteristics (May 2022). https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/product-information/mekinist-epar-product-information_en.pdf.

  9. Pierre Fabre Medicament. Mektovi (binimetinib) EU Summary of Product Characteristics (January 2022). [June 2022]. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/product-information/mektovi-epar-product-information_en.pdf.

  10. Roche. Cotellic (cobimetinib) EU Summary of Product Characteristics (November 2021). https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/product-information/cotellic-epar-product-information_en.pdf.

  11. Galvin R, Watson AL, Largaespada DA, Ratner N, Osum S, Moertel CL. Neurofibromatosis in the era of precision medicine: development of MEK inhibitors and recent successes with selumetinib. Curr Oncol Rep. 2021;23(4):45. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11912-021-01032-y.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Anderson JL, Gutmann DH. Neurofibromatosis type 1. Handb Clin Neurol. 2015;132:75–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-62702-5.00004-4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. AstraZeneca. Kosulego (selumetinib) US Prescribing Information (December 2021) [June 2022]. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2021/213756Orig1s003lbl.pdf.

  14. AstraZeneca. Kosulego (selumetinib) EU Summary of Product Characteristics (July 2022) [cited July 2022]. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/product-information/koselugo-epar-product-information_en.pdf.

  15. Lin S, Zhao X, Zhou Z, Tan H, Chen L, Tan R, et al. Abstract 1951: FCN-159: a novel, potent and selective oral inhibitor of MEK1/2 for the treatment of solid tumors. Cancer Res. 2020;80(16_Suppl):1951. https://doi.org/10.1158/1538-7445.Am2020-1951.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Si L, Mao L, Zhou L, Li C, Wang X, Cui C, et al. A phase Ia/Ib clinical study to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics (PK) and preliminary anti-tumour activity of FCN-159 in patients with advanced melanoma harboring NRAS-aberrant (Ia) and NRAS-mutation (Ib). Ann Oncol. 2019;30(Suppl 5):V562.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Fosun Pharmaceuticals. Data on File 2022.

  18. Mao L, Guo J, Zhu L, Jiang Y, Yan W, Zhang J, et al. FCN-159, a MEK1/2 inhibitor, in patients with advanced melanoma harboring NRAS mutations: a phase 1A dose-escalation study. Cancer Res. 2022;82(12 Suppl):1–6403.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Hu X, Zeng K, Xu Z, Li W, Li C, Kang Z, et al. A multicenter, open-label, single-arm, phase 1 dose-escalation study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and anti-tumor activity of FCN-159 in adults with neurofibromatosis type 1. J Clin Oncol. 2022;40(16 Suppl):3011. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2022.40.16_suppl.3011.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Cox DS, Papadopoulos K, Fang L, Bauman J, LoRusso P, Tolcher A, et al. Evaluation of the effects of food on the single-dose pharmacokinetics of trametinib, a first-in-class MEK inhibitor, in patients with cancer. J Clin Pharmacol. 2013;53(9):946–54. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcph.115.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Tomkinson H, McBride E, Martin P, Lisbon E, Dymond AW, Cantarini M, et al. Comparison of the pharmacokinetics of the phase II and phase III capsule formulations of selumetinib and the effects of food on exposure: results from two randomized crossover trials in healthy male subjects. Clin Ther. 2017;39(11):2260−75 e1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinthera.2017.08.022.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Cohen-Rabbie S, Mattinson A, So K, Wang N, Goldwater R. Effect of food on capsule and granule formulations of selumetinib. Clin Transl Sci. 2022;15(4):878–88. https://doi.org/10.1111/cts.13209.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  23. AstraZeneca. Koselugo® (selumetinib) US Prescribing Information (December 2021). 2021 [July 2022]. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2021/213756Orig1s003lbl.pdf.

  24. Musib L, Choo E, Deng Y, Eppler S, Rooney I, Chan IT, et al. Absolute bioavailability and effect of formulation change, food, or elevated pH with rabeprazole on cobimetinib absorption in healthy subjects. Mol Pharm. 2013;10(11):4046–54. https://doi.org/10.1021/mp400383x.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Center for Drug Evaluation and Research UFaDA. Assessing the effects of food on drugs in INDs and NDAs—clinical pharmacology considerations guidance for industry (2019).

  26. US Food and Drug Administration. Bioavailability Studies Submitted in NDAs or INDs—General Considerations. https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/bioavailability-studies-submitted-ndas-or-inds-general-considerations. Accessed October 2022.

Download references

Acknowledgements

Funding

This study was funded by Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Development Co., Ltd. The study sponsor also funded the journal’s Rapid Service fees.

Medical Writing, Editorial, and Other Assistance

Editorial support for this manuscript was provided by Jake Burrell PhD (Rude Health Consulting Ltd.) and paid for by Fosun Pharma.

Author Contributions

Xuhong Wang, Lei Diao, Jiangfan Li, Yan Tan, Kexin Li, Yan Tan, Ai-Min Hui, Zhuli Wu, and Pu Han contributed to the study design, study conduct, and the critical review of the intellectual content of the article, and approved the final version for publication. Zheng Wei and Jingjun Qiu contributed to the analysis and interpretation of data, the critical review of the intellectual content of the article, and approved the final version for publication.

Disclosures

Yan Tan, Zhuli Wu, Pu Han, Zhen Wei, Jingjun Qiu, and Lei Diao are employees of Beijing Fosun Pharmaceutical Research and Development Co., Ltd. Ai-Min Hui is an employee of Fosun Pharma USA Inc. The other authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Compliance with Ethics Guidelines

The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Review Board at Beijing Luhe Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China (approval number: 2021-LHYW-062-01). The study was conducted in compliance with applicable laws in China, and in accordance with the Chinese Guidelines for Good Clinical Practice and the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki of 1964 and subsequent revisions. All subjects provided written, informed consent prior to participation. This paper was written following the ClinPK guidelines.

Data Availability

The datasets generated during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Lei Diao or Xuhong Wang.

Supplementary Information

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary file1 (PDF 584 KB)

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Li, J., Tan, Y., Li, K. et al. Effect of Food (Low and High Fat) on Pharmacokinetics of FCN-159, a Selective MEK Inhibitor, in Healthy Chinese Males. Adv Ther 40, 1074–1086 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12325-022-02375-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12325-022-02375-z

Keywords

Navigation