Single-dose pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and safety of AZD0837, a novel oral direct thrombin inhibitor, in young healthy male subjects.

OBJECTIVE: The novel oral anticoagulant AZD0837 is currently in clinical development for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolic events in patients with atrial fibrillation. AZD0837 is bioconverted to AR-H067637, a selective and reversible direct thrombin inhibitor. This first-time-in-man study (study code D1250C00001) investigated the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of AZD0837.
METHODS: Healthy Caucasian male volunteers (n = 44, age 20 - 39 y) were enrolled into this study of single oral escalating doses of AZD0837 given in solution (15 - 750 mg, n = 4 per dose). PD was assessed by ex vivo measurements of activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), ecarin coagulation time (ECT), thrombin time (TT) and thrombin generation in plasma.
RESULTS: AZD0837 was rapidly absorbed, with a mean oral bioavailability of 22 - 52%, and bioconverted to the active form, AR-H067637. In fasting subjects, maximum plasma concentrations (Cmax) for AR-H067637 occurred approximately 1 h post-dosing and declined with a mean half-life of 9.3 h. The Cmax and area under the curve for AR-H067637 showed a low to moderate inter-individual variability of 16% and 28%, respectively, and exhibited a slight deviation from dose-proportionality. AZD0837 produced a dose-dependent prolongation of APTT, ECT and TT, and decreased maximum free thrombin activity. AZD0837 was generally well tolerated.
CONCLUSIONS: AZD0837 single oral doses (15 - 750 mg) are well tolerated in healthy male subjects and exhibit favorable PK properties and reproducible effects on ex vivo coagulation time variables that support further clinical development.