Pharmacokinetic characteristics of vactosertib, a new activin receptor-like kinase 5 inhibitor, in patients with advanced solid tumors in a first-in-human phase 1 study

Purposes Vactosertib is a new investigational inhibitor of activin receptor-like kinase 5. The objective of this study was to characterize vactosertib pharmacokinetics that are to be applied for subsequent clinical studies. Methods Vactosertib plasma concentration-time data were obtained from a multicenter, dose-escalation, first-in-human phase 1 study conducted in patients with advanced solid tumors. Each patient orally received a fixed dose of vactosertib with the range of 30 mg to 340 mg once daily under fasted condition. Pharmacokinetic analysis was performed using a non-compartmental method. Results Pharmacokinetic data were evaluable in 29 patients. Vactosertib was rapidly absorbed after the first dose with a median time to maximum concentration (t_max) of 1.2 h (interquartile range, 0.8–1.8 h) and quickly eliminated with a median terminal half-life (t_1/2) of 3.2 h (2.2–4.2 h) over the dose range studied. Such trend was also observed after repeated doses for five days (median t_max, 1.5 h; median t_1/2, 3.0 h). The area under the concentration-time curve within a dosing interval increased in proportion to dose. The median values of apparent clearance and volume of distribution were 29 L/h (21–44 L/h) and 133 L (77–222 L), respectively. The median accumulation ratio after repeated once-daily doses for five days was 0.87 (0.69–1.07). Conclusions Vactosertib pharmacokinetics were dose-proportional within tested dose range with negligible accumulation when administered once daily for five days. Considering the short half-life, it seems necessary to administer vactosertib twice- or thrice-daily to maintain its concentrations above minimum effective level over a dosing interval.