Aims: This study investigated the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics properties, safety and tolerability of cetagliptin.
Methods: Forty-eight healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. Three cohorts were investigated in sequential order: 50, 100 and 200 mg cetagliptin. Positive control (sitagliptin 100 mg) was designed as open label. Blood samples were collected and analysed for pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. Safety and tolerability were assessed throughout the study.
Results: Following multiple oral doses, cetagliptin was rapidly absorbed and reached peak plasma concentrations after approximately 1.0-1.5 hours. Plasma cetagliptin concentrations increased at a rate greater than dose. Accumulation of cetagliptin was modest, and steady state was generally achieved at day 5. Doses ≥50 mg of cetagliptin administered once daily will result in sustained dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibition (≥80%). The plasma concentration giving 50% of maximum drug effect of DPP-4 inhibition for cetagliptin (5.29 ng/mL) was lower than that of sitagliptin (7.03 ng/mL). Active glucagon-like-1 peptide (GLP-1) concentrations were significantly increased in the cetagliptin groups by 2.3- to 3.1-fold at day 1 and 3.1- to 3.6-fold at steady state compared with that of placebo, and active GLP-1 concentrations were increased with increasing dose. Compared with sitagliptin, doses ≥100 mg once daily of cetagliptin produced postprandial increases in active GLP-1 level and induced to long-lasting glucose-lowering efficacy. Cetagliptin was well tolerated across all doses studied.
Conclusion: Cetagliptin demonstrates the great potential for treatment with type 2 diabetes patients based on the inhibition of DPP-4, the increase in GLP-1 and insulin, the decrease in glucose, and might be more effective in DPP-4 inhibition than sitagliptin.
Keywords: cetagliptin; dipeptidyl peptidase-4; pharmacodynamics; pharmacokinetics.
© 2021 British Pharmacological Society.