Accelerating drug development at Bristol Myers Squibb through innovation.

This paper focuses on the use of novel technologies and innovative trial designs to accelerate evidence generation and increase pharmaceutical Research and Development (R&D) productivity, at Bristol Myers Squibb. We summarize learnings with case examples, on how we prepared and continuously evolved to address the increasing cost, complexities, and external pressures in drug development, to bring innovative medicines to patients much faster. These learnings were based on review of internal efforts toward accelerating R&D focusing on four key areas: adopting innovative trial designs, optimizing trial designs, leveraging external control data, and implementing novel methods using artificial intelligence and machine learning.

A randomized, controlled, repeat-dose study of batefenterol/fluticasone furoate compared with placebo in the treatment of COPD.

Background: Batefenterol (BAT) is a bi-functional molecule with both muscarinic antagonist and β-adrenoceptor agonist pharmacology. This Phase II, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study evaluated the safety and tolerability of BAT 300 μg with fluticasone furoate (FF) 100 μg administered via the ELLIPTA inhaler (BAT/FF 300/100).

Methods: Subjects with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were randomized 2:1 to receive BAT/FF 300/100 or placebo once daily for 6 weeks.

Randomized dose-finding study of batefenterol via dry powder inhaler in patients with COPD.

Background: Batefenterol is a novel bifunctional muscarinic antagonist β-agonist in development for COPD. The primary objective of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, active comparator, Phase IIb study was to model the dose-response of batefenterol and select a dose for Phase III development.

Patients And Methods: Patients aged ≥40 years with COPD and FEV ≥30% and ≤70% predicted normal were randomized equally to batefenterol 37.

Treatment of spontaneous preterm labour with retosiban: a phase II pilot dose-ranging study.

Aims: The aims of the present study were to investigate the maternal, fetal and neonatal safety and tolerability, pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of intravenous (IV) retosiban in pregnant women with spontaneous preterm labour (PTL) between 34 and 35  weeks' gestation.

Methods: In parts A and B of a three-part, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre study, women were randomized 3:1 (Part A) or 2:1 (Part B) to either 12-h IV retosiban followed by a single dose of oral placebo (R-P) or 12-h IV placebo followed by single-dose oral retosiban (P-R).

Results: A total of 29 women were randomized; 20 to R-P and nine to P-R.

Platelet aggregation unchanged by lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A₂ inhibition: results from an in vitro study and two randomized phase I trials.

Background: We explored the theorized upregulation of platelet-activating factor (PAF)- mediated biologic responses following lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) inhibition using human platelet aggregation studies in an in vitro experiment and in 2 clinical trials.

Methods And Results: Full platelet aggregation concentration response curves were generated in vitro to several platelet agonists in human plasma samples pretreated with rilapladib (selective Lp-PLA2 inhibitor) or vehicle. This was followed by a randomized, double-blind crossover study in healthy adult men (n = 26) employing a single-agonist dose assay of platelet aggregation, after treatment of subjects with 250 mg oral rilapladib or placebo once daily for 14 days.

Inhibition of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase reduces inflammation after coronary vascular injury in humans.

Objective: To evaluate whether a p38α/β mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor, SB-681323, would limit the elevation of an inflammatory marker, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), after a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods And Results: Coronary artery stents provide benefit by maintaining lumen patency but may incur vascular trauma and inflammation, leading to myocardial damage. A key mediator for such stress signaling is p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase.

Operating characteristics of a partial-block randomized crossover bioequivalence study for dutasteride, a drug with a long half-life: investigation through simulation and comparison with final results.

Studies to establish bioequivalence (BE) of a drug are important elements in support of drug applications. A typical BE study is conducted as a single dose, randomized, 2-period crossover design. For drugs with long half lives (≥ 48 hours) and evaluation of multiple BE objectives in 1 trial, this design may not be adequate.

Ethanol does not alter the pharmacokinetic profile of the controlled-release formulation of carvedilol.

The concomitant ingestion of alcohol may alter the release of a drug from a modified-release dosage form, posing a potential risk to patients. In a randomized, open-label, 4-period cross-over study, the pharmacokinetic profiles of R(+) and S(-) carvedilol were compared after a single oral dose of carvedilol controlled-release formulation (administered following a standard meal) was given alone or concomitantly with ethanol. Thirty-nine healthy subjects participated in this study.

Pharmacokinetic profile of controlled-release carvedilol in patients with left ventricular dysfunction associated with chronic heart failure or after myocardial infarction.

We compared the pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles of repeated dosing with the currently available immediate-release (IR) carvedilol (given twice daily) and a newly developed controlled-release (CR) formulation (given once daily) in patients with left ventricular dysfunction (LVD). We enrolled 188 patients with stable mild, moderate, or severe heart failure as well as survivors of a recent acute myocardial infarction (MI) with asymptomatic LVD (left ventricular ejection fraction View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Development of a pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic model for carvedilol to predict beta1-blockade in patients with congestive heart failure.

To determine whether the controlled-release (CR) formulation of carvedilol given once daily provides 24-hour beta1-receptor blockade similar to the currently marketed immediate-release (IR) formulation given twice daily, changes in exercise-induced heart rate after bicycle ergometry were measured. The pharmacokinetic (PK)/pharmacodynamic (PD) relation between S(-)-carvedilol concentration-the enantiomer with beta-blocking activity-and change in exercise-induced heart rate was defined in healthy subjects and was best described using a direct effect inhibitory E(max) model (with E(max) being the maximum effect). The population estimates for E(max) and concentration at 50% of the maximum effect (EC50) were 19.

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic comparison of controlled-release carvedilol and immediate-release carvedilol at steady state in patients with hypertension.

Carvedilol is indicated for the treatment of essential hypertension and mild-to-severe chronic heart failure, as well as the reduction of cardiovascular mortality in clinically stable post-myocardial infarction patients with left ventricular dysfunction. Carvedilol is a racemic mixture of R(+) and S(-) enantiomers that combines beta(1)-, beta(2)-, and alpha(1)-adrenoceptor blockade. For all indications, the immediate-release (IR) formulation of carvedilol is taken twice daily.

Pharmacokinetic properties of a new controlled-release formulation of carvedilol.

This review summarizes the pharmacokinetics (PK) of carvedilol after administration of a new once-daily controlled-release (CR) formulation. The plasma concentration-time profiles for both R(+)- and S(-)-carvedilol indicate that carvedilol CR will provide coverage over a 24-hour period similar to the current immediate-release (IR) twice-daily formulation. Exposures for both enantiomers, based on area under the curve (AUC), maximum plasma concentrations (C(max)), and trough concentrations, are equivalent for carvedilol CR compared with carvedilol IR.

Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of oral contraceptives co-administered with alosetron (Lotronex).

The 5-HT3 receptor antagonist alosetron (Lotronex) is indicated for use in women with severe, chronic, diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) who have failed conventional therapy. Oral contraceptives (OCs) and alosetron are potential co-medications in women of childbearing age. This study assessed the effect of alosetron co-administration on pharmacodynamic markers of contraceptive efficacy, on the pharmacokinetics of estrogen and progesterone OC components, and on the activity of biochemical markers for the risk of thrombosis.

Fluticasone propionate aqueous nasal spray provided significantly greater improvement in daytime and nighttime nasal symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis compared with montelukast.

Background: The safety and efficacy of intranasal corticosteroids for the treatment of allergic rhinitis is well documented in the literature. Additionally, an expert panel has concluded that intranasal corticosteroids are the first line of therapy when obstruction is a major component of rhinitis. Montelukast is a leukotriene receptor antagonist recently approved for the treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR).