Impact of menstruation on select hematology and clinical chemistry variables in cynomolgus macaques.

Background: In preclinical studies with cynomolgus macaques, it is common to have one or more females presenting with menses. Published literature indicates that the blood lost during menses causes decreases in red blood cell mass variables (RBC, HGB, and HCT), which would be a confounding factor in the interpretation of drug-related effects on clinical pathology data, but no scientific data have been published to support this claim.

Objectives: This investigation was conducted to determine if the amount of blood lost during menses in cynomolgus macaques has an effect on routine hematology and serum chemistry variables.

Artifactual prolongation of activated partial thromboplastin time with PEGylated compounds in silica-based assays.

Conjugation of polyethylene glycol (PEG) to another molecule prolongs its half-life in the body, but has a potential to artifactually increase the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) as measured with certain assays. Studies conducted in-house at Bristol-Myers Squibb using the STA-PTT Automate 5 assay, the routine assay used to measure aPTT, demonstrated prolongation of aPTT in plasma samples spiked in vitro with 40-kDa branched PEG (PEG40) conjugated compounds or PEG40 alone, but not in samples spiked with vehicle or non-PEGylated compound, suggesting that the interference is because of the PEG40 moiety. To investigate the cause of this phenomenon, cynomolgus monkey and rat plasma samples were spiked with different concentrations of PEG40 and the aPTT was measured using different proprietary assays.

Occurrence of spontaneous pancreatic lesions in normal and diabetic rats: a potential confounding factor in the nonclinical assessment of GLP-1-based therapies.

Glucagon-like peptide 1-based therapies, collectively described as incretins, produce glycemic benefits in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Recent publications raised concern for a potential increased risk of pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer with incretins based in part on findings from a small number of rodents. However, extensive toxicology assessments in a substantial number of animals dosed up to 2 years at high multiples of human exposure do not support these concerns.