Target-Mediated Drug Disposition Pharmacokinetic–Pharmacodynamic Model of Bosentan and Endothelin-1

Abstract

Bosentan is a competitive antagonist on endothelin receptor A and B (ETA and ETB), displacing the endogenous binding partner endothelin-1 (ET-1) from its binding sites. After administration of escalating single doses of 10-750mg as an intravenous (i.v.) infusion, bosentan showed dose-dependent pharmacokinetics (PK). The aim of this analysis was to develop a PK model of bosentan after i.v. administration including competitive antagonism with ET-1 and to analyze its influence on blood pressure and heart rate with a combined pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) model. PK/PD data from 70 young male Caucasian subjects were analyzed after single i.v. administration of 10, 50, 250, 500, and 750mg of bosentan. Population analyses, simulations, and evaluation were performed using a non-linear mixed-effects modeling approach. The PK of bosentan was best described by a two-compartment, target-mediated drug disposition (TMDD) model. ET-1 plasma and urine profiles were successfully integrated into the bosentan two-compartment, TMDD model encompassing competition for the same receptor. A multiple-peak phenomenon of bosentan plasma concentrations after i.v. administration was best described by a diurnal expression or reappearance of ET receptors on the cell surface. Blood pressure was best described by an E max model; heart rate was modeled as a compensatory effect of changes in blood pressure. The developed competitive PK/PD model of bosentan and ET-1 after i.v. administration provides a first step towards understanding the complex PK properties of bosentan and offers a valuable tool for future PK/PD research.