Abstract
Etrolizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody, specifically binds to the β7 subunit of the heterodimeric integrins α4β7 and αEβ7. Pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) data were collected from an etrolizumab phase 1 trial in patients with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis (UC). We developed a mechanism-based model to simultaneously describe the kinetics of serum etrolizumab concentration and free β7 receptors on circulating intestinal-homing CD4(+) T lymphocytes. Included in the analysis were 38 phase 1 UC patients who received single or 3 monthly doses of etrolizumab intravenously or subcutaneously across a dose range of 0.3 to 10 mg/kg. A quasi-steady-state target-mediated drug disposition model was developed to describe the dynamic interaction between serum etrolizumab concentration and free β7 receptors on intestinal-homing CD4(+) T lymphocytes in UC patients. The time profiles of serum etrolizumab and absolute counts of β7(+) lymphocytes (expressed as percentage of baseline level) were well described by the quasi-steady-state target-mediated drug disposition model. The model was able to characterize the maximum drug occupancy of β7 receptors on intestinal-homing CD4(+) T lymphocytes and the concentration-dependent duration of occupancy. The 90% effective concentration for etrolizumab to saturate the β7 receptors on intestinal homing CD4(+) T cells was 1.3 μg/mL. PK and PD profiles predicted by the model were consistent with observations from a subsequent phase 2 study. In conclusion, an integrated PK/PD model developed in this analysis reasonably described serum etrolizumab PK profiles and the relationship between PK and PD (free β7 receptors on circulating intestinal-homing CD4(+) T lymphocytes) in UC patients.