Lenangio 10/Lenangio 15 Mechanism of Action

ATC code: L04AX04.
Pharmacology: Pharmacodynamics: Lenalidomide binds directly to cereblon, a component of a cullin ring E3 ubiquitin ligase enzyme complex that includes deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage-binding protein 1 (DDB1), cullin 4 (CUL4), and regulator of cullins 1 (Roc1). In haematopoietic cells, lenalidomide binding to cereblon recruits substrate proteins Aiolos and Ikaros, lymphoid transcriptional factors, leading to their ubiquitination and subsequent degradation resulting in direct cytotoxic and immunomodulatory effects.
Specifically, lenalidomide inhibits proliferation and enhances apoptosis of certain haematopoietic tumour cells (including MM plasma tumour cells, follicular lymphoma tumour cells and those with deletions of chromosome 5), enhances T cell- and Natural Killer (NK) cell-mediated immunity and increases the number of NK, T and NK T cells. In MDS Del (5q), lenalidomide selectively inhibits the abnormal clone by increasing the apoptosis of Del (5q) cells.
The combination of lenalidomide and rituximab increases ADCC and direct tumor apoptosis in follicular lymphoma cells.
The lenalidomide mechanism of action also includes additional activities such as anti-angiogenic and pro-erythropoietic properties. Lenalidomide inhibits angiogenesis by blocking the migration and adhesion of endothelial cells and the formation of microvessels, augments foetal haemoglobin production by CD34+ haematopoietic stem cells, and inhibits production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., TNF-α and IL-6) by monocytes.
Mechanism of action: The lenalidomide mechanism of action includes anti-neoplastic, anti-angiogenic, pro-erythropoietic, and immunomodulatory properties. Specifically, lenalidomide inhibits proliferation of certain haematopoietic tumour cells (including MM plasma tumour cells and those with deletions of chromosome 5), enhances T cell- and Natural Killer (NK) cell-mediated immunity and increases the number of NK T cells, inhibits angiogenesis by blocking the migration and adhesion of endothelial cells and the formation of microvessels, augments foetal haemoglobin production by CD34+ haematopoietic stem cells, and inhibits production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., TNF-α and IL-6) by monocytes.
In MDS Del (5q), lenalidomide was shown to selectively inhibit the abnormal clone by increasing the apoptosis of Del (5q) cells. Lenalidomide binds directly to cereblon, a component of a cullin ring E3 ubiquitin ligase enzyme complex that includes deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage-binding protein 1 (DDB1), cullin 4 (CUL4), and regulator of cullins 1 (Roc1). In the presence of lenalidomide, cereblon binds substrate proteins Aiolos and Ikaros which are lymphoid transcriptional factors, leading to their ubiquitination and subsequent degradation resulting in cytotoxic and immunomodulatory effects.
Pharmacokinetics: Lenalidomide has an asymmetric carbon atom and can therefore exist as the optically active forms S(-) and R(+). Lenalidomide is produced as a racemic mixture. Lenalidomide is generally more soluble in organic solvents but exhibits the greatest solubility in 0.1N HCl buffer.
Absorption: Lenalidomide is rapidly absorbed following oral administration in healthy volunteers, under fasting conditions, with maximum plasma concentrations occurring between 0.5 and 2 hours post-dose. In patients, as well as in healthy volunteers, the maximum concentration (Cmax) and area-under-the-concentration time curve (AUC) increase proportionally with increases in dose. Multiple dosing does not cause marked medicinal product accumulation. In plasma, the relative exposures of the S- and R-enantiomers of lenalidomide are approximately 56% and 44%, respectively.
Co-administration with a high-fat and high-calorie meal in healthy volunteers reduces the extent of absorption, resulting in an approximately 20% decrease in area under the concentration versus time curve (AUC) and 50% decrease in Cmax in plasma. However, in the main multiple myeloma and myelodysplastic syndromes registration trials where the efficacy and safety were established for lenalidomide, the medicinal product was administered without regard to food intake. Thus, lenalidomide can be administered with or without food.
Population pharmacokinetic analyses indicate that the oral absorption rate of lenalidomide is similar between MM and MDS and MCL patients.
Distribution: In vitro (14C)-lenalidomide binding to plasma proteins was low with mean plasma protein binding at 23% and 29% in multiple myeloma patients and healthy volunteers, respectively.
Lenalidomide is present in human semen (< 0.01% of the dose) after administration of 25 mg/day and the medicinal product is undetectable in semen of a healthy subject 3 days after stopping the substance.
The distribution of lenalidomide into semen was evaluated in healthy subjects. Twenty-four male subjects were randomized into 4 equal groups for semen collection. All subjects received lenalidomide 25 mg once daily for 4 days. After the last dose, a single semen sample was collected from subjects, at approximately 2, 24, 72, and 168 hours for groups 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively, and serial blood sampling was performed for 24 hours in all groups. The mean lenalidomide concentration in semen was 478 ng/mL at 2 hours and 10.0 ng/mL at 24 hours, which was higher than was the corresponding drug concentration in plasma (219 ng/mL at 2 hours and undetectable at 24 hours) but roughly paralleled the time course in plasma for drug elimination. The mean amount of lenalidomide was 1379 ng/ejaculate at 2 hours and 35 ng/ejaculate at 24 hours. The maximal drug content in a single ejaculate was <2000 ng (<0.01% of the daily 25-mg dose). Lenalidomide was undetectable in semen at 72 and 168 hours. Therefore, lenalidomide is essentially eliminated from seminal reservoirs by 72 hours postdose.
Biotransformation and elimination: Results from human in vitro metabolism studies indicate that lenalidomide is not metabolised by cytochrome P450 enzymes suggesting that administration of lenalidomide with medicinal products that inhibit cytochrome P450 enzymes is not likely to result in metabolic medicinal product interactions in humans. In vitro studies indicate that lenalidomide has no inhibitory effect on CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, CYP2E1, CYP3A, or UGT1A1. Therefore, lenalidomide is unlikely to cause any clinically relevant medicinal product interactions when co-administered with substrates of these enzymes.
In vitro studies indicate that lenalidomide is not a substrate of human breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP), multidrug resistance protein (MRP) transporters MRP1, MRP2, or MRP3, organic anion transporters (OAT) OAT1 and OAT3, organic anion transporting polypeptide 1B1 (OATP1B1), organic cation transporters (OCT) OCT1 and OCT2, multidrug and toxin extrusion protein (MATE) MATE1, and organic cation transporters novel (OCTN) OCTN1 and OCTN2.
In vitro studies indicate that lenalidomide has no inhibitory effect on human bile salt export pump (BSEP), BCRP, MRP2, OAT1, OAT3, OATP1B1, OATP1B3, and OCT2.
A majority of lenalidomide is eliminated through urinary excretion. The contribution of renal excretion to total clearance in subjects with normal renal function was 90%, with 4% of lenalidomide eliminated in faeces.
Lenalidomide is poorly metabolized as 82% of the dose is excreted unchanged in urine. Hydroxy-lenalidomide and N-acetyl-lenalidomide represent 4.59% and 1.83% of the excreted dose, respectively. The renal clearance of lenalidomide exceeds the glomerular filtration rate and therefore is at least actively secreted to some extent.
At doses of 5 to 25 mg/day, half-life in plasma is approximately 3 hours in healthy volunteers and ranges from 3 to 5 hours in patients with multiple myeloma, myelodysplastic syndromes or mantle cell lymphoma.
Older people: No dedicated clinical studies have been conducted to evaluate pharmacokinetics of lenalidomide in the elderly. Population pharmacokinetic analyses included patients with ages ranging from 39 to 85 years old and indicate that age does not influence lenalidomide clearance (exposure in plasma). Because elderly patients are more likely to have decreased renal function, care should be taken in dose selection and it would be prudent to monitor renal function.
Renal impairment: The pharmacokinetics of lenalidomide was studied in subjects with renal impairment due to nonmalignant conditions. In this study, two methods were used to classify renal function: the urinary creatinine clearance measured over 24 hours and the creatinine clearance estimated by Cockcroft-Gault formula. The results indicate that as renal function decreases (< 50 mL/min), the total lenalidomide clearance decreases proportionally resulting in an increase in AUC. The AUC was increased by approximately 2.5, 4 and 5-fold in subjects with moderate renal impairment, severe renal impairment, and end-stage renal disease, respectively, compared to the group combining subjects with normal renal function and subjects with mild renal impairment. The half-life of lenalidomide increased from approximately 3.5 hours in subjects with creatinine clearance > 50 mL/min to more than 9 hours in subjects with reduced renal function < 50 mL/min. However, renal impairment did not alter the oral absorption of lenalidomide. The Cmax was similar between healthy subjects and patients with renal impairment. Approximately 30% of the medicinal product in the body was removed during a single 4-hour dialysis session.
Hepatic impairment: Population pharmacokinetic analyses included patients with mild hepatic impairment (N=16, total bilirubin >1 to ≤1.5 x ULN or AST > ULN) and indicate that mild hepatic impairment does not influence lenalidomide clearance (exposure in plasma). There are no data available for patients with moderate to severe hepatic impairment.
Other intrinsic factors: Population pharmacokinetic analyses indicate that body weight (33-135 kg), gender, race and type of haematological malignancy (MM, MDS or MCL) do not have a clinically relevant effect on lenalidomide clearance in adult patients.