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Pharmacodynamics: Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis Suppression: HPA axis suppression was evaluated in adult (n=20) and adolescent (n=22) subjects with acne vulgaris following twice daily application of WINLEVI cream for 2 weeks in the pharmacokinetic study described as follows. HPA axis suppression indicated by 30-minute post-stimulation serum cortisol level of ≤18 mcg/dL was observed in 1/20 (5%) of adult subjects and 2/22 (9%) of adolescent subjects at Day 14. All subjects returned to normal HPA axis function at follow-up 4 weeks after the end of treatment.
Potassium: Shifts from normal to elevated potassium levels were observed in 5% of clascoterone-treated subjects and 4% of vehicle-treated subjects.
Cardiac Electrophysiology: At approximately 2-times the systemic exposure observed with the maximum dose, WINLEVI cream does not prolong the QT interval to any clinically relevant extent.
Clinical Studies: The safety and efficacy of WINLEVI cream 1% applied twice daily for 12 weeks for the treatment of acne vulgaris were assessed in two identically-designed, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled clinical trials (Trial 1 [NCT02608450] and Trial 2 [NCT02608476]) enrolling 1440 subjects with facial acne vulgaris. The trials enrolled subjects 9 years or older with Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA) of moderate or severe facial acne vulgaris (score of 3 or 4), 30 to 75 inflammatory lesions (papules, pustules and nodules), and 30 to 100 non-inflammatory lesions (open and closed comedones).
A total of 1421 subjects 12 years and older with facial acne vulgaris were enrolled. Of these subjects, 641 (45%) were 12 to 17 years of age, and 780 (55%) were 18 years of age or older. In addition, 62% of the subjects were female, and 91% were Caucasian. At baseline, subjects had a mean inflammatory lesion count of 42.4 and a mean non-inflammatory lesion count of 61.4. Additionally, approximately 83% of subjects had an IGA score of 3 ("moderate").
Efficacy was assessed at Week 12 by the proportion of subjects in each treatment group with at least a 2-point reduction in IGA compared to baseline and an IGA score of 0 (clear) or 1 (almost clear), absolute change and percent change from baseline in non-inflammatory and inflammatory lesions. The IGA success rate and mean absolute and percent reduction from baseline in acne lesion counts after 12 weeks of treatment for subjects 12 years of age and older are presented in the following table. (See Table 1.)
Click on icon to see table/diagram/imagePharmacokinetics: Absorption: Following topical treatment of WINLEVI cream for 2 weeks with a mean dose of approximately 6 grams applied twice daily to adult subjects with moderate to severe acne vulgaris (n=20), systemic concentrations of clascoterone were at steady state by Day 5. On Day 14, the mean ± SD maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) was 4.5 ± 2.9 ng/mL, the mean ± SD area under the plasma concentration-time over the dosing interval (AUCτ) was 37.1 ± 22.3 h*ng/mL and the mean ± SD average plasma concentration (Cavg) was 3.1 ± 1.9 ng/mL.
Distribution: Plasma protein binding of clascoterone is 84% to 89% and is independent of concentrations, in vitro.
Elimination: Metabolism: Following topical treatment with WINLEVI cream, the plasma concentrations of cortexolone, a possible primary metabolite of clascoterone, were detectable and generally below or near the lower limit of quantitation (0.5 ng/mL) in subjects ≥12 years of age with acne vulgaris.
The in vitro study indicated that incubation of 10 µmol/L clascoterone with human cryopreserved hepatocytes generated cortexolone as the possible primary metabolite and other unidentified metabolites, including conjugated metabolites.
Excretion: Excretion of clascoterone has not been fully characterized in humans.
Specific Populations: Pediatric Patients: In adolescent subjects ≥12 to <18 years of age (n=22) after 2 weeks of twice daily treatment with mean dose of approximately 6 grams of WINLEVI cream (or mean dose of approximately 4 grams in younger, smaller subjects), steady-state concentrations of clascoterone were achieved by Day 5. Clascoterone systemic exposure in adolescents was similar to those observed in adults.
Drug Interaction Studies: Clinical Studies: No clinical studies evaluating the drug interaction potential of WINLEVI cream have been conducted.
In Vitro Studies: CYP Enzymes: Clascoterone inhibited CYP 1A2, 2B6, 2C8, 2C9, 2C19, 2D6, 2E1, or 3A4 with an IC50 value of >40 µM. Clascoterone up to 30 µM did not induce CYP 1A2, 2B6, or 3A4. These findings suggest that WINLEVI cream has no clinically meaningful effect on the PK of drugs metabolized by CYP 1A2, 2B6, 2C8, 2C9, 2C19, 2D6, 2E1, or 3A4.
Toxicology: Nonclinical Toxicology: Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, Impairment of Fertility: Clascoterone cream (0.1%, 1%, or 5%) was not carcinogenic after daily topical administration in a 2-year carcinogenicity study in rats. An increased incidence of the non-neoplastic finding of atrophy of the skin and subcutis at the application site was reported in males and females treated with 1% and 5% clascoterone cream.
Clascoterone was not mutagenic in the Ames reverse mutation assay and was not clastogenic in the in vitro human lymphocyte chromosomal aberration assay. In rats, clascoterone administered via subcutaneous injection did not induce micronuclei in the bone marrow at 500 or 1000 mg/kg but a slight increase in micronuclei occurred in 2 of 5 rats at 2000 mg/kg. The response was considered equivocal. Overall, the weight of evidence indicates that clascoterone does not represent a genotoxic risk.
In a fertility and early embryonic development study in rats, clascoterone was administered subcutaneously at doses of 0.5, 2.5, or 12.5 mg/kg/day from 2-4 weeks before mating through mating. Clascoterone increased pre-implantation loss at 12.5 mg/kg/day (163 times the MRHD based on AUC comparison). Clascoterone had no effects on mating or fertility in rats at doses up to 12.5 mg/kg/day (163 times the MRHD based on AUC comparison). No effects were noted on development at doses up to 2.5 mg/kg/day (33 times the MRHD based on AUC comparison).
