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The design of orally active iron chelators.

It is now generally accepted that it is not possible to design iron(III)-selective hexadentate chelators with high oral bioavailability. In order to achieve suitable levels of oral activity for the treatment of systemic iron overload either tridentate or bidentate molecules need to be investigated. There are a number of such molecules in clinical practice, including hydroxypyridin-4-ones, desferrithiocin analogues and bis-hydroxyphenyltriazoles. The underlying chemistry of each group is described, together with an indication of the distribution properties, redox cycling activity, and iron scavenging activity.

Administration, Oral↗

Evaluation of ICL670, a once-daily oral iron chelator in a phase III clinical trial of beta-thalassemia patients with transfusional iron overload.

Osteoporosis and osteopenia are frequent complications of thalassemia major (TM) and intermedia (TI). Osteoporosis was found in 23/25 patients with TI and in 115/239 patients with TM. In TM, no association was found with specific polymorphisms in candidate genes (vitamin D receptor, estrogen receptor, calcitonin receptor, and collagen type 1 alpha 1). Osteoporosis in TM female was strongly associated with primary amenorrhea (P < .0001), while in male patients with TM hypogonadism was not significantly related to BMD (P = .0001). Low BMD was also associated with cardiomiopathy (P = .01), diabetes mellitus (P = .0001), chronic hepatitis (P = .0029), and increased ALT (P = .01).

Administration, Oral↗

Development of tridentate iron chelators: from desferrithiocin to ICL670.

Successful treatment of beta-thalassemia requires two key elements: blood transfusion and iron chelation. Regular blood transfusions considerably expand the lifespan of patients, however, without the removal of the consequential accumulation of body iron, few patients live beyond their second decade. In 1963, the introduction of desferrioxamine (DFO), a hexadentate chelator, marked a breakthrough in the treatment of beta-thalassemia. DFO significantly reduces body iron burden and iron-related morbidity and mortality. DFO is still the only drug for general use in the treatment of transfusion dependent iron overload. However, its very short plasma half-life and poor oral activity necessitate special modes of application (subcutaneous or intravenous infusion) which are inconvenient, can cause local reactions and are difficult to be accepted by many patients. Over the past four decades, many different laboratories have invested major efforts in the identification of orally active iron chelators from several hundreds of molecules of synthetic, microbial or plant origin. The discovery of ferrithiocin in 1980, followed by the synthesis of the tridentate chelator desferrithiocin and proof of its oral activity raised a lot of hope. However, the compound proved to be toxic in animals. Over a period of about fifteen years many desferrithiocin derivatives and molecules with broader alterations led to the discovery of numerous new compounds some of which were much better tolerated and were more efficacious than desferrithiocin in animals, however, none was safe enough to proceed to the clinical use. The discovery of a new chemical class of iron chelators: The bis-hydroxyphenyltriazoles re-energized the search for a safe tridentate chelator. The basic structure of this completely new chemical class of iron chelators was discovered by a combination of rational design, intuition and experience. More than forty derivatives of the triazole series were synthesized at Novartis. These compounds were evaluated, together with more than 700 chelators from various chemical classes. Using vigorous selection criteria with a focus on tolerability, the tridentate chelator 4-[(3,5-Bis-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-1,2,4)triazol-1-yl]-benzoic acid (ICL670) emerged as an entity which best combined high oral potency and tolerability in animals. ICL670 is presently being evaluated in the clinic.

Animals↗

Molecular factors and mechanisms affecting iron and other metal excretion or absorption in health and disease: the role of natural and synthetic chelators.

The maintenance of iron and other essential metal ion balance in humans is based on the presence of homeostatic mechanisms of regulatory absorption, storage, re-utilisation and excretion. There are a number of factors and mechanisms that can affect the level of iron excretion or absorption and overall body iron stores. Net iron loss due to increased iron excretion by comparison to dietary iron absorption is considered as one of the causes of iron deficiency anaemia. Body iron loss greater than normal has been shown in many other conditions. These include the increase in urinary iron excretion observed in iron loaded patients, the substantial reduction in serum ferritin and liver iron of ex-thalassaemia patients several years following bone marrow transplantation and the increase in iron excretion in normal individuals following long term sport activities. There are differences in the metabolism, mode of action, interactions with the iron pools and routes of iron excretion, of the iron chelating drugs deferiprone (L1), deferoxamine and other experimental chelators such as ICL670 in iron-loaded patients. Naturally occurring chelators and some synthetic drugs are known to bind iron and affect iron absorption and excretion. The molecular characteristics of naturally occurring or synthetic chelators can influence other aspects of iron metabolism in addition to iron absorption or excretion. Similar mechanisms and factors can affect the metabolism of other essential metals. The understanding of the mechanisms involved in iron excretion and their overall effects on body iron levels can facilitate the design of new chelators and improved therapeutic protocols for the treatment of conditions of iron and other metal metabolic imbalance and toxicity.

Benzoates↗

Clinical research: a tale of two studies.

Threats to the status of clinical research have been well documented in the past three decades, and the National Institutes of Health and the Congress have done much to alleviate them. But the relationships of academic investigators and pharmaceutical companies remain a treacherous area. This vital nexus, on which so much progress depends, must be carefully maintained. In this paper I present two examples of academic/pharmaceutical company collaborations, both in search of a similar drug. The cases illustrate both some important hazards and accomplishments of clinical research.

Benzoates↗

Safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of ICL670, a new orally active iron-chelating agent in patients with transfusion-dependent iron overload due to beta-thalassemia.

ICL670 is an orally active representative of a new class of tridentate iron chelator developed for the treatment of blood transfusion-dependent iron overload in chronic anemias. In this randomized, double-blind study, patients with transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia received single oral doses of ICL670 ranging from 2.5 to 80 mg/kg to investigate its safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics and to obtain preliminary information on pharmacodynamic effects. ICL670 was well tolerated, and no safety problems occurred up to 80 mg/kg. A plasma half-life of 11 to 19 hours was found for ICL670, supporting once-daily oral administration. AUC0-24 h and Cmax of ICL670 increased nearly proportionally with the dose. The urinary excretion of ICL670 and its iron complex was less than 0.1% of the dose, and this was in accordance with the expected predominant iron fecal excretion induced by ICL670 (based on preclinical experiments). Notwithstanding, a positive trend toward increased amounts of urinary excreted iron was observed when the AUC0-24 h of ICL670 and the iron complex exceeded specific threshold values at the 40- and 80-mg/kg dose levels.

Administration, Oral↗

Iron chelation therapy.

Although iron chelation therapy with deferoxamine (DFO) has changed life expectancy in thalassemic patients, compliance with the rigorous requirements of long-term subcutaneous DFO infusions is unsatisfactory. This problem underlines the current efforts for developing alternative, orally effective chelators to improve compliance and treatment results. For the patient with transfusional iron overload in whom results of DFO treatment are unsatisfactory, several orally effective agents are now available. The most important of the new generation of oral chelators are deferiprone and ICL670. Total iron excretion with deferiprone is less than with DFO, but deferiprone has a better ability to penetrate cell membranes and may have a better cardioprotective effect than DFO. Current studies of the clinical efficacy and tolerability of ICL670 indicate that at a single oral dose of 20 mg/kg daily, it may be as effective as parenteral DFO used at the standard dose of 40 mg/kg daily. Combined chelation treatment, employing a weak chelator that penetrates cells better, and a stronger chelator with efficient urinary excretion, may result in improved therapeutic effect through iron shuttling between the two compounds. The efficacy of combined chelation treatment is additive and offers an increased likelihood of success in patients previously failing DFO or deferiprone monotherapy.

Administration, Oral↗