Species-dependent hepatic and intestinal metabolism of selective oestrogen receptor degrader LSZ102 by sulphation and glucuronidation

Abstract

1. LSZ102 is an orally bioavailable selective oestrogen receptor degrader in clinical development for the treatment of breast cancer. Preclinical studies showed efficacy in xenograft models on oral dosing. However, oral bioavailability was relatively low in several preclinical species (7–33%), and was associated with first-pass metabolism, particularly intestinal first-pass.

2. To investigate metabolism and first-pass effects, metabolites were analysed in human plasma samples after oral dosing of LSZ102 to patients, rat plasma samples after oral dosing of [¹⁴C]LSZ102, and in vitro incubations of [¹⁴C]LSZ102 with human and rat hepatocytes and intestinal S9 fractions. The kinetics of human sulfotransferase (SULT) enzymes potentially involved in metabolism of LSZ102 was characterised.

3. Sulphate metabolites were found to be the major components in human plasma, as well as in human hepatocytes and intestinal S9 fractions. Contrastingly, glucuronidation was predominant in rat plasma, hepatocytes and intestinal S9. LSZ102 was found to be metabolised by several human SULTs expressed in liver and intestine. The combined metabolism data in rat and human provide supporting evidence for an extensive intestinal first-pass metabolism effect via sulphation in human but glucuronidation in rat.

4. As LSZ102 is metabolised by a number of different SULTs, drug-drug interactions resulting from the inhibition of one SULT are unlikely.

5. Despite the observed species difference in metabolism, the major human metabolites of LSZ102, sulphate M5, glucuronide M4, and secondary glucuronide/sulphate metabolite M12, have no or weak pharmacological activity and are not considered a toxicity risk as they are phase II conjugative metabolites.

Keywords:

• LSZ102
• sulfotranferase
• SULT
• SERD
• selective oestrogen receptor degrader

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge contributions to the rat and in vitro metabolism studies by Wen Lin, Ry Forseth and Yancy Du, in vitro pharmacological activity experiments by Alex Gaither, and thank the patients who participated in clinical trial CLSZ102X2101.

Disclosure statement

All authors are current or former employees of Novartis, and may hold shares in Novartis.