title: Preclinical, phase I and pharmacokinetic studies with the dimethyl phenyltriazene CB10-277.
abstract: Decarbazine is an imidazole dimethyltriazene with reproducible activity in patients with metastatic melanoma. CB10-277 is a phenyl dimethyltriazene which, like dacarbazine, requires metabolic activation to its corresponding monomethyl species for antitumour activity. In preclinical models (human melanoma xenografts and transplantable rodent tumours) CB10-277 showed a similar spectrum and level of activity when compared to dacarbazine. Pharmacokinetic studies were performed with CB10-277 in mice treated i.v. at the LD10 (750 mg m-2) and plasma analysed by HPLC. The parent drug area under the plasma concentration vs time curve (AUC) was 142 mM x minutes. Drug metabolism occurred as evidenced by the HPLC identification of the monomethyl species (AUC = 8 mM x minutes) as well as other metabolites. A Phase I trial using a short infusion with doses repeated every 21 days has been performed. Thirty-six patients received 80 courses over a dose range of 80-6,000 mg m-2. The dose limiting toxicity was nausea and vomiting which occurred in 80% of the evaluable courses > or = 900 mg m-2. The only other common side effect was a flushing or warm sensation, which occurred in over 75% of courses at > or = 1,350 mg m-2. There were no hemodynamic consequences. Responses occurred in patients with melanoma (one complete, two partial, one mixed/11), sarcoma (one mixed/6) and carcinoid (one partial/l). Pharmacokinetics were performed in 46 courses. The CB10-277 AUC increased linearly with dose (r = 0.9203, P < 0.001) up to 700 mM x minutes at 6,000 mg m-2). Evidence of CB10-277 metabolism was observed, as in mice, by detection of the monomethyl species and other metabolites. However, the plasma levels of the monomethyl species in patients (1.8 and 3.7 mM x minutes at 6,000 mg m-2) were less than those predicted from studies in mice. Despite this, antitumour activity in dacarbazine sensitive histologies was observed and additional studies with CB10-277 are recommended.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, Surrey, UK.
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Newell
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carmichael
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Gumbrell
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Goodard
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Calvert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003606:Dacarbazine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D013045:Species Specificity; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D014226:Triazenes / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014226:Triazenes; C030838:1-(4-carboxyphenyl)-3,3-dimethyltriazene; D003606:Dacarbazine