Pharmacokinetics, Safety and Tolerability of ABT-494, a Novel Selective JAK 1 Inhibitor, in Healthy Volunteers and Subjects with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Background: ABT-494 is a potent and selective Janus kinase (JAK) 1 inhibitor being developed for the treatment of several autoimmune disorders, with potential for an improved safety profile compared with non-selective JAK inhibitors. This work characterized the pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of ABT-494 following single and multiple dosing of the immediate-release formulation. Methods: ABT-494 single (1–48 mg or placebo; n = 56) and multiple (3–24 mg or placebo twice daily for 14 days; n = 44) doses in healthy subjects, as well as multiple doses (3–24 mg or placebo twice daily for 27 days; n = 14) in subjects with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on a background of methotrexate were evaluated. Pharmacokinetic samples were collected and safety and tolerability were assessed. Results: ABT-494 followed bi-exponential disposition, with a terminal elimination half-life of 6–16 h and a functional half-life, calculated from maximum observed plasma concentration (Cmax) to trough plasma concentration (Ctrough) ratio at steady state, of 3–4 h. ABT-494 exposure was approximately dose proportional over the 3–36 mg dose range, with no significant accumulation with repeated dosing. In subjects with RA, no pharmacokinetic interaction between ABT-494 and methotrexate was observed. The fraction of ABT-494 dose eliminated in urine as unchanged ABT-494 was 14–25 %. All treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were mild or moderate in severity, with headache being the most frequently observed TEAE (15.6 % for ABT-494 vs. 16.7 % for placebo) after multiple twice-daily administration to healthy subjects. No clinically significant changes in laboratory parameters, vital signs, or electrocardiogram findings in healthy or RA subjects were observed. Conclusions: The favorable pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability results from these studies supported further evaluations of ABT-494 in phase IIb dose-ranging trials in RA and Crohn’s disease. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (https://clinicaltrials.gov/) identifier: NCT01741493.