Introduction Lupus nephritis (LN) is a severe manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus. Standard-of-care immunosuppressive therapies achieve poor complete renal response (CRR) rates, with... Show moreIntroduction Lupus nephritis (LN) is a severe manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus. Standard-of-care immunosuppressive therapies achieve poor complete renal response (CRR) rates, with considerable toxicity. This article reviews voclosporin, a novel oral calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) approved for treatment in adults with active LN by the US Food and Drug Administration (the FDA) in January 2021. Areas covered This review summarizes the chemical properties, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of voclosporin, and its efficacy and safety in LN, based on literature review covering PubMed searches, manufacturers' websites, and documents produced by the FDA. Expert opinion Voclosporin is a CNI with a consistent pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic relationship resulting from enhanced calcineurin binding and reduced drug and metabolite load. This profile permits therapeutic efficacy in LN at a dose associated with relatively low calcineurin inhibition, and therefore a potentially improved safety profile. Pivotal trials demonstrated a significant benefit of adding voclosporin to standard therapy, with rapid reduction in proteinuria, and a clinically meaningful and significantly higher CRR rate at 1 year. At approved doses for LN, potential advantages of voclosporin versus historical experience with CNIs include lack of need for therapeutic drug monitoring, benign metabolic, lipid and electrolyte profile, and no impact on mycophenolate mofetil levels. Show less
Gelder, T. van; Lerma, E.; Engelke, K.; Huizinga, R.B. 2022
Introduction Lupus nephritis (LN) is a severe manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus. Standard-of-care immunosuppressive therapies achieve poor complete renal response (CRR) rates, with... Show moreIntroduction Lupus nephritis (LN) is a severe manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus. Standard-of-care immunosuppressive therapies achieve poor complete renal response (CRR) rates, with considerable toxicity. This article reviews voclosporin, a novel oral calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) approved for treatment in adults with active LN by the US Food and Drug Administration (the FDA) in January 2021. Areas covered This review summarizes the chemical properties, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of voclosporin, and its efficacy and safety in LN, based on literature review covering PubMed searches, manufacturers' websites, and documents produced by the FDA. Expert opinion Voclosporin is a CNI with a consistent pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic relationship resulting from enhanced calcineurin binding and reduced drug and metabolite load. This profile permits therapeutic efficacy in LN at a dose associated with relatively low calcineurin inhibition, and therefore a potentially improved safety profile. Pivotal trials demonstrated a significant benefit of adding voclosporin to standard therapy, with rapid reduction in proteinuria, and a clinically meaningful and significantly higher CRR rate at 1 year. At approved doses for LN, potential advantages of voclosporin versus historical experience with CNIs include lack of need for therapeutic drug monitoring, benign metabolic, lipid and electrolyte profile, and no impact on mycophenolate mofetil levels. Show less
Ogando, N.S.; Metscher, E.; Moes, D.J.A.R.; Arends, E.J.; Tas, A.; Cross, J.; ... ; Hemert, M.J. van 2022
Kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) are at increased risk for a more severe course of COVID-19, due to their pre-existing comorbidity and immunosuppression. Consensus protocols recommend lowering... Show moreKidney transplant recipients (KTRs) are at increased risk for a more severe course of COVID-19, due to their pre-existing comorbidity and immunosuppression. Consensus protocols recommend lowering immunosuppression in KTRs with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, but the optimal combination remains unclear. Calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) are cornerstone immunosuppressants used in KTRs and some have been reported to possess antiviral activity against RNA viruses, including coronaviruses. Here, we evaluated the effect of the CNIs tacrolimus, cyclosporin A, and voclosporin (VCS), as well as other immunosuppressants, on SARS-CoV-2 replication in cell-based assays. Unexpected, loss of compound due to plastic binding and interference of excipients in pharmaceutical formulations (false-positive results) complicated the determination of EC50 values of cyclophilin-dependent CNI's in our antiviral assays. Some issues could be circumvented by using exclusively glass lab ware with pure compounds. In these experiments, VCS reduced viral progeny yields in human Calu-3 cells at low micromolar concentrations and did so more effectively than cyclosporin A, tacrolimus or other immunosuppressants. Although, we cannot recommend a particular immunosuppressive regimen in KTRs with COVID-19, our data suggest a potential benefit of cyclophilin-dependent CNIs, in particular VCS in reducing viral progeny, which warrants further clinical evaluation in SARS-CoV-2-infected KTRs. Show less
The most frequently used immunosuppressive treatment in kidney transplant recipients is the combination therapy of a calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) and mycophenolate mofetil, with or without... Show moreThe most frequently used immunosuppressive treatment in kidney transplant recipients is the combination therapy of a calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) and mycophenolate mofetil, with or without corticosteroids. Cyclosporine and tacrolimus are the 2 CNIs registered for this indication. Also, in the treatment of glomerular diseases, CNIs and mycophenolate are being used on a worldwide scale, either alone or as combined treatment. In January 2021, the US Food and Drug Administration approved voclosporin, a novel CNI, for the treatment of adult patients with active lupus nephritis. There is a clinically relevant drug-drug interaction between cyclosporine and mycophenolate. As a result of cyclosporine-induced inhibition of the enterohepatic recirculation of mycophenolate, the mycophenolic acid area under the curve is significantly lower (40%) in case of cyclosporine coadministration compared with cotreatment with either tacrolimus or voclosporin (or no CNI cotreatment). The aim of this mini review is to summarize this potential drug-drug interaction and explain how cyclosporine affects the pharmacokinetics of mycophenolate. The optimal dose of mycophenolate mofetil is likely to depend on the CNI with which it is coadministered. Furthermore, clinical implications are discussed, including the potential emergence of mycophenolic acid-related adverse effects after discontinuation of cyclosporine cotreatment. Show less
Gelder, T. van; Huizinga, R.B.; Lisk, L.; Solomons, N. 2021
Background An open-label phase 1 study was conducted to evaluate the effect of voclosporin following dosing with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) on blood levels of mycophenolic acid (MPA, the active... Show moreBackground An open-label phase 1 study was conducted to evaluate the effect of voclosporin following dosing with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) on blood levels of mycophenolic acid (MPA, the active moiety of MMF) and MPA glucuronide (MPAG, the pharmacologically inactive metabolite of MMF) in subjects with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to assess the safety and tolerability of the combination. Methods MMF was orally administered at a dose of 1 g twice a day for at least 28 days prior to the study and continued at the same dose throughout the study. Voclosporin was orally administered at a dose of 23.7 mg twice a day for 7 consecutive days (Days 1-7), starting on the evening of Day 1 and ending with the morning dose on Day 7. Dense pharmacokinetic blood samples were collected pre-dose in the morning and from 0.25 to 12 h after the morning doses. Analyses were derived by non-compartmental methods. Results In 24 patients, MPA exposure [maximum serum concentration (C-max) and area under the concentration curve from time 0 to 12 h (AUC(0-12))] was similar in the presence and absence of voclosporin, with treatment ratios of 0.94 and 1.09, respectively [C-max 16.5 mu g/mL (Day 1) versus 15.8 (Day 7), AUC(0-12) 39.1 mu g/h/mL (Day 1) versus 40.8 (Day 7)]. MPAG exposure showed a small increase in the presence of voclosporin (12% for C-max and 27% for AUC(0-12)). Combination therapy was well tolerated. Conclusions There is no clinically meaningful interaction between voclosporin and MMF. As changes in exposure to MPA may affect efficacy and safety, these data confirm that voclosporin and MMF can be administered concomitantly without the need for dose adjustment. Show less
