Strategic Integration of In Vivo Cardiovascular Models During Lead Optimization: Predictive Value of 4 Models Independent of Species, Route of Administration, and Influence of Anesthesia

The strategic integration of in vivo cardiovascular models is important during lead optimization to enable a wide therapeutic index for cardiovascular safety. However, under what conditions (eg, species, route of administration, anesthesia) studies should be performed to drive go/no-go is open to interpretation. Two compounds, torcetrapib and a novel steroid hormone mimetic (SHM-1121X), both with off-target cardiovascular liabilities, were profiled in 4 in vivo cardiovascular models. Overlapping plasma concentrations of torcetrapib were achieved in all models tested; values ranged from therapeutic to supratherapeutic. In anesthetized rats, intravenous torcetrapib elicited dose-dependent increases in mean arterial pressure (MAP; 2–18 mm Hg above vehicle during the low- and high-dose infusion), and in anesthetized dogs, torcetrapib increased MAP from 4 to 22 mm Hg. In conscious rats, a single oral dose of torcetrapib increased MAP from 10 to 18 mm Hg in the low-dose and high-dose groups, respectively, whereas in conscious dogs, MAP increased from 3 to 12 mm Hg. SHM-1121X produced marked hypotension in the same models. Pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic analysis demonstrated strong correlation across the models tested for both compounds. Results suggest that equivalency across models allows for flexibility to address key issues and enable go/no-go during lead optimization without concern for discordant results. The predictive value of each model was validated with torcetrapib and, when put into practice, led to a decisive no-go for SHM-1121X.