Abstract
METHODS
Included patients were on a stable daily dose of 400 mg oral imatinib prior to study participation. On day 1, patients received a 100 μg intravenous imatinib-d8 microdose 2.5 h after intake of the oral dose. Plasma samples were collected for 48 h. Imatinib and imatinib-d8 concentrations were simultaneously quantified using a validated LC-MS/MS assay. The absolute bioavailability was calculated by comparing the dose-normalized exposure with unlabeled and stable isotopically labeled imatinib in plasma.
CONCLUSION
The absolute bioavailability of imatinib was successfully estimated at steady state plasma pharmacokinetics using the stable isotopically labeled microdose trial design. This study exhibits the use of a stable isotopically labeled intravenous microdose to determine the absolute bioavailability of an oral anticancer agent in patients with LC-MS/MS as the analytical tool.
RESULTS
A total of six patients were enrolled. All patients had a history of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). The median absolute bioavailability of oral imatinib at steady state was 76% (range 44-106%). Imatinib and imatinib-d8 plasma concentrations were quantified in all collected plasma samples, with no samples below the limit of quantification for imatinib-d8.
PURPOSE
The aim of this study was to ascertain whether the absolute bioavailability of oral imatinib (Glivec®) during steady state plasma pharmacokinetics in cancer patients could be determined through a concomitant intravenous administration of a single 100 μg microdose of deuterium labeled imatinib (imatinib-d8). Secondly, the usefulness of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was investigated for simultaneous analysis of orally and intravenously administered imatinib.