The effect of lersivirine, a next-generation NNRTI, on the pharmacokinetics of midazolam and oral contraceptives in healthy subjects

Lersivirine is a next-generation non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) with a unique resistance profile that exhibits potent antiretroviral activity against wild-type human immunodeficiency virus and clinically relevant NNRTI-resistant strains. Results from in vitro and in vivo investigations suggest that lersivirine is a cytochrome P450 (CYP3A4) inducer that is metabolized by CYP3A4 and uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) 2B7. In order to formally assess the effects of lersivirine on CYP3A4 metabolism and/or glucuronidation, we performed studies aimed at investigating the effects of lersivirine co-administration on the pharmacokinetics (PK) of midazolam, ethinylestradiol and levonorgestrel. Two drug-drug interaction studies were performed. Healthy subjects were co-administered (1) single dose midazolam, a prototypical CYP3A4 substrate, followed by 14 days of lersivirine twice daily with single dose midazolam on the final day of lersivirine dosing or (2) 10 days of once-daily (QD) lersivirine and QD oral contraceptives (OCs; ethinylestradiol and levonorgestrel), substrates for CYP3A4, UGT2B7, and/or P-glycoprotein. The effects of co-administration on the PK parameters of midazolam and OCs were assessed. At clinically relevant lersivirine doses (500-1,000 mg total daily dose), the mean plasma exposure of midazolam was reduced in a dose-dependent manner by 20-36 %. Co-administration of lersivirine 1,000 mg QD with OCs had minor PK effects, increasing ethinylestradiol exposure by 10 % and reducing levonorgestrel exposure by 13 %. These data further support previous observations that lersivirine is a weak CYP3A4 inducer, a weak inhibitor of glucuronidation, and a P-glycoprotein inhibitor. In both studies, lersivirine appeared to have a good safety and tolerability profile.