Here we report the results of a first-in-human study to evaluate the safety, tolerability pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of abediterol, a new β2 -adrenergic agonist. Forty-eight healthy males aged 18-45 years received abediterol doses of 5, 10, 25, or 50 µg, or placebo. Safety and tolerability assessments included adverse event reporting, pulse and blood pressure monitoring, 12-lead electrocardiograms, laboratory tests, and physical examination. Pharmacodynamic assessments included whole body plethysmography to determine the bronchodilatory effect by means of airway conductance and resistance. Blood and urine samples were obtained for pharmacokinetic analyses. Abediterol showed an overall good safety and tolerability profile in the dose range tested, consistent with the expected characteristics of a β2 -adrenergic agonist. A dose-dependent increase of systemic treatment-emergent adverse events was observed, the most frequent being palpitations, tremor, nausea, and asthenia; most were mild in intensity and resolved without the need for intervention. Improvements in airway conductance (increase) and resistance (decrease) were greater for all doses of abediterol tested compared with placebo at all time-points up to 36 hours. This first-in-human study suggests a potent, rapid, and sustained bronchodilatory effect of abediterol in healthy male subjects. Lower doses are currently under investigation in patients with asthma and in patients with COPD.
Keywords: COPD; abediterol; asthma; healthy adults; long-acting β2-agonist.
© 2014, The American College of Clinical Pharmacology.