Clinical Pharmacology for Qulipta
Mechanism Of Action
Atogepant is a calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist.
Pharmacodynamics
Cardiac Electrophysiology
At a dose 5 times the maximum recommended daily dose, QULIPTA does not prolong the QT interval to any clinically relevant extent.
Pharmacokinetics
Absorption
Following oral administration of QULIPTA, atogepant is absorbed with peak plasma concentrations at approximately 1 to 2 hours. Atogepant displays dose-proportional pharmacokinetics up to 170 mg per day (approximately 3 times the highest recommendeddosage), with no accumulation.
Effect Of Food
When QULIPTA was administered with a high-fat meal, the food effect was not significant (AUC and Cmax were reduced by approximately 18% and 22%, respectively, with no effect on median time to maximum atogepant plasma concentration). QULIPTA was administered without regard to food in clinical efficacy studies.
Distribution
Plasma protein binding of atogepant was not concentration-dependent in the range of 0.1 to 10 μM; the unbound fraction of atogepant was approximately 4.7% in human plasma. The mean apparent volume of distribution of atogepant (Vz/F) after oral administration is approximately 292 L.
Elimination
Metabolism
Atogepant is eliminated mainly through metabolism, primarily by CYP3A4. The parent compound (atogepant), and a glucuronide conjugate metabolite (M23) were the most prevalent circulating components in human plasma.
Excretion
The elimination half-life of atogepant is approximately 11 hours. The mean apparent oral clearance (CL/F) of atogepant is approximately 19 L/hr. Following single oral dose of 50 mg 14C-atogepant to healthy male subjects, 42% and 5% of the dose was recovered as unchanged atogepant in feces and urine, respectively.
Specific Populations
Patients With Renal Impairment
The renal route of elimination plays a minor role in the clearance of atogepant. Based on a population pharmacokinetic analysis, there is no significant difference in the pharmacokinetics of atogepant in patients with mild or moderate renal impairment (CLcr 30-89 mL/min) relative to those with normal renal function (CLcr >90 mL/min). Patients with severe renal impairment or end-stage renal disease (ESRD; CLcr <30 mL/min) have not been studied [see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION and Use In Specific Populations].
Patients With Hepatic Impairment
In patients with pre-existing mild (Child-Pugh Class A), moderate (Child-Pugh Class B), or severe (Child-Pugh Class C) hepatic impairment, the total atogepant exposure was increased by 24%, 15%, and 38%, respectively. Due to a potential for liver injury in patients with severe hepatic impairment, avoid use of QULIPTA in patients with severe hepatic impairment [see Use In Specific Populations].
Other Specific Populations
Based on a population pharmacokinetic analysis, age, sex, race, and body weight did not have a significant effect on the pharmacokinetics (Cmax and AUC) of atogepant. Therefore, no dose adjustments are warranted based on these factors.
Drug Interactions
In Vitro Studies
Enzymes
In vitro, atogepant is not an inhibitor for CYPs 3A4, 1A2, 2B6, 2C8, 2C9, 2C19, or 2D6 at clinically relevant concentrations. Atogepant does not inhibit MAO-A or UGT1A1 at clinically relevant concentrations. Atogepant is not anticipated to be a clinically significant perpetrator of drug-drug interactions through CYP450s, MAO-A, or UGT1A1 inhibition.
Atogepant is not an inducer of CYP1A2, CYP2B6, or CYP3A4 at clinically relevant concentrations.
Transporters
Atogepant is a substrate of P-gp, BCRP, OATP1B1, OATP1B3, and OAT1. Dose adjustment for concomitant use of QULIPTA with inhibitors of OATP is recommended based on a clinical interaction study with a OATP inhibitor [see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION].
Coadministration of atogepant with BCRP and/or P-gp inhibitors is not expected to increase the exposure of atogepant. Atogepant is not a substrate of OAT3, OCT2, or MATE1.
Atogepant is not an inhibitor of P-gp, BCRP, OAT1, OAT3, NTCP, BSEP, MRP3, or MRP4 at clinically relevant concentrations. Atogepant is a weak inhibitor of OATP1B1, OATP1B3, OCT1, and MATE1. No clinical drug interactions are expected for atogepant as a perpetrator with these transporters.
In Vivo Studies
CYP3A4 Inhibitors
Co-administration of QULIPTA with itraconazole, a strong CYP3A4 inhibitor, resulted in a clinically significant increase (Cmax by 2.15-fold and AUC by 5.5-fold) in the exposure of atogepant in healthy subjects [see DRUG INTERACTIONS].
Physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling suggested co-administration of QULIPTA with moderate or weak CYP3A4 inhibitors increase atogepant AUC by 1.7- and 1.1-fold, respectively. The changes in atogepant exposure when coadministered with weak or moderate CYP3A4 inhibitors are not expected to be clinically significant.
CYP3A4 Inducers
Co-administration of QULIPTA with rifampin, a strong CYP3A4 inducer, decreased atogepant AUC by 60% and Cmax by 30% in healthy subjects [see DRUG INTERACTIONS]. No dedicated drug interaction studies were conducted to assess concomitant use with moderate CYP3A4 inducers. Moderate inducers of CYP3A4 can decrease atogepant exposure [see DRUG INTERACTIONS]. Co-administration of QULIPTA with topiramate, a weak inducer of CYP3A4, decreased atogepant mean steady-state AUC 0-∞ by 25% and mean steady-state Cmax by 24% in healthy subjects [see DRUG INTERACTIONS].
BCRP/OATP/P-gp Inhibitors
Co-administration of QULIPTA with single dose rifampin, an OATP inhibitor, increased atogepant AUC by 2.85-fold and Cmax by 2.23-fold in healthy subjects [see DRUG INTERACTIONS].
Co-administration of QULIPTA with quinidine, a P-gp inhibitor, increased atogepant AUC by 26% and Cmax by 4% in healthy subjects. The changes in atogepant exposure when coadministered with P-gp inhibitors are not expected to be clinically significant. PBPK modeling suggests that co-administration of QULIPTA with BCRP inhibitors increases atogepant exposure by 1.2-fold. This increase is not expected to be clinically significant.
Other Drug Interaction Evaluations
Co-administration of QULIPTA with oral contraceptive components ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel, famotidine, esomeprazole, acetaminophen, naproxen, sumatriptan, or ubrogepant did not result in significant pharmacokinetic interactions for either atogepant or co-administered drugs. Co-administration of QULIPTA with topiramate did not result in clinically significant changes in the pharmacokinetics of topiramate.
Clinical Studies
Episodic Migraine
The efficacy of QULIPTA for the preventive treatment of episodic migraine in adults was demonstrated in two randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies (Study 1 and Study 2). The studies enrolled patients with at least a 1-year history of migraine with or without aura, according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-3) diagnostic criteria.
In Study 1 (NCT03777059), 910 patients were randomized 1:1:1:1 to receive QULIPTA 10 mg (N = 222), QULIPTA 30 mg (N = 230), QULIPTA 60 mg (N = 235), or placebo (N = 223), once daily for 12 weeks. In Study 2 (NCT02848326), 652 patients were randomized 1:2:2:2 to receive QULIPTA 10 mg (N = 94), QULIPTA 30 mg (N = 185), QULIPTA 60 mg (N = 187), or placebo (N = 186), once daily for 12 weeks. In both studies, patients were allowed to use acute headache treatments (i.e., triptans, ergotamine derivatives, NSAIDs, acetaminophen, and opioids) as needed. The use of a concomitant medication that acts on the CGRP pathway was not permitted for either acute or preventive treatment of migraine. The studies excluded patients with myocardial infarction, stroke, or transient ischemic attacks within six months prior to screening.
Study 1
The primary efficacy endpoint was the change from baseline in mean monthly migraine days (MMD) across the 12-week treatment period. Secondary endpoints included the change from baseline in mean monthly headache days, the change from baseline in mean monthly acute medication use days, the proportion of patients achieving at least a 50% reduction from baseline in mean MMD (3-month average), the change from baseline in mean monthly Activity Impairment in Migraine-Diary (AIM-D) Performance of Daily Activities (PDA) domain scores, the change from baseline in mean monthly AIM-D Physical Impairment (PI) domain scores, across the 12-week treatment period, and the change from baseline at Week 12 for Migraine Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire version 2.1 (MSQ v2.1) Role Function-Restrictive (RFR) domain scores.
The AIM-D evaluates difficulty with performance of daily activities (PDA domain) and physical impairment (PI domain) due to migraine, with scores ranging from 0 to 100. Higher scores indicate greater impact of migraine, and reductions from baseline indicate improvement. The MSQ v2.1 Role Function-Restrictive (RFR) domain score assesses how often migraine impacts function related to daily social and work-related activities over the past 4 weeks, with scores ranging from 0 to 100. Higher scores indicate lesser impact of migraine on daily activities, and increases from baseline indicate improvement.
Patients had a mean age of 42 years (range 18 to 73 years), 89% were female, 83% were White, 14% were Black, and 9% were of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. The mean migraine frequency at baseline was approximately 8 migraine days per month and was similar across treatment groups. A total of 805 (88%) patients completed the 12-week double-blind study period. Key efficacy results of Study 1 are summarized in Table 3.
Table 3: Efficacy Endpoints in Study 1
|
QULIPTA 10 mg
N=214 |
QULIPTA 30 mg
N=223 |
QULIPTA 60 mg
N=222 |
Placebo
N=214 |
| Monthly Migraine Days (MMD) across 12 weeks |
| Baseline |
7.5 |
7.9 |
7.8 |
7.5 |
| Mean change from baseline |
-3.7 |
-3.9 |
-4.2 |
-2.5 |
| Difference from placebo |
-1.2 |
-1.4 |
-1.7 |
|
| p-value |
<0.001 |
<0.001 |
<0.001 |
|
| Monthly Headache Days across 12 weeks |
| Baseline |
8.4 |
8.8 |
9.0 |
8.4 |
| Mean change from baseline |
-3.9 |
-4.0 |
-4.2 |
-2.5 |
| Difference from placebo |
-1.4 |
-1.5 |
-1.7 |
|
| p-value |
<0.001 |
<0.001 |
<0.001 |
|
| Monthly Acute Medication Use Days across 12 weeks |
| Baseline |
6.6 |
6.7 |
6.9 |
6.5 |
| Mean change from baseline |
-3.7 |
-3.7 |
-3.9 |
-2.4 |
| Difference from placebo |
-1.3 |
-1.3 |
-1.5 |
|
| p-value |
<0.001 |
<0.001 |
<0.001 |
|
| ≥ 50% MMD Responders across 12 weeks |
| % Responders |
56 |
59 |
61 |
29 |
| Difference from placebo (%) |
27 |
30 |
32 |
|
| p-value |
<0.001 |
<0.001 |
<0.001 |
|
| MSQ v2.1 RFR Domain* at week 12 |
| Baseline |
44.9 |
44.0 |
46.8 |
46.8 |
| Mean change from baseline |
30.4 |
30.5 |
31.3 |
20.5 |
| Difference from placebo |
9.9 |
10.1 |
10.8 |
|
| p-value |
<0.001 |
<0.001 |
<0.001 |
|
| AIM-D PDA Domain** across 12 weeks |
| Baseline |
15.5 |
16.9 |
15.9 |
15.2 |
| Mean change from baseline |
-7.3 |
-8.6 |
-9.4 |
-6.1 |
| Difference from placebo |
-1.2 |
-2.5 |
-3.3 |
|
| p-value |
NS† |
<0.001 |
<0.001 |
|
| AIM-D PI Domain*** across 12 weeks |
| Baseline |
11.7 |
13.0 |
11.6 |
11.2 |
| Mean change from baseline |
-5.1 |
-6.0 |
-6.5 |
-4.0 |
| Difference from placebo |
-1.1 |
-2.0 |
-2.5 |
|
| p-value |
NS† |
0.002 |
<0.001 |
|
* Migraine Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire version 2.1 Role Function-Restrictive domain score
** Activity Impairment in Migraine-Diary Performance of Daily Activities domain score
*** Activity Impairment in Migraine-Diary Physical Impairment domain score
†Not statistically significant (NS) |
Figure 1 shows the mean change from baseline in MMD in Study 1. Patients treated with QULIPTA had greater mean decreases from baseline in MMD across the 12-week treatment period compared to patients who received placebo.
Figure 1: Change from Baseline in Monthly Migraine Days in Study 1
Figure 2 shows the distribution of change from baseline in mean MMD across the 12-week treatment period, in 2-day increments, by treatment group. A treatment benefit over placebo for all doses of QULIPTA is seen across a range of mean changes from baseline in MMD.
Figure 2: Distribution of Change from Baseline in Mean Monthly Migraine Days by Treatment Group in Study 1
Study 2
The primary efficacy endpoint was the change from baseline in mean monthly migraine days across the 12-week treatment period.
Patients had a mean age of 40 years (range: 18 to 74 years), 87% were female, 76% were White, 20% were Black, and 15% were of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. The mean migraine frequency at baseline was approximately 8 migraine days per month. A total of 541 (83%) patients completed the 12-week double-blind study period.
In Study 2, there was a significantly greater reduction in mean monthly migraine days across the 12-week treatment period in all three QULIPTA treatment groups, compared with placebo, as summarized in Table 4.
Table 4: Efficacy Endpoints in Study 2
|
QULIPTA 10 mg
N=92 |
QULIPTA 30 mg
N=182 |
QULIPTA 60 mg
N=177 |
Placebo
N=178 |
| Monthly Migraine Days (MMD) across 12 weeks |
| Baseline |
7.6 |
7.6 |
7.7 |
7.8 |
| Mean change from baseline |
-4.0 |
-3.8 |
-3.6 |
-2.8 |
| Difference from placebo |
-1.1 |
-0.9 |
-0.7 |
|
| p-value |
0.024 |
0.039 |
0.039 |
|
| Monthly Headache Days across 12 weeks |
| Baseline |
8.9 |
8.7 |
8.9 |
9.1 |
| Mean change from baseline |
-4.3 |
-4.2 |
-3.9 |
-2.9 |
| Difference from placebo |
-1.4 |
-1.2 |
-0.9 |
|
| p-value |
0.024 |
0.039 |
0.039 |
|
Figure 3 shows the mean change from baseline in MMD in Study 2. Patients treated with QULIPTA had greater mean decreases from baseline in MMD across the 12-week treatment period compared to patients who received placebo.
Figure 3: Change from Baseline in Monthly Migraine Days in Study 2
Figure 4 shows the distribution of change from baseline in mean MMD across the 12-week treatment period, in 2-day increments, by treatment group. A treatment benefit over placebo for all doses of QULIPTA is seen across a range of mean changes from baseline in MMD.
Figure 4: Distribution of Change from Baseline in Mean Monthly Migraine Days by Treatment Group in Study 2
Chronic Migraine
Study 3
The efficacy of QULIPTA for the preventive treatment of chronic migraine in adults was demonstrated in a randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (Study 3). The study enrolled patients with at least a 1-year history of chronic migraine, according to the ICHD-3 diagnostic criteria.
Study 3 (NCT03855137) included randomization of patients to QULIPTA 60 mg once daily (N = 262) or placebo (N = 259) for 12 weeks. A subset of patients (11%) was allowed to use one concomitant migraine preventive medication. Patients were allowed to use acute headache treatments (i.e., triptans, ergotamine derivatives, NSAIDs, acetaminophen, and opioids) as needed. Patients with medication overuse headache also were enrolled. The use of a concomitant medication that acts on the CGRP pathway was not permitted for either acute or preventive treatment of migraine. The study excluded patients with myocardial infarction, stroke, or transient ischemic attacks within six months prior to screening.
The primary efficacy endpoint was the change from baseline in mean MMD across the 12-week treatment period. Secondary endpoints included the change from baseline in mean monthly headache days, the change from baseline in mean monthly acute medication use days, the proportion of patients achieving at least a 50% reduction from baseline in mean MMD (3-month average), the change from baseline in mean monthly AIM-D PDA domain scores, the change from baseline in mean monthly AIM-D PI domain scores, across the 12-week treatment period, and the change from baseline at Week 12 for MSQ v2.1 RFR domain scores.
Patients had a mean age of 42 years (range 18 to 74 years), 87% were female, 60% were White, 3% were Black, 36% were Asian, and 4% were of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. The mean migraine frequency at baseline was approximately 19 migraine days per month and was similar across treatment groups. A total of 463 (89%) of these patients completed the 12-week doubleblind study period.
Key efficacy results of Study 3 are summarized in Table 5.
Table 5: Efficacy Endpoints in Study 3
|
QULIPTA 60 mg QD
N=256 |
Placebo
N=246 |
| Monthly Migraine Days (MMD) across 12 weeks |
| Baseline |
19.2 |
18.9 |
| Mean change from baseline |
-6.9 |
-5.1 |
| Difference from placebo |
-1.8 |
|
| p-value |
<0.001 |
|
| Monthly Headache Days across 12 weeks |
| Baseline |
21.5 |
21.4 |
| Mean change from baseline |
-7.0 |
-5.1 |
| Difference from placebo |
-1.9 |
|
| p-value |
<0.001 |
|
| Monthly Acute Medication Use Days across 12 weeks |
| Baseline |
15.5 |
15.4 |
| Mean change from baseline |
-6.2 |
-4.1 |
| Difference from placebo |
-2.1 |
|
| p-value |
<0.001 |
|
| ≥ 50% MMD Responders across 12 weeks |
| % Responders |
41 |
26 |
| Difference from placebo (%) |
15 |
|
| p-value |
<0.001 |
|
| MSQ v2.1 RFR Domain* at week 12 |
| Baseline |
43.4 |
43.9 |
| Mean change from baseline |
23.3 |
17.2 |
| Difference from placebo |
6.2 |
|
| p-value |
<0.001 |
|
| AIM-D PDA Domain** across 12 weeks |
| Baseline |
31.2 |
29.5 |
| Mean change from baseline |
-12.8 |
-9.4 |
| Difference from placebo |
-3.4 |
|
| p-value |
<0.001 |
|
| AIM-D PI Domain*** across 12 weeks |
| Baseline |
27.1 |
25.2 |
| Mean change from baseline |
-10.6 |
-7.9 |
| Difference from placebo |
-2.7 |
|
| p-value |
0.003 |
|
* Migraine Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire version 2.1 Role Function-Restrictive domain score
** Activity Impairment in Migraine-Diary Performance of Daily Activities domain score
*** Activity Impairment in Migraine-Diary Physical Impairment domain score |
Figure 5 shows the mean change from baseline in MMD in Study 3. Patients treated with QULIPTA had greater mean decreases from baseline in MMD across the 12-week treatment period compared to patients who received placebo.
Figure 5: Change from Baseline in Monthly Migraine Days in Study 3
Figure 6 shows the distribution of change from baseline in mean MMD across the 12-week treatment period, in 2-day increments, by treatment group. A treatment benefit of QULIPTA over placebo is seen across a range of mean changes from baseline in MMD.
Figure 6: Distribution of Change from Baseline in Mean Monthly Migraine Days by Treatment Group in Study 3