Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Analysis of Alfaxalone Administered as a Bolus Intravenous Injection of Phaxan in a Phase 1 Randomized Trial

BACKGROUND: Previous formulations of alfaxalone have shown it to be a fast-acting intravenous anesthetic with high therapeutic index. Alfaxalone has been reformulated for human use as Phaxan, an aqueous solution of 10 mg/mL of alfaxalone and 13% betadex. This study assessed the pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) characteristics of alfaxalone given as a bolus intravenous injection of this formulation to human male volunteers. METHODS: A dose of 0.5 mg/kg (0.42-0.55 mg/kg) of alfaxalone [mean (range)] was given by single intravenous bolus injection to 12 healthy subjects. Plasma alfaxalone concentrations and bispectral index (BIS) values were analyzed using an integrated pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PKPD) model using nonlinear mixed-effects models. Effect (BIS) was described using a sigmoidal fractional maximum effect (EMAX) model. All parameters were scaled using allometry and standardized to a 70-kg person using exponents of 0.75 for clearance parameters (CL, Q2, and Q3), 1.0 for volumes (V1, V2, and V3), and 0.25 for time-related parameters half-time keo (t1/2keo). RESULTS: A 3-compartment model used to fit PK data with an additional compartment, linked by t1/2keo to describe the effect compartment, yielded alfaxalone PK parameter estimates: CL: 1.08 L/min; 0.87-1.34 L/min (median; 95% confidence interval [CI]); central volume of distribution (V1): 0.99 L; 0.53-2.05 L (median; 95% CI); intercompartment CLs (Q2): 0.87 L/min; 0.32-1.71 L/min (median; 95% CI) and Q3: 0.46 L/min; 0.19-1.03 L/min (median; 95% CI); and peripheral volumes of distribution (V2): 6.36 L; 2.79-10.7 L (median; 95% CI) and V3: 19.1 L; 8.61-37.4 L (median; 95% CI). PD interrogation assumed a baseline BIS of 96, with an estimated EMAX: 0.94; 0.71-0.99 (median; 95% CI), a plasma concentration (Cp) for 50% effect (C50): 0.98 mg/L; 0.83-1.09 mg/L (median; 95% CI), and a Hill coefficient (gamma): 12.1; 6.7-15 (median; 95% CI). The t1/2keo was 8 minutes; 4.70-12.8 minutes (median; 95% CI). The mean time to a BIS 50 was 0.94 minutes (standard deviation [SD] = 0.2 minutes). CONCLUSIONS: After a single bolus intravenous injection, alfaxalone has a high plasma CL equal to hepatic blood flow as reported for earlier studies of bolus injections of a previous formulation of alfaxalone. The plasma levels associated with BIS values of <60 are comparable to those previously reported in patients anesthetized with alfaxalone. The t1/2keo is relatively high, but the large Hill coefficient contributes to rapid onset and offset of action. This information can inform future studies of this formulation.