Safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamic properties of the GPR40 agonist TAK-875: results from a double-blind, placebo-controlled single oral dose rising study in healthy volunteers.

TAK-875 is a selective G-protein-coupled receptor 40 agonist in development for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of TAK-875 following administration of a single oral dose of TAK-875 (25-800 mg) in 60 healthy volunteers. TAK-875 was eliminated slowly with a mean terminal elimination t(1/2) of approximately 28.1 to 36.6 hours. Systemic exposure of TAK-875 did not exhibit dose-proportional increases across the dose range evaluated due to a greater than proportional increase in exposure at doses greater than 200 mg. A preliminary food effect assessment indicated that coadministration of TAK-875 with a high-fat meal decreased C(max) of TAK-875 by 40% and AUC by 17%. Clinical adverse experiences were generally mild and transient. No dose-dependent pattern was observed. In healthy volunteers, no glucose-lowering effect and no increase in insulin or c-peptide secretion were evident following administration of TAK-875; the frequency of plasma glucose concentrations <70 mg/dL was similar in the TAK-875 and pooled placebo groups. TAK-875 was well tolerated in the study and has pharmacokinetic characteristics suitable for a once-daily regimen. The pharmacodynamic data support the notion that TAK-875, if effective in diabetic patients, may bear a low risk of hypoglycemia.