Lobeglitazone

A - Alimentary tract and metabolism

QA - Alimentary tract and metabolism

Lobeglitazone acts as an insulin sensitizer by binding and activating Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors (PPAR) gamma within fat cells. By promoting the binding of insulin at fat cells, lobeglitazone has been shown to reduce blood sugar levels, lower hemoglobain A1C (HbA1C) levels, and improve lipid and liver profiles. Unlike [DB01132], which is a dual PPAR agonist at PPAR-alpha and PPAR-gamma, Lobeglitazone is a pure PPAR-alpha agonist.

Rat studies with lobeglitazone have suggested that it is primarily metabolized by cytochrome P450 (CYP) isozymes, however the exact enzymes involved in its metabolism have yet to be elucidated. The structure of Lobeglitazone's five major metabolites have been characterized along with their pharmacokinetic parameters, and can be seen in the metabolism section below. In rat studies, demethylation and hydroxylation appear to be the primary metabolic pathways. The most abundant metabolite found in these studies was confirmed in vivo as M1, a demethylated derivative of lobeglitazone; its rate of formation was found to be approximately 0.216 ∼ 0.252 mL/min/kg, representing approximately 9.76% of the total lobeglitazone elimination in vivo in rats.

In rat studies, the AUC for the doses 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/kg, AUC values were determined to be 459, 514, and 481 ug min/mL respectively. Absoprtion occurs rapidly after administration, with Tmax of 67.5 and 48.8 min and a Cmax of 0.962 and 0.4.94 ug/mL following doses of 0.5 and 2 mg/kg, respectively. Absolute bioavailability after oral administration was nearly complete and apparently not affected by the dosage; 92.1% following a 0.5 mg/kg dose and 99.0% following a 2 mg/kg dose. Furthermore, the extent of LB remaining in the GI tract at 24 h was found to be negligible, with values less than 0.2% of the oral dose, suggesting that the intestinal absorption is complete in rats at the dose range studied.