Species Scaling Incorporating Differences in Metabolic Clearance

Species Scaling Incorporating Differences in Metabolic Clearance 

An alternative approach to relying simply upon allometric approaches for metaboli-cally-cleared compounds is to take into consideration their relative stability in vitro. Clearance by P450 enzymes observed in hepatic microsomes from different species provides a measure of the relative intrinsic clearance in different species. Using the equation for the well-stirred model  

The equation can be solved for intrinsic clearance (Clj) based upon systemic clearance (Clj) obtained after i.v. administration and hepatic blood flow (Q) in the test species. Intrinsic clearance in man can then be estimated based upon relative in vitro microsomal stabibty and the equation solved to provide an estimate for human systemic clearance. Hence this approach combines aUometry (by considering differences in organ blood flow) and species-specific differences in metabolic clearance. 

The incorporation of in vitro metaboHsm data into allometric seating of compounds cleared by hepatic metabolism has been extensively evaluated [18] and shown to accurately predict human clearance. In this review it is suggested that the utility of such methods are most appropriately applied in drug candidate selection, to confirm early estimates and to support early clinical studies. 

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