Abstract Title:

A Phase I Safety, Pharmacokinetic, and Pharmacodynamic Presurgical Trial of Vitamin Eδ-tocotrienol in Patients with Pancreatic Ductal Neoplasia.

Abstract Source:

EBioMedicine. 2015 Dec ;2(12):1987-95. Epub 2015 Nov 14. PMID: 26844278

Abstract Author(s):

Gregory M Springett, Kazim Husain, Anthony Neuger, Barbara Centeno, Dung-Tsa Chen, Tai Z Hutchinson, Richard M Lush, Saïd Sebti, Mokenge P Malafa

Article Affiliation:

Gregory M Springett

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Vitamin Eδ-tocotrienol (VEDT), a natural vitamin E from plants, has shown anti-neoplastic and chemoprevention activity in preclinical models of pancreatic cancer. Here, we investigated VEDT in patients with pancreatic ductal neoplasia in a window-of-opportunity preoperative clinical trial to assess its safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and apoptotic activity.

METHODS: Patients received oral VEDT at escalating doses (from 200 to 3200 mg) daily for 13 days before surgery and one dose on the day of surgery. Dose escalation followed a three-plus-three trial design. Our primary endpoints were safety, VEDT pharmacokinetics, and monitoring of VEDT-induced neoplastic cell apoptosis (ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT00985777).

FINDINGS: In 25 treated patients, no dose-limiting toxicity was encountered; thus no maximum-tolerated dose was reached. One patient had a drug-related adverse event (diarrhea) at a 3200-mg daily dose level. The effective half-life of VEDT was ~ 4 h. VEDT concentrations in plasma and exposure profiles were quite variable but reached levels that are bioactive in preclinical models. Biological activity, defined as significant induction of apoptosis in neoplastic cells as measured by increased cleaved caspase-3 levels, was seen in the majority of patients at the 400-mg to 1600-mg daily dose levels.

INTERPRETATION: VEDT from 200 to 1600 mg daily taken orally for 2 weeks before pancreatic surgery was well tolerated, reached bioactive levels in blood, and significantly induced apoptosis in the neoplastic cells of patients with pancreatic ductal neoplasia. These promising results warrant further clinical investigation of VEDT for chemoprevention and/or therapy of pancreatic cancer.

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