Water Soluble Cyclosporine Monomethoxy Poly(ethyleneglycol) Conjugates as Potential Prod rugs

The highly water-soluble monomethoxypoly(ethyleneglycol) (mPEG) prod rugs of cyciosporin A(CsA) were synthesized. These prod rugs were prepared by initially preparing intermediate in the form of carbonate at the 3'-positions of CsA with chloromethyl chloroformate, in the pres-ence of a base to provide a 3'-carbonated CsA intermediate. Reaction of the CsA intermediate with mPEG derivative in the presence of a base provides the desired water-soluble prod rugs. As a model, we chose molecular weight 5 kDa mPEG in the reaction with CsA to give water soluble prodrugs. To prove that the prod rug is decomposed in the body to produce CsA, the enzymatic hydrolysis test was conducted using human liver homogenate at $37^{\circ}C$. The prodrug was decomposed in human liver homogenate to produce the active material, CsA, and the hydrolysis half-life ($t_{1/2}$) of the prodrug, KI-306 was 2.2 minutes at $37^{\circ}C$. However, a demon-stration of non-enzymatic conversion in pH 7.4 phosphate buffer was provided by the fact that the half-life ($t_{1/2}$) is 21 hours at 37$^{\circ}C$. The hydrolysis test in rat whole blood was also conducted. The hydrolysis was seen with half-life ($t_{1/2}$) of about 9.9, 65.0, 14.2, 3.4, 2.1 9.5, and 1.6 minutes for KI-306, 309, 312, 313, 315, 316, and 317, respectively. This is the ideal for CsA prodrug. The pharmacokinetic study of the prodrug, KI-306, in comparison to the commer-cial product (Sandimmune Neoral Solution) was also carried out after single oral dose. Each rat received 7 mg／kg of CsA equivalent dose. Especially, the prodrug KI-306 exhibits higher AUC and $C_{max}$ than the conventional Neoral. The AUC and $C_{max}$ were increased nearly 1.5 fold. The kinetic value was also seen with $T_{max}$ of about 1.43 and 2.44 hours for KI-306 and Neoral, respectively.