Effect of a High-Fat Meal on Single-Dose Rencofilstat (CRV431) Oral Bioavailability in Healthy Human Subjects

Rencofilstat (RCF) is a novel cyclophilin inhibitor under development for the treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma. This phase 1, randomized, open-label study in healthy participants assessed the relative bioavailability of a single dose of RCF 225-mg soft gelatin capsules in both fasted and high-fat conditions. Forty-four participants were enrolled to either the fasted (n = 24) or the high-fat fed (n = 20) arm. Noncompartmental pharmacokinetics were evaluated following a single 225-mg oral dose. Administration of RCF with a high-fat meal led to increases in maximum concentration, area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) from time 0 to 24 hours, and AUC from time 0 to infinity fed-to-fasted geometric mean ratios of 102.2%, 114.5%, and 132.9%, respectively. All AUC geometric mean ratios were outside of the 80% to 125% range, suggesting that a high-fat meal can increase the extent of RCF exposure. Time to maximum concentration increased from 1.5 to 1.8 hours in the fasted and high-fat groups, respectively, suggesting slightly delayed absorption. High fat intake may delay gastric emptying while increasing the absorption and bioavailability of RCF. No treatment-emergent adverse events were observed in the fasted group, and 1 treatment-emergent adverse event occurred in the high-fat meal group. The differences in observed whole-blood concentrations are unlikely to have clinically relevant effects given the wide therapeutic index of RCF demonstrated in previous phase 1 studies.