12.1 Mechanism of Action

Tucatinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of HER2. In vitro, tucatinib inhibits phosphorylation of HER2 and HER3, resulting in inhibition of downstream MAPK and AKT signaling and cell proliferation, and showed anti-tumor activity in HER2 expressing tumor cells. In vivo, tucatinib inhibited the growth of HER2 expressing tumors. The combination of tucatinib and trastuzumab showed increased anti-tumor activity in vitro and in vivo compared to either drug alone.

12.2 Pharmacodynamics

Exposure Response Relationship

Tucatinib exposure-response relationships and the time course of pharmacodynamics response have not been fully characterized.

Cardiac Electrophysiology

No large mean increase in QTc (i.e., > 20 ms) was detected following treatment with TUKYSA at the recommended dose of 300 mg taken orally twice daily.

12.3 Pharmacokinetics

Tucatinib AUC0-INF and Cmax increased proportionally over a dosage range from 50 mg to 300 mg (0.17 to 1 times the approved recommended dosage). Time to steady state was approximately 4 days. Steady-state pharmacokinetic parameters following administration of TUKYSA 300 mg twice daily for 7 days in patients with mBC and mCRC are described in Table 9. The geometric mean (CV%) tucatinib AUC accumulation ratios ranged from 2.0 (26) fold to 2.5 (28) fold.

Absorption

The median time to peak plasma concentration of tucatinib was approximately 2 hours (range 1 to 4 hours).

Effects of Food

Following administration of a single oral dose of TUKYSA in 11 subjects after a high-fat meal (approximately 58% fat, 26% carbohydrate, and 16% protein), the mean AUC0-INF increased by 1.5-fold, the Tmax shifted from 1.5 hours to 4 hours, and Cmax was unaltered. The effect of food on the pharmacokinetics of tucatinib was not clinically meaningful.

Distribution

The geometric mean (CV%) apparent volume of distribution of tucatinib at steady-state were 903 (42) L and 829 (21) L in patients with mBC and mCRC, respectively. The plasma protein binding was 97.1% at clinically relevant concentrations.

At steady-state, concentrations of tucatinib and its metabolite ONT-993 in the cerebrospinal fluid were comparable to unbound plasma concentrations.

Elimination

At steady-state, tucatinib effective half-life was approximately 11.9 hours and geometric mean (CV%) apparent clearance was 53 (43) L/h in patients with mBC. Tucatinib effective half-life was approximately 16.4 hours and geometric mean (CV%) apparent clearance was 89 (49) L/h in patients with mCRC.

Metabolism

Tucatinib is metabolized primarily by CYP2C8 and to a lesser extent via CYP3A.

Excretion

Following a single oral dose of 300 mg radiolabeled tucatinib, approximately 86% of the total radiolabeled dose was recovered in feces (16% of the administered dose as unchanged tucatinib) and 4.1% in urine with an overall total recovery of 90% within 13 days post-dose. In plasma, approximately 76% of the plasma radioactivity was unchanged, 19% was attributed to identified metabolites, and approximately 5% was unassigned.

Specific Populations

Age (18-77 years), albumin (19 to 52 g/L), creatinine clearance (CLcr: 60 to 89 mL/min (n = 63); CLcr 30 to 59 mL/min (n = 6)), body weight (41 to 146 kg), sex (male (n = 170), female (n = 113)) and race (White (n = 205), Black (n = 37), or Asian (n = 25)) did not have a clinically meaningful effect on tucatinib exposure.

Renal Impairment

No clinically significant differences in the pharmacokinetics of tucatinib were observed in patients with mild to moderate renal impairment (CLcr: 30 to 89 mL/min by Cockcroft-Gault). The effect of severe renal impairment (CLcr: < 30 mL/min) on the pharmacokinetics of tucatinib is unknown.

Hepatic Impairment

Mild (Child-Pugh A) and moderate (Child-Pugh B) hepatic impairment had no clinically relevant effect on tucatinib exposure. Tucatinib AUC0-INF was increased by 1.6 fold in subjects with severe (Child-Pugh C) hepatic impairment compared to subjects with normal hepatic function.

Drug Interaction Studies

Clinical Studies

No clinically significant difference in the pharmacokinetics of tucatinib were observed when used concomitantly with omeprazole (proton pump inhibitor) or tolbutamide (sensitive CYP2C9 substrate).

In Vitro Studies

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) Enzymes: Tucatinib is a reversible inhibitor of CYP2C8 and CYP3A and a time-dependent inhibitor of CYP3A, but is not an inhibitor of CYP1A2, CYP2B6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, or CYP2D6.

Uridine diphosphate (UDP)-glucuronosyl transferase (UGT) Enzymes: Tucatinib is not an inhibitor of UGT1A1.

Transporter Systems: Tucatinib is a substrate of P-gp and BCRP, but is not a substrate of OAT1, OAT3, OCT1, OCT2, OATP1B1, OATP1B3, MATE1, MATE2-K, or BSEP.

Tucatinib inhibits MATE1/MATE2-K-mediated transport of metformin and OCT2/MATE1-mediated transport of creatinine. The observed serum creatinine increase in clinical studies with tucatinib is due to inhibition of tubular secretion of creatinine via OCT2 and MATE1.