Comparison of Two Manufacturing Processes of Daprodustat for Bioequivalence and Dissolution in Healthy Volunteers: A Randomized Crossover Study

Abstract Daprodustat, an orally bioavailable hypoxia‐inducible factor–prolyl hydroxylase enzyme inhibitor, has recently completed phase 3 clinical development for treating anemia of chronic kidney disease. Part A of this 2‐part, randomized, double‐blind, single‐dose, cross‐over study (NCT04640311) compared pharmacokinetic properties of a single oral dose of daprodustat 4 mg tablets manufactured via twin‐screw wet granulation (process 1) to 2 sets of 4 mg tablets manufactured via high‐shear wet granulation (process 2), to assess the impact of different dissolution profiles on pharmacokinetics. Part B assessed the bioequivalence of daprodustat tablets manufactured via process 1 with tablets manufactured via process 2 at 5 different dose strengths (1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 mg). In part A, mean plasma concentrations of daprodustat were comparable over a 24‐hour period despite differences in manufacturing processes and dissolution profiles. In part B, the 90% confidence intervals of the ratios of the least squared means for area under the concentration‐time curve and maximum observed plasma concentration fell within the 0.8–1.25 bioequivalence range for all doses, except for maximum observed plasma concentration at 8 mg. A prespecified sensitivity analysis jointly assessing all doses showed bioequivalence for all doses tested. No new safety concerns for daprodustat were identified.