Pharmacokinetics and Disposition of Contezolid in Humans: Resolution of a Disproportionate Human Metabolite for Clinical Development

Contezolid (MRX-I), a novel oxazolidinone antibiotic, was recently approved for the treatment of serious Gram-positive infections. The pharmacokinetics and disposition of [C-14]contezolid were investigated in a single-dose human mass balance study. Cross-species comparison of plasma exposure for contezolid and metabolites was performed, and the safety of the disproportionate metabolite in human was evaluated with additional nonclinical studies. After an oral administration of 99.1 mu Ci/602-mg dose of [C-14]contezolid, approximately 91.5% of the radioactivity was recovered in 0 to 168 h postdose, mainly in urine followed by that in feces. The principal metabolic pathway of contezolid in human comprised an oxidative ring opening of the 2,3-dihydropyridin-4-one fragment into polar metabolites MRX445-1 and MRX459, with recovery of approximately 48% and 15% of the dose, respectively, in urine and feces. Contezolid, MRX445-1, and MRX459 accounted for 68.0%, 19.5%, and 4.84% of the plasma exposure of the total radioactivity, respectively. Metabolites MRX445-1 and MRX459 were observed in disproportionately larger amounts in human plasma than in samples from rat or dog, the rodent and nonrodent species, respectively, used for the general nonclinical safety assessment of this molecule. This discrepancy was resolved with additional nonclinical studies, wherein the primary metabolite, MRX445-1, was further characterized. The no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of MRX445-1 was determined as 360 mg/kg body weight/day in a 14-day repeat-dose test in pregnant and nonpregnant Sprague Dawley rats. Furthermore, MRX445-1 exhibited no antibacterial activity in vitro. Thus, MRX445-1 is not expected to exert clinically relevant pharmacology and toxicity.