A Randomized Trial Comparing the Pharmacokinetics, Safety, and Tolerability of DFN‐02, an Intranasal Sumatriptan Spray Containing a Permeation Enhancer, With Intranasal and Subcutaneous Sumatriptan in Healthy Adults

Objective/Background Intranasal sumatriptan (Imitrex ® ) may be an alternative for patients who refuse injections and cannot tolerate oral agents, but due to low bioavailability and slow absorption, the clinical utility of the currently marketed formulation is limited, highlighting an unmet need for an effective non‐oral migraine medication with a rapid onset of action. To overcome the slow absorption profile associated with intranasal administration, we evaluated the impact of 1‐O‐n‐Dodecyl‐β‐D‐Maltopyranoside (DDM, Intravail A‐3™), a permeation enhancer, on sumatriptan's pharmacokinetic profile by comparing the pharmacokinetic characteristics of two commercial sumatriptan products, 4 mg subcutaneous and 6 mg subcutaneous in healthy adults, with DFN‐02 – a novel intranasal agent comprised of sumatriptan 10 mg plus 0.20% DDM. We also determined the pharmacokinetic characteristics of DDM and evaluated its safety and tolerability. Methods We conducted two studies: a randomized, three‐way crossover study comparing monodose and multidose devices for delivery of single doses of DFN‐02 with commercially available intranasal sumatriptan 20 mg in 18 healthy, fasted adults, and an open‐label, randomized, single‐dose, three‐way crossover bioavailability study comparing DFN‐02 with 4 mg and 6 mg subcutaneous sumatriptan in 78 healthy, fasted adults. In the study comparing DFN‐02 with IN sumatriptan, subjects received a single dose of DFN‐02 (sumatriptan 10 mg plus DDM 0.20%) via monodose and multidose delivery systems with at least 5 days between treatments. In the comparison with SC sumatriptan, subjects received a single dose of each treatment with at least 3 days between treatments. In both studies, blood was sampled for pharmacokinetic evaluation of sumatriptan and DDM through 24 hours post‐dose; safety and tolerability were monitored throughout. Results In the comparison with commercially available intranasal sumatriptan 20 mg, DFN‐02 had a more rapid absorption profile; t max was 15 minutes for DFN‐02 monodose, 10.2 minutes for DFN‐02 multidose, and 2.0 hours for commercially available intranasal sumatriptan 20 mg. Compared with 4 and 6 mg subcutaneous sumatriptan, DFN‐02's median t max (10 minutes) was significantly earlier (15 minutes; P < .0001). Mean sumatriptan exposure metrics were similar for DFN‐02 and 4 mg sumatriptan: AUC 0‐2 : 35.12 and 44.82 ng*hour/mL, respectively; AUC 0‐∞ : 60.70 and 69.21 ng*hour/mL, respectively; C max : 51.79 and 49.07 ng/mL, respectively. With 6 mg subcutaneous sumatriptan, these exposure metrics were about 50% larger (AUC 0–2 : 67.17 ng*hour/mL; AUC 0‐∞ : 103.78 ng*hour/mL; C max : 72.75 ng/mL). Inter‐subject variability of AUC 0‐2 , AUC 0‐∞ , and C max was 42–58% for DFN‐02, 15–22% for 4 mg subcutaneous sumatriptan, and 15–25% for 6 mg subcutaneous sumatriptan. DDM exposure was low (mean C max : 1.63 ng/mL), t max was 30 minutes, and it was undetectable by 4 hours. There were no serious adverse events, discontinuations due to adverse events, or remarkable findings for vital signs, physical examinations (including nasal and injection site examinations), or clinical laboratory assessments. The overall incidence of adverse events was comparable across treatments, and all treatment‐related events were mild in severity. Adverse events occurring in ≥10% of subjects were dysgeusia (19%), headache (18%), nausea (15%), paresthesia (15%), and dizziness (12%). Conclusions In healthy subjects, DFN‐02, an intranasal spray containing 10 mg sumatriptan plus DDM, had a more rapid absorption profile than commercially available intranasal sumatriptan 20 mg, and systemic exposure from a single‐dose administration of DFN‐02 was similar to 4 mg SC sumatriptan and two‐thirds that of 6 mg SC sumatriptan. With DFN‐02, plasma sumatriptan peaked 5 minutes earlier than with both subcutaneous formulations. Systemic exposure to sumatriptan was similar with DFN‐02 and 4 mg subcutaneous sumatriptan; both yielded lower systemic exposure than 6 mg subcutaneous sumatriptan. Systemic exposure to DFN‐02's excipient DDM was short‐lived. DFN‐02's safety and tolerability appear to be comparable to subcutaneous sumatriptan. Addition of a permeation enhancer improved the absorption profile compared with commercially available intranasal sumatriptan 20 mg.