Telemetry in toxicology studies – A comparison of data across species, technologies and time

Abstract

Telemetry technology allows collection of quantitative cardiovascular safety pharmacology data in repeat dose toxicology studies. The ICH M3(R2) guideline suggests that inclusion of safety pharmacology endpoints into toxicology studies should be considered wherever feasible, and where similar rigor can be achieved, to reduce animal use. The objective of the current analyses was a comparison of the cardiovascular data collected using telemetry technology in stand-alone and toxicology studies.

Pretreatment and vehicle control data were gathered from 75 studies for 780 dogs and 1059 nonhuman primates (NHP), and over 4503 days. Three technologies were used: a dual pressure implant used in stand-alone studies, a smaller single pressure implant and jacketed external telemetry. The latter was coupled with a minimally invasive blood pressure implant in a few studies.

Mean QTc values were practically identical between L21, M11 and JET® telemetry data in NHP (differences of 1–3 ms). In dog, M11 and JET® telemetry had mean QTc values which were different by 2 ms. These were 5–7 ms shorter than for L21 telemetry. All the confidence intervals for the different technologies had substantial overlap (68–91 % overlap for dog and 92–97 % overlap for NHP). The QTc data were also stable over time. The predicted change from baseline QTc for a 100-day span between assessments was 0.07 ± 0.15 ms for dog and 1.22 ± 0.19 ms for NHP. The mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) was also similar across all technologies and stable over time (0.56 and − 2.18 mmHg for 100-day span in dog and NHP).

These analyses demonstrate that the technology used in toxicology studies provides similar data to that in stand-alone studies and the data is stable over long periods. Longitudinal assessment is important for new modalities where pharmacodynamic effects can be delayed, and in assessment of potential chronic blood pressure changes.