Abstract 7170: Pharmacokinetic profiling of Re-Phenformin in vivo: A novel approach in pancreatic cancer therapy

Abstract Phenformin, a biguanide medication, has long been utilized in the treatment of diabetes. Recent research indicates that phenformin may also serve as an effective anticancer agent. This study introduces the synthesis and evaluation of Re tricarbonyl phenformin complex (Re-(CO)3-Phenformin, Re-Phen), as a derivative of Phenformin and novel anticancer agent for pancreatic cancer treatment. Re-Phen was synthesized, purified, and characterized through preparative HPLC, NMR, mass spectrometry, and FT-IR. Subsequent in vitro studies, utilizing the MTS assay, assessed its cytotoxicity against pancreatic cancer cell lines, including Kras* murine PDAC and MiaPaca-2 human PDAC. Notably, Re-Phen exhibited significantly higher cytotoxic effects in MiaPaca-2 cells (IC50= 0.755 mM) and Kras* cells (IC50= 0.410 mM) compared to Phenformin treatment (IC50= 4.02 mM and 2.36 mM, respectively). These results highlight Re-Phen's enhanced anticancer activity, outperforming Phenformin in potency. Further investigation into the pharmacokinetics of Re-Phen involved an in vivo study with rats intravenously administered 2 mg/kg of Re-Phenformin. Blood samples were collected at intervals (10 min to 24 h post-dose) and were analyzed by validated LC-MS/MS. The pharmacokinetic profile of Re-Phen was best described by a 2-compartment model, using Phoenix® WinNonlin (version 8.0), with a particular focus on comparing the profiles of Phenformin and Re-Phen. The study revealed that Re-Phen has a significantly extended half-life compared to Phenformin (9.13 hr vs 2.11 hr), indicating prolonged systemic retention. Additionally, Re-Phen demonstrated an increased area under the curve (AUC), suggesting greater systemic exposure at equivalent dosing (90.55 hr*ng/ml vs 7.13 hr*ng/ml). This could imply enhanced bioavailability or altered metabolic clearance of Re-Phen compared to its parent compound. The two-Compartment of Re-Phe, provide a deeper understanding of its pharmacokinetic characteristics. In conclusion, Re-Phen not only demonstrates superior anticancer efficacy in vitro but also exhibits a more favorable pharmacokinetic profile in vivo. The extended half-life and increased AUC of Re-Phen suggest the potential of offering improved therapeutic efficacy in pancreatic cancer treatment. These promising findings warrant further investigation and could position Re-Phen as a promising therapeutic agent for the pharmacological management of pancreatic cancer. Citation Format: Amir Mohammad Gholizadeh, Lu Dai, Fatima Dagher, Chiyi Xiong, Chun Li, Diana S-L Chow. Pharmacokinetic profiling of Re-Phenformin in vivo: A novel approach in pancreatic cancer therapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 7170.