In vitro antiretroviral activity and in vitro toxicity profile of SPD754, a new deoxycytidine nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor for treatment of human immunodeficiency virus infection

Abstract

SPD754 (AVX754) is a deoxycytidine analogue nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) in clinical development. These studies characterized the in vitro activity of SPD754 against NRTI-resistant human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and non-clade B HIV-1 isolates, its activity in combination with other antiretrovirals, and its potential myelotoxicity and mitochondrial toxicity. SPD754 was tested against 50 clinical HIV-1 isolates (5 wild-type isolates and 45 NRTI-resistant isolates) in MT-4 cells using the Antivirogram assay. SPD754 susceptibility was reduced 1.2- to 2.2-fold against isolates resistant to zidovudine (M41L, T215Y/F, plus a median of three additional nucleoside analogue mutations [NAMs]) and/or lamivudine (M184V) and was reduced 1.3- to 2.8-fold against isolates resistant to abacavir (L74V, Y115F, and M184V plus one other NAM) or stavudine (V75T/M, M41L, T215F/Y, and four other NAMs). Insertions at amino acid position 69 and Q151M mutations (with or without M184V) reduced SPD754 susceptibility 5.2-fold and 14- to 16-fold, respectively (these changes gave values comparable to or less than the corresponding values for zidovudine, lamivudine, abacavir, and didanosine). SPD754 showed similar activity against isolates of group M HIV-1 clades, including A/G, B, C, D, A(E), D/F, F, and H. SPD754 showed additive effects in combination with other NRTIs, tenofovir, nevirapine, or saquinavir. SPD754 had no significant effects on cell viability or mitochondrial DNA in HepG2 or MT-4 cells during 28-day exposure at concentrations up to 200 microM. SPD754 showed a low potential for myelotoxicity against human bone marrow. In vitro, SPD754 retained activity against most NRTI-resistant HIV-1 clinical isolates and showed a low propensity to cause myelotoxicity and mitochondrial toxicity.

FIG. 1.

Structural formula of SPD754.

FIG. 2.

Effect of 28 days of exposure to SPD754 (10 to 200 μM) and zalcitabine (0.8 to 5.4 μM) on mitochondrial DNA content in human HepG2 and Molt-4 cells in vitro, expressed as a percentage of mtDNA synthesis compared to that of controls. The mean results from two tests are shown above the bars.