Characterization of Stable and Reactive Metabolites of the Anticancer Drug, Ensartinib, in Human Liver Microsomes Using LC-MS/MS: An in silico and Practical Bioactivation Approach

Background: Ensartinib (ESB) is a novel anaplastic lymphoma kinase inhibitor (ALK) with additional activity against Abelson murine leukemia (ABL), met proto-oncogene (MET), receptor tyrosine kinase (AXL), and v-ros UR2 sarcoma virus oncogene homolog 1 (ROS1) and is considered a safer alternative for other ALK inhibitors. ESB chemical structure contains a dichloro-fluorophenyl ring and cyclic tertiary amine rings (piperazine) that can be bioactivated generating reactive intermediates.

Methods: In vitro metabolic study of ESB with human liver microsomes (HLMs) was performed and the hypothesis of generating reactive intermediates during metabolism was tested utilizing trapping agents to capture and stabilize reactive intermediates to facilitate their LC-MS/MS detection. Reduced glutathione (GSH) and potassium cyanide (KCN) were utilized as trapping agents for quinone methide and iminium intermediates, respectively.

Results: Four in vitro ESB phase I metabolites were characterized. Three reactive intermediates including one epoxide and one iminium intermediates were characterized. ESB bioactivation is proposed to occur through unexpected metabolic pathways. The piperazine ring was bioactivated through iminium ions intermediates generation, while the dichloro-phenyl group was bioactivated through a special mechanism that was revealed by LC-MS/MS.

Conclusion: These findings lay the foundations for additional work on ESB toxicity. Substituents to the bioactive centers (piperazine ring), either for blocking or isosteric replacement, would likely block or interrupt hydroxylation reaction that will end the bioactivation sequence.