Drug-Drug Interaction (DDI) Assessment

As an esteemed partner to leading pharmaceutical companies and esteemed research institutions across the globe, Alfa Cytology offers unparalleled expertise in conducting comprehensive drug-drug interaction (DDI) assessment studies. Our exceptional services encompass a wide spectrum of capabilities, ranging from the precise identification of drug-metabolizing enzymes to conducting meticulous inhibition studies with uncompromising quality standards.

Introduction to Drug-Drug Interaction

Metabolism-mediated DDI is when drugs taken at the same time interfere with each other's ADME processes by inducing or inhibiting the activity of drug-metabolizing enzymes or drug transporters. Using multiple drugs at the same time can cause sudden changes in ADME, which can lead to unnecessary increases or decreases in blood concentrations, alter the drug's known safety and efficacy, and cause serious side effects.

Fig. 1 Representative transporters and metabolic enzymes in the intestine, liver, and kidney may be involved in DDI. (Choi, Y.H., 2020)

At present, only a small number of DDI have been identified at the experimental stage, and most DDI has been discovered through clinical data reported by patients after the drug has been marketed. Due to the serious consequences of improper combination of drugs, it is increasingly necessary to conduct research on DDI before marketing. Therefore, the DDI evaluation of new drug candidates is of great significance.

Our Services

DDI studies of new drugs usually begin with in vitro studies to determine whether the drug is a substrate for the metabolic enzyme, an inhibitor, or an inducer. In addition to enzyme inhibition, transporter inhibition and substrate recognition have gradually become the focus of DDI research. Analysis is generally performed at the subcellular or cellular level. Alfa Cytology offers a range of high-quality in vitro DDI assessment services, including but not limited to the following.

Enzyme Inhibition Testing

Alfa Cytology has a complete ADME detection system, providing high-quality DDI detection services, including metabolic enzyme identification, enzyme inhibition, and enzyme induction detection.

• Cytochrome P450 induction and inhibition testing
• CYP450 time-dependent inhibition (TDI) testing
• Drug transporters

• UGT and other non-CYP enzyme induction and inhibition testing
• Detailed understanding of Ki services and Kinact/Ki services
• CYP and UGT response phenotypes

Transporter Inhibition and Substrate Determination

Transporters are responsible for moving molecules across cell membranes. Transporter inhibition can lead to changes in PK or PD, causing potential drug interactions or toxicity. Alfa Cytology offers a variety of transporter-related assays to determine DDI. Commonly used transporters mainly include P-glycoprotein (P-gp), the solute carrier (SLP), multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP), and bile salt export pump (BSEP).

• Transporter inhibition
• Caco-2 permeability

• Efflux transporter substrate determination
• MDR1-MDCK permeability

Why Choose Us?

Customized solution Highly-experienced expert team Variety of preclinical models Quick turnaround time Worldwide service

Alfa Cytology is committed to providing fast, high-quality DDI services to accelerate the therapy development process. With extensive development experience and deep knowledge, our scientific team is ready to provide you with flexible detection and testing. If you have any special needs or questions about our services, please feel free to contact us for support from our experienced experts. We look forward to working with you in the future.

Reference

1. Choi, Y.H. Interpretation of Drug Interaction Using Systemic and Local Tissue Exposure Changes. Pharmaceutics 2020, 12, 417. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics12050417