Renal safety pharmacology in drug discovery and development

Abstract

The kidney is a complex excretory organ playing a crucial role in various physiological processes such as fluid and electrolyte balance, control of blood pressure, removal of waste products, and drug disposition. Drug-induced kidney injury (DIKI) remains a significant cause of candidate drug attrition during drug development. However, the incidence of renal toxicities in preclinical studies is low, and the mechanisms by which drugs induce kidney injury are still poorly understood. Although some in vitro investigational tools have been developed, the in vivo assessment of renal function remains the most widely used methodology to identify DIKI. Stand-alone safety pharmacology studies usually include assessment of glomerular and hemodynamic function, coupled with urine and plasma analyses. However, as renal function is not part of the ICH S7A core battery, such studies are not routinely conducted by pharmaceutical companies. The most common approach consists in integrating renal/urinary measurements in repeat-dose toxicity studies. In addition to the standard analyses and histopathological examination of kidneys, novel promising urinary biomarkers have emerged over the last decade, offering greater sensitivity and specificity than traditional renal parameters. Seven of these biomarkers have been qualified by regulatory agencies for use in rat toxicity studies.