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Contribution of UGT2B17 to the Pharmacokinetics of Diclofenac

Pilot Study to Assess the Contribution of UGT2B17 and Associated Genetic Polymorphisms on the Pharmacokinetics of Diclofenac Alone and Upon Co-administration With Curcumin

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Early Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06053411
Enrollment
30
Registered
2023-09-25
Start date
2024-03-01
Completion date
2026-12-18
Last updated
2026-06-04

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Interaction

Keywords

Pharmacokinetic

Brief summary

The purpose of this pilot study is to gather preliminary data on the (1) contribution of the understudied drug metabolizing enzyme, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) 2B17, to the metabolism of a widely used medication, diclofenac, and (2) impact of the UGT2B17 inhibitor and natural product, curcumin, on diclofenac pharmacokinetics. Results will inform future studies aimed to assess the effects of UGT2B17 genetic polymorphisms and co-consumed xenobiotics on the pharmacokinetics and toxicity risk of diclofenac and other UGT2B17 drug substrates.

Detailed description

Diclofenac, a widely used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, has been linked to severe adverse effects such as gastrointestinal ulcers and bleeding and cardiotoxicity. Based on cardiotoxicity reports, US and European regulatory agencies withdrew over-the-counter (OTC) diclofenac, requiring the drug to be a prescription-only medication. However, diclofenac remains OTC in many countries, including Australia, China, and India, among others. Reported metabolic pathways of diclofenac in the liver are mediated by the prominent drug metabolizing enzyme, cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C9, and the conjugative enzyme, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) 2B7. However, recent in vitro and in silico data indicated that diclofenac is metabolized almost exclusively by a less-studied UGT, UGT2B17, in the intestine. UGT2B17 is among the most genetically polymorphic enzymes, with highly prevalent copy number variations (CNVs). Individuals homozygous for the null allele, UGT2B17\*2 (CNV=0), are considered poor metabolizers (PMs), whereas those homozygous for the reference allele, UGT2B17\*1/\*1 (CNV=2), are considered extensive metabolizers (EMs). Deletion of this gene may lead to large interindividual variability in the pharmacokinetics - and toxicity risk - for patients taking diclofenac and other UGT2B17 substrates, including vorinostat, MK7426, tamoxifen, exemestane, and testosterone. Collectively, considering UGT2B17 CNVs on the metabolism of these drugs is critical to ensure consistent and optimum safety, efficacy, and patient outcomes. Recent preliminary data showed that curcumin, a principal curcuminoid of the natural product turmeric, is a potent inhibitor of UGT2B17. Turmeric is used worldwide and was the 2nd top-selling herbal supplement in the US in 2021, with nearly $100 million in total sales. Considering both turmeric/curcumin and diclofenac are used for arthritis and other inflammatory conditions, there is a high likelihood of patients co-consuming curcumin and diclofenac, raising concerns for variable diclofenac pharmacokinetics and toxicity risk. The purpose of this pilot study is to gather preliminary data on the (1) contribution of UGT2B17 to diclofenac metabolism and (2) impact of curcumin co-administration on diclofenac pharmacokinetics. Results will inform future studies aimed to evaluate the effects of UGT2B17 genetic polymorphisms and co-consumed xenobiotics on the pharmacokinetics and toxicity risk of diclofenac and other UGT2B17 drug substrates.

Interventions

DRUGDiclofenac

25 mg capsule

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTcurcumin

2,000 mg tablet

Sponsors

Washington State University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* Aged from 18-64 years and healthy * Not taking any medications (prescription and non-prescription) or dietary/herbal supplements known to alter the pharmacokinetics of diclofenac or curcumin * Willing to abstain from consuming caffeinated beverages or other caffeine-containing products the evening before and morning of the first day of each study arm * Willing to abstain from consuming any alcoholic beverages for one day prior to any study day, during the 14-hour inpatient days, and for the outpatient visit(s) following the 14-hour days * Willing to use a secondary method of birth control that does not include the introduction or discontinuance of hormonal-based birth control (such as abstinence, copper IUD, or condoms) * Have the time to participate * Written informed consent (and assent when applicable) obtained from subject or subject's legal representative and ability for the subject to comply with the requirements of the study

Exclusion criteria

* Under the age of 18 or over the age of 65 years * Smoke/vape/chew tobacco products * Use cannabis products, including marijuana, hemp, and other THC- or CBD-containing products * Have any current major illness or chronic illness such as (but not limited to) kidney disease, hepatic disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, coronary artery disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer, or HIV/AIDS * History of anemia or any other significant hematologic disorder * History of drug or alcohol addiction or major psychiatric illness * Pregnant or nursing or plan to become pregnant within 3 weeks after participation * History of allergy intolerance to diclofenac or curcumin * Taking concomitant medications, both prescription and non-prescription (including dietary supplements/herbal products), known to alter the pharmacokinetics of diclofenac or curcumin * Taking any turmeric spice or curcumin supplement * Presence of a condition or abnormality that, in the opinion of the Investigator, would compromise participant safety or quality of the data * Out-of-range clinical laboratory value that the study physician considers participation in the study a health risk

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Diclofenac area under the concentration vs. time curve (AUC) in UGT2B17 extensive metabolizers (EMs)0-12 hoursDiclofenac AUC in UGT2B17 EMs
Diclofenac AUC in poor metabolizers (PMs)0-12 hoursDiclofenac AUC in UGT2B17 PMs
Diclofenac AUC in EMs in the presence of curcumin0-12 hoursDiclofenac AUC in UGT2B17 EMs in the presence of curcumin
Diclofenac maximum concentration (Cmax) in EMs0-12 hoursDiclofenac Cmax in UGT2B17 EMs
Diclofenac Cmax in PMs0-12 hoursDiclofenac Cmax in UGT2B17 PMs
Diclofenac Cmax in EMs in the presence of curcumin0-12 hoursDiclofenac Cmax in UGT2B17 EMs in the presence of curcumin
Diclofenac renal clearance (CLr) in EMs0-12 hoursDiclofenac CLr in UGT2B17 EMs
Diclofenac CLr in PMs0-12 hoursDiclofenac CLr in UGT2B17 PMs
Diclofenac CLr in EMs in the presence of curcumin0-12 hoursDiclofenac CLr in UGT2B17 EMs in the presence of curcumin
Diclofenac half-life (t1/2) in EMs0-12 hoursDiclofenac t1/2 in UGT2B17 EMs
Diclofenac half-life (t1/2) in PMs0-12 hoursDiclofenac t1/2 in UGT2B17 PMs
Diclofenac half-life (t1/2) in EMs in the presence of curcumin0-12 hoursDiclofenac t1/2 in UGT2B17 EMs in the presence of curcumin

Countries

United States

Contacts

CONTACTMary F Paine, RPh, PhD
mary.paine@wsu.edu509-358-7759
CONTACTSiavosh Naji-Talakar, PharmD, MS
s.naji-talakar@wsu.edu509-358-7739

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Jun 5, 2026