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Pharmacotherapeutic Group: Antihistamines for systemic use, other antihistamines for systemic use. ATC Code: RO6AX29.
Pharmacology: Pharmacodynamics: Bilastine is a non-sedating, long-acting histamine antagonist with selective peripheral H1 receptor antagonist affinity and no affinity for muscarinic receptors.
Bilastine inhibited histamine-induced wheal and flare skin reactions for 24 hours following single doses.
In clinical trials performed in adult and adolescent patients with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (seasonal and perennial), bilastine 20 mg, administered once daily for 14-28 days, was effective in relieving symptoms such as sneezing, nasal discharge, nasal itching, nasal congestion, ocular itching, tearing and ocular redness. Bilastine effectively controlled symptoms for 24 hours.
In two clinical trials performed in patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria, Bilastine 20 mg, administered once daily for 28 days was effective in relieving the itching intensity and the number and size of wheals, as well as the patients discomfort due to urticaria. Patients improved their sleep conditions and their quality of life.
No clinically relevant prolongation of QTc interval or any other cardiovascular effect has been observed in the clinical trials performed with bilastine, even at doses of 200 mg daily (10 times the clinical dose) for 7 days in 9 subjects, or even when coadministered with P-gp inhibitors, such as ketoconazole (24 subjects) and erythromycin (24 subjects). Additionally a thorough QT study including 30 volunteers has been performed.
In controlled clinical trials at the recommended dose of 20 mg once daily, the CNS safety profile of bilastine was similar to placebo and the incidence of somnolence was not statistically different from placebo. Bilastine at doses of up to 40 mg q.d. did not affect psychomotor performance in clinical trials and did not affect driving performance in a standard driving test.
Older patients (≥ 65 years) included in phase II and III studies showed no difference in efficacy or safety with respect to younger patients.
Paediatric population: Adolescents (12 years to 17 years) were included in the clinical development. 128 adolescents received bilastine during the clinical studies (81 in double blind studies in allergic rhino-conjunctivitis). A further 116 adolescent subjects were randomised to active comparators or placebo. No differences in efficacy and safety between adults and adolescents were seen.
The European Medicines Agency has deferred the obligation to submit the results of studies with BILAXTEN in one subset of the paediatric population in the treatment of allergic rhino-conjunctivitis and the treatment of urticaria (see Paediatric use under Dosage & Administration).
Pharmacokinetics: Absorption: Bilastine is rapidly absorbed after oral administration with a time to maximum plasma concentration of around 1.3 hours. No accumulation was observed. The mean value of Bilastine oral bioavailability is 61%.
Distribution: In vitro and in vivo studies have shown that bilastine is a substrate of Pgp (see Interaction with ketoconazole, erythromycin and diltiazem under Interactions) and OATP (see Interaction with grapefruit juice under Interactions). Bilastine does not appear to be a substrate of the transporter BCRP or renal transporters OCT2, OAT1 and OAT3. Based on in vitro studies, Bilastine is not expected to inhibit the following transporters in the systemic circulation: P-gp, MRP2, BCRP, BSEP, OATP1B1, OATP1B3, OATP2B1, OAT1, OAT3, OCT1, OCT2, and NTCP, since only mild inhibition was detected for P-gp, OATP2B1 and OCT1, with an estimated IC50 ≥ 300 μM, much higher than the calculated clinical plasma Cmax and therefore these interactions will not be clinically relevant. However, based on these results inhibition by bilastine of transporters present in the intestinal mucosa, e.g. P-gp, cannot be excluded.
At therapeutic doses Bilastine is 84-90% bound to plasma proteins.
Biotransformation: Bilastine did not induce or inhibit activity of CYP450 isoenzymes in in vitro studies.
Elimination: In a mass balance study performed in healthy volunteers, after administration of a single dose of 20 mg 14C-bilastine, almost 95% of the administered dose was recovered in urine (28.3%) and faeces (66.5%) as unchanged bilastine, confirming that bilastine is not significantly metabolized in humans. The mean elimination half-life calculated in healthy volunteers was 14.5 h.
Linearity: Bilastine presents linear pharmacokinetics in the dose range studied (5 to 220 mg), with a low interindividual variability.
Renal impairment: In a study in subjects with renal impairment the mean (SD) AUC0-∞ increased from 737.4 (±260.8) ngxhr/ml in subjects without impairment (GFR: > 80 ml/min/1.73 m2) to: 967.4 (±140.2) ngxhr/ml in subjects with mild impairment (GFR: 50-80 ml/min/1.73 m2), 1384.2 (±263.23) ngxhr/ml in subjects with moderate impairment (GFR: 30 - <50 ml/min/1.73 m2), and 1708.5 (±699.0) ngxhr/ml in subjects with severe impairment (GFR: < 30 ml/min/1.73 m2). Mean (SD) half-life of bilastine was 9.3 h (± 2.8) in subjects without impairment, 15.1 h (± 7.7) in subjects with mild impairment, 10.5 h (± 2.3) in subjects with moderate impairment and 18.4 h (± 11.4) in subjects with severe impairment. Urinary excretion of bilastine was essentially complete after 48 -72 h in all subjects. These pharmacokinetic changes are not expected to have a clinically relevant influence on the safety of bilastine, since Bilastine plasma levels in patients with renal impairment are still within the safety range of bilastine.
Hepatic impairment: There are no pharmacokinetic data in subjects with hepatic impairment. Bilastine is not metabolized in human. Since the results of the renal impairment study indicate renal elimination to be a major contributor in the elimination, biliary excretion is expected to be only marginally involved in the elimination of bilastine. Changes in liver function are not expected to have a clinically relevant influence on bilastine pharmacokinetics.
Older people: Only limited data are available in subjects older than 65 years. No statistically significant differences have been observed with regard to PK of bilastine in older people aged over 65 years compared to adult population aged between 18 to 35 years.
Paediatric population: No pharmacokinetic data are available in adolescents (12 years to 17 years) as the extrapolation from adult data was deemed appropriate for this product.
Toxicology: Preclinical safety data: Non-clinical data with bilastine reveal no special hazard for humans based on conventional studies of safety pharmacology, repeated dose toxicity, genotoxicity and carcinogenic potential.
In reproduction toxicity studies effects of bilastine on the foetus (pre-and post-implantation loss in rats and incomplete ossification of cranial bones, sternebrae and limbs in rabbits) were only observed at maternal toxic doses. The exposure levels at the NOAELs are sufficiently in excess (> 30 fold) to the human exposure at the recommended therapeutic dose.
In a fertility study in rats, bilastine administered orally up to 1000 mg/kg/day did not induce any effect on female and male reproductive organs. Mating, fertility and pregnancy indices were not affected.
As seen in a distribution study in rats with determination of drug concentrations by autoradiography, bilastine does not accumulate in the CNS.
