LAUSR

PURPOSE Ranolazine, an inhibitor of late inward sodium current, is an antianginal agent. In this study, the pharmacokinetic (PK) properties and tolerability of single- and multiple-dose ranolazine were compared between healthy Koreans and Caucasians. METHODS An open-label, ascending single- and multiple-dose study was conducted with healthy Koreans and Caucasian subjects.. Subjects were administered 375-750 mg of ranolazine once in a single-dose and twice daily in multiple-dose based on their dose groups. Blood samples for the PK assessment were collected up to 48 h after dosing. The geometric mean ratio and its 90% confidence interval in Korean to Caucasian subjects for Cmax, Cmax,ss, AUClast, and AUC0-12h,ss of ranolazine were calculated. A population PK analysis was also performed. Safety profiles were assessed throughout the study. FINDINGS A total of 70 Korean and 48 Caucasian subjects completed the study. Ranolazine exposure was similar between Koreans and Caucasians in all dose groups; however, ranolazine exposure at 750 mg was observed to increase by up to 29% in Koreans compared with that in Caucasians. On the basis of previous studies, these differences in ranolazine exposure between the 2 ethnic groups may not result in any clinically significant difference. Furthermore, ethnicity was not significantly correlated with the PK properties of ranolazine in the ranolazine PK model. In addition, no significant difference was found in the safety profile of ranolazine between the 2 ethnic groups. IMPLICATIONS The PK properties of ranolazine had no clinically significant difference, and no difference was found in the safety profiles of ranolazine between Koreans and Caucasians. It is anticipated that ranolazine can be administered in Koreans without dose adjustment. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02817932.