GW501516 explained

GW501516 (also known as GW-501,516, GW1516, GSK-516, Cardarine, and on the black market as Endurobol[1]) is a PPARδ receptor agonist that was invented in a collaboration between Ligand Pharmaceuticals and GlaxoSmithKline in the 1990s. It entered into clinical development as a drug candidate for metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, but was abandoned in 2007 because animal testing showed that the drug caused cancer to develop rapidly in several organs.

In 2007, research was published showing that high doses of GW501516 given to mice dramatically improved their physical performance; the work was widely discussed in popular media, and led to a black market for the drug candidate and to its abuse by athletes as a doping agent. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) developed a test for GW501516 and other related chemicals and added them to the prohibited list in 2009; it has issued additional warnings to athletes that GW501516 is not safe.

History

GW501516 was initially discovered during a research collaboration between GSK and Ligand Pharmaceuticals that began in 1992.[2] The discovery of the compound was published in a 2001 issue of PNAS.[3] Oliver et al. reported that they used "combinatorial chemistry and structure-based drug design" to develop it.[4] One of the authors was the son of Leo Sternbach who discovered benzodiazepines in the 1960s.[5]

R & D Focus Drug News reported that GSK began phase I trials of the compound for the treatment of hyperlipidemia in 2000[6] followed by phase I/II in 2002.[7] In 2003, Ligand Pharmaceuticals earned a $1 million payment as a result of GSK continuing phase I development.[8]

By 2007, GW501516 had completed two phase II clinical studies and other studies relating to obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease,[9] [10] but GSK abandoned further development of the drug in 2007 for reasons which were not disclosed at the time.[11] It later emerged that the drug was discontinued because animal testing showed that the drug caused cancer to develop rapidly in several organs, at dosages of 3 mg/kg/day in both mice and rats.[12] [13] [14]

Ronald M. Evans's laboratory purchased a sample of GW501516 and gave mice a much higher dose than had been used in GSK's experiments; they found that the compound dramatically increased the physical performance of the mice.[15] The work was published in 2007 in Cell and was widely reported in the popular press including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.[16]

Another human study (comparing cardarine with the PPARα agonist GW590735 and placebo) was published in 2021.[17]

Performance-enhancing drug

Concerns were raised prior to the 2008 Beijing Olympics that GW501516 could be used by athletes as a performance-enhancing drug that was not currently controlled by regulations or detected by standard tests. One of the main researchers from the study on enhanced endurance consequently developed a urine test to detect the drug, and made it available to the International Olympic Committee. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) developed a test for GW501516 and other related PPARδ modulators,[18] and added such drugs to the prohibited list in 2009.[19]

GW501516 has been promoted on bodybuilding and athletics websites[20] and by 2011 had already been available for some time on the black market.[1] [21] In 2011, it was reported to cost $1,000 for 10 g.[16] In 2012, WADA recategorised GW501516 from a gene doping compound to a "hormone and metabolic modulator".[22]

In 2013, WADA took the rare step of warning potential users of the compound of the possible health risks, stating that "clinical approval has not, and will not be given for this substance"; the New Scientist attributed the warning to the risks of the drug causing cancer.[20] [23]

A number of athletes have tested positive for GW501516. At the Vuelta Ciclista a Costa Rica in December 2012, four Costa Rican riders tested positive for GW501516. Three of them received two-year suspensions, while the fourth received 12 years as it was his second doping violation.[24] [25] [26] In April 2013, Russian cyclist Valery Kaykov was suspended by cycling's governing body UCI after having tested positive for GW501516. Kaykov's team RusVelo dismissed him immediately[27] and in May 2013, Venezuelan Miguel Ubeto was provisionally suspended by the Lampre team.[28] In February 2014, Russian race walker Elena Lashmanova tested positive for GW501516.[29] [30] In April 2019, American heavyweight boxer Jarrell Miller tested positive for GW501516 which caused his challenge for Anthony Joshua's World Heavyweight titles to be cancelled.[31] In December 2020, Miller was suspended for 2 years for repeated violations.[32] In July 2022, the 2012 800m Olympic silver medalist from Botswana, Nijel Amos tested positive for GW501516 and was provisionally suspended just days before the 2022 World Athletics Championships.[33] Surinam’s Issam Asinga, who set the under-20 world track record in the men’s 100 meters, was informed on Aug. 9, 2023 by the Athletics Integrity Unit that his July 18 drug test the prior month detected trace amounts of GW501516. Asinga has alleged in a suit filed in the Southern District of New York that Gatorade provided him with Gatorade Recovery Gummies at their awards ceremony one week earlier in Los Angeles tainted with GW501516.[34]

Mode of action

GW501516 is a selective agonist (activator) of the PPARδ receptor.[35] It displays high affinity (Ki = 1 nM) and potency (EC50 = 1 nM) for PPARδ with greater than selectivity over PPARα and PPARγ.[4]

In rats, binding of GW501516 to PPARδ recruits the coactivator PGC-1α. The PPARδ/coactivator complex in turn upregulates the expression of proteins involved in energy expenditure. Furthermore, in rats treated with GW501516, increased fatty acid metabolism in skeletal muscle and protection against diet-induced obesity and type II diabetes was observed. In obese rhesus monkeys, GW501516 increased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and lowered very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL).[36]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Koh B . Anti-doping agency warns cheats on the health risks of Endurobol . The Conversation. 2013-03-22.
  2. News: GW501516 GlaxoSmithKline, Ligand milestone payment.. 28 June 2004. R & D Focus Drug News.
  3. Wolf G . 12362203 . The function of the nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta in energy homeostasis . Nutr. Rev. . 61 . 11 . 387–90 . November 2003 . 14677574 . 10.1301/nr.2003.nov.387-390 . free .
  4. Oliver WR, Shenk JL, Snaith MR, Russell CS, Plunket KD, Bodkin NL, Lewis MC, Winegar DA, Sznaidman ML, Lambert MH, Xu HE, Sternbach DD, Kliewer SA, Hansen BC, Willson TM . A selective peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta agonist promotes reverse cholesterol transport . Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. . 98 . 9 . 5306–11 . April 2001 . 11309497 . 33205 . 10.1073/pnas.091021198 . 2001PNAS...98.5306O . free .
  5. News: Father and Son: In Two Generations, Drug Research Sees a Big Shift. The Wall Street Journal. Flynn J . 11 February 2004.
  6. News: GW501516 Glaxo Wellcome phase change I, UK. 20 November 2000. R & D Focus Drug News.
  7. News: GW501516 GlaxoSmithKline phase change II, UK. 25 February 2002. R & D Focus Drug News.
  8. News: Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated Earns $1 Million Milestone Payment as GlaxoSmithKline Advances Development of 501516. 5 June 2003. Reuters Significant Developments.
  9. Barish GD, Narkar VA, Evans RM . PPAR delta: a dagger in the heart of the metabolic syndrome . The Journal of Clinical Investigation . 116 . 3 . 590–7 . March 2006 . 16511591 . 1386117 . 10.1172/JCI27955 .
  10. Dressel U, Allen TL, Pippal JB, Rohde PR, Lau P, Muscat GE . The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor beta/delta agonist, GW501516, regulates the expression of genes involved in lipid catabolism and energy uncoupling in skeletal muscle cells . Molecular Endocrinology . 17 . 12 . 2477–93 . December 2003 . 14525954 . 10.1210/me.2003-0151 . amp . free .
  11. Billin AN . PPAR-beta/delta agonists for Type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia: an adopted orphan still looking for a home . Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs . 17 . 10 . 1465–71 . October 2008 . 18808307 . 10.1517/13543784.17.10.1465 . 86564263 .
  12. Sahebkar A, Chew GT, Watts GF . New peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor agonists: potential treatments for atherogenic dyslipidemia and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease . Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy . 15 . 4 . 493–503 . March 2014 . 24428677 . 10.1517/14656566.2014.876992 . 21158696 . Despite these promising early results, the further investigation and development of GW501516 was discontinued after observations in animal studies of its association with the rapid induction of cancers in several organs (liver, stomach, tongue, skin, bladder, ovaries, womb and testes .
  13. 48th Annual Meeting of the Society of Toxicology . Baltimore . PS 895 - Rat carcinogenicity study with GW501516, a PPAR delta agonist . https://web.archive.org/web/20150504013406/http://www.toxicology.org/AI/PUB/Tox/2009Tox.pdf . 2015-05-04 . Geiger LE, Dunsford WS, Lewis DJ, Brennan C, Liu KC, Newsholme SJ . 2009 . . 105 .
  14. 48th Annual Meeting of the Society of Toxicology . Baltimore . PS 896 - Mouse carcinogenicity study with GW501516, a PPAR delta agonist. . https://web.archive.org/web/20150504013406/http://www.toxicology.org/AI/PUB/Tox/2009Tox.pdf . 2015-05-04 . Newsholme SJ, Dunsford WS, Brodie T, Brennan C, Brown M, Geiger LE . 2009 . . 105 .
  15. Fan W, Waizenegger W, Lin CS, Sorrentino V, He MX, Wall CE, Li H, Liddle C, Yu RT, Atkins AR, Auwerx J, Downes M, Evans RM . PPARδ Promotes Running Endurance by Preserving Glucose . Cell Metabolism . 25 . 5 . 1186–1193.e4 . May 2017 . 28467934 . 5492977 . 10.1016/j.cmet.2017.04.006 .
  16. Web site: Faster. Higher. Squeakier.. Outside magazine. Bezar M. 2011-11-01. 2013-04-02. 2012-08-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20120827091907/http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/natural-intelligence/Faster--Higher--Squeakier-.html?page=all. dead.
  17. Park J, Kim JY . Cardarine (GW501516) Effects on Improving Metabolic Syndrome . Journal of Health, Sports, and Kinesiology . 30 July 2021 . 2 . 2 . 22–27 . 10.47544/johsk.2021.2.2.22. free .
  18. Web site: Warning to Beijing Olympics over pills that mimic exercise . Laurance J, Rajan A . 2008-08-01 . Health News, Health & Wellbeing . The Independent . 2008-08-01 .
  19. http://www.wada-ama.org/rtecontent/document/2009_Prohibited_List_ENG_Final_20_Sept_08.pdf WADA 2009 Prohibited List
  20. News: Anti-doping agency warns athletes of black market drug . New Scientist. 2013-03-26.
  21. Thevis M, Geyer H, Thomas A, Schänzer W . Trafficking of drug candidates relevant for sports drug testing: detection of non-approved therapeutics categorized as anabolic and gene doping agents in products distributed via the Internet . Drug Test Anal . 3 . 5 . 331–6 . May 2011 . 21538997 . 10.1002/dta.283 .
  22. Sanchis-Gomar F, Lippi G . Telmisartan as metabolic modulator: a new perspective in sports doping? . J Strength Cond Res . 26 . 3 . 608–10 . March 2012 . 22130396 . 10.1519/JSC.0b013e31824301b6 . free .
  23. Web site: WADA issues alert on GW501516. World Anti-Doping Agency. 2013-03-21. https://web.archive.org/web/20130602050612/http://playtrue.wada-ama.org/news/wada-issues-alert-on-gw501516/. June 2, 2013.
  24. Web site: Stokes S . GW501516 positives confirmed, three of four riders are from same BCR Pizza Hut team . velonation.com . 15 April 2013 .
  25. Web site: Stokes S . Four riders each handed two year bans for use of GW501516 . velonation.com . 30 July 2013 .
  26. http://www.uci.ch/Modules/BUILTIN/getObject.asp?MenuId=MTU3Mjg&ObjTypeCode=FILE&type=FILE&id=Nzk5OTY&LangId=1 List of sanctions
  27. News: European champion Valery Kaykov sacked for failing drug test. BBC. 2013-04-11. 2013-04-11.
  28. News: Miguel Ubeto Aponte provisionally suspended. https://archive.today/20130628075943/http://www.uci.ch/Modules/ENews/ENewsDetails.asp?source=SiteSearch&id=OTI3Ng&MenuId=MTI2Mjg. dead. 2013-06-28. UCI. 2013-05-13. 2013-05-15.
  29. http://www.iaaf.org/download/download?filename=64099fcf-1e9a-444d-97d9-ea03d79fd4c5.pdf&urlslug=List%20of%20athletes%20currently%20serving%20a%20period%20of%20ineligibility%20as%20a%20result%20of%20an%20Anti-Doping%20Rule%20Violation%20under%20IAAF%20Rules Sanctioned athletes list – 26 June 2014
  30. Associated Press: Doping probe launched into Russian walkers, espn.com, 11 July 2014
  31. Web site: Sources: 'Big Baby' Miller failed three drug tests. Dan Rafael. Dan Rafael. ESPN.com. 2019-04-19. 2019-04-21.
  32. News: Heavyweight Miller gets 2-year PED suspension . 13 July 2022 . ESPN.com . 2 December 2020 . en.
  33. News: London 2012 medallist Nijel Amos suspended after positive doping test . 13 July 2024. the Guardian . 13 July 2022 . en.
  34. News: Teen sprinter sues Gatorade over doping ban that cost him an Olympic spot. 12 July 2022 . The Washington Post . 11 July 2022 . en.
  35. Pelton P . GW-501516 GlaxoSmithKline/Ligand . Current Opinion in Investigational Drugs . 7 . 4 . 360–70 . April 2006 . 16625823 .
  36. Sprecher DL . Lipids, lipoproteins, and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-delta . The American Journal of Cardiology . 100 . 11 A . n20-4 . December 2007 . 18047848 . 10.1016/j.amjcard.2007.08.009 .

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