RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of FDA-approved antisense oligonucleotide drugs JF Drug Metabolism and Disposition JO Drug Metab Dispos FD American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics SP DMD-MR-2021-000417 DO 10.1124/dmd.121.000417 A1 Julia M Migliorati A1 Sunna Liu A1 Anna Liu A1 Anagha Gogate A1 Sreenidhi Nair A1 Raman Bahal A1 Theodore P Rasmussen A1 Jose E. Manautou, PhD A1 Xiao-bo Zhong YR 2022 UL http://dmd.aspetjournals.org/content/early/2022/02/27/dmd.121.000417.abstract AB Absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) are the key biological processes for determination of a drug's pharmacokinetic parameters, which have direct impacts on efficacy and adverse drug reactions (ADRs). The chemical structures, dosage forms, and sites and routes of administration are the principal determinants of ADME profiles and consequent impacts on their efficacy and ADRs. Newly developed large biological antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) drugs have completely unique ADME that is not fully defined. ASO-based drugs are single-stranded synthetic antisense nucleic acids with diverse modes of drug actions from induction of mRNA degradation, exon skipping and restoration, and interactions with proteins. ASO drugs have a great potential to treat certain human diseases that have remained untreatable with small molecule-based drugs. The ADME of ASO drugs contributes to their unique set of ADRs and toxicity. In this review, to better understand their ADME, the ten FDA-approved ASO drugs were selected, including Fomivirsen, Pegaptanib, Mipomersen, Nusinersen, Inotersen, Defibrotide, Eteplirsen, Golodirsen, Viltolarsen, and Casimersen. A meta-analysis was conducted on their formulation, dosage, sites of administration, local and systematic distribution, metabolism, degradation, and excretion. Membrane permeabilization through endocytosis and nucleolytic degradation by endonucleases and exonucleases are major ADME features of the ASO drugs differing from small-molecule drugs. The information summarized here provides comprehensive ADME characteristics of FDA-approved ASO drugs, leading to a better understanding of their therapeutic efficacy and their potential ADRs and toxicity. Numerous knowledge gaps, particularly on cellular uptake and subcellular trafficking and distribution are identified, and future perspectives and directions are discussed. Significance Statement Through a systematic analysis of the existing information of ADME parameters for ten FDA-approved ASO drugs, this review provides an overall view of the unique ADME characteristics of ASO drugs, which are distinct from small chemical drug ADME. This knowledge is useful for discovery and development of new ASO drugs as well as clinical use of current FDA-approved ASO drugs.