More Power to OATP1B1: An Evaluation of Sample Size in Pharmacogenetic Studies Using a Rosuvastatin PBPK Model for Intestinal, Hepatic, and Renal Transporter‐Mediated Clearances

Rosuvastatin is a substrate of choice in clinical studies of organic anion‐transporting polypeptide (OATP)1B1‐ and OATP1B3‐associated drug interactions; thus, understanding the effect of OATP1B1 polymorphisms on the pharmacokinetics of rosuvastatin is crucial. Here, physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling was coupled with a power calculation algorithm to evaluate the influence of sample size on the ability to detect an effect (80% power) of OATP1B1 phenotype on pharmacokinetics of rosuvastatin. Intestinal, hepatic, and renal transporters were mechanistically incorporated into a rosuvastatin PBPK model using permeability‐limited models for intestine, liver, and kidney, respectively, nested within a full PBPK model. Simulated plasma rosuvastatin concentrations in healthy volunteers were in agreement with previously reported clinical data. Power calculations were used to determine the influence of sample size on study power while accounting for OATP1B1 haplotype frequency and abundance in addition to its correlation with OATP1B3 abundance. It was determined that 10 poor‐transporter and 45 intermediate‐transporter individuals are required to achieve 80% power to discriminate the AUC(0‐48h) of rosuvastatin from that of the extensive‐transporter phenotype. This number was reduced to 7 poor‐transporter and 40 intermediate‐transporter individuals when the reported correlation between OATP1B1 and 1B3 abundance was taken into account. The current study represents the first example in which PBPK modeling in conjunction with power analysis has been used to investigate sample size in clinical studies of OATP1B1 polymorphisms. This approach highlights the influence of interindividual variability and correlation of transporter abundance on study power and should allow more informed decision making in pharmacogenomic study design.