Acute and multiple-dose studies to determine the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic profile of advantame in healthy volunteers

Advantame, a new, high-intensity sweetener that is thought not to be absorbed from the human gastrointestinal tract in appreciable quantities, was evaluated for safety and tolerability in a total of 48 healthy adult volunteers in 2 studies. In the first study 24 subjects were randomized to receive escalating single doses of 0.1, 0.25, or 0.5 mg/kg of body weight, and pharmacokinetic and safety parameters were assessed subsequently for 8 days. In the second study, 24 subjects were randomized to receive over 4 weeks either 30 mg advantame/day (split into 3 doses per day), or placebo. All subjects completed both studies and no significant treatment-related adverse effects were observed in any subjects in either study. There were no clinically relevant changes in laboratory parameters, vital signs, electrocardiogram, or physical examination findings. Plasma concentrations of advantame were mostly below the limit of quantification in all samples taken after a single dose or prior to the dose in the repeat-dose study. The concentrations of the hydrolysis product, advantame-acid, were also below the limit of quantification at 12, 36, and 48 h after a single dose of 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5 mg/kg body weight, respectively. These studies demonstrate the safety and tolerability of advantame in healthy subjects at doses far exceeding those likely to be encountered in food and beverage use.