Bixalomer, a novel phosphate binder with a small swelling index, improves hyperphosphatemia in chronic kidney disease rat

In the present study, we evaluated the in vitro characteristics of bixalomer for phosphate binding and swelling and assessed the urinary phosphorus excretion and plasma phosphorus level-lowering effect of bixalomer. The maximum phosphate binding capacity was 6.49 mmol/g and was maximized at pH 6.09. In rats, consuming a high-phosphorus diet resulted in elevated urinary phosphorus excretion, while consuming a diet of bixalomer (0.3–9%) or sevelamer hydrochloride (sevelamer HCl; 3–9%) mixed with a high-phosphorus diet resulted in a dose-dependent reduction in urinary phosphorus excretion. Rats with adenine sulfate-induced chronic kidney disease (CKD) had plasma phosphorus levels of 14.9–18.8 mg/dl, while CKD rats administered a 3% bixalomer or 3% sevelamer HCl diet for 4 weeks had relatively decreased plasma phosphorus levels (6.86±1.42 or 5.32±0.27 mg/dl, respectively). Bixalomer elevated the lowered blood pH in acidemic CKD rats, while sevelamer HCl administration only exacerbated the acidemia. The swelling index, which represents water adsorption capacity, of bixalomer was measured by subtracting the dry weight from the hydrated wet weight of the polymer. The swelling index of bixalomer was four times lower than that of sevelamer HCl. Bixalomer was found to reduce the plasma phosphorus level in CKD rats by binding phosphate in the small intestine and reducing phosphate absorption. Bixalomer showed favorable characteristics of a smaller swelling index than sevelamer HCl and amelioration of metabolic acidosis. These findings suggest that bixalomer may be useful in treating hyperphosphatemia, with fewer gastrointestinal side effects and amelioration of metabolic acidosis than sevelamer HCl.