Population Pharmacokinetic Modeling and Exposure-Response Analysis for Aripiprazole Once Monthly in Subjects With Schizophrenia.

An intramuscular formulation of aripiprazole monohydrate dosed once monthly (AOM) was developed to address nonadherence with the approved oral tablets. A 3-compartment linear population pharmacokinetic model for oral and AOM doses was developed; relative bioavailability was estimated for AOM relative to oral dosing and body mass index and sex were significant predictors of AOM absorption rate constant (longer absorption half-life for women and absorption half-life increases with increasing body mass index). Aripiprazole apparent oral clearance for subjects with cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2D6 poor metabolizer status and in the presence of strong CYP2D6 inhibitors was approximately half that of subjects with CYP2D6 extensive metabolizer status and 24% lower in the presence of strong CYP3A4 inhibitors. Simulations of the population pharmacokinetics were conducted to evaluate the effect of different dose initiation strategies for AOM, the effects of CYP2D6 metabolizer status, coadministration of CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 inhibitors, and missed doses. An exposure-response model with an exponential hazard function of the model-predicted minimum concentration (Cmin ) described the time to relapse. The hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) was 4.41 (2.89-6.75). Thus, a subject with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and Cmin  ≥ 95 ng/mL is 4.41 times less likely to relapse relative to a subject with Cmin  < 95 ng/mL.

Population Pharmacokinetics of Cariprazine and its Major Metabolites.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Cariprazine, a dopamine D3-preferring D3/D2 receptor partial agonist, is approved for the treatment of adults with schizophrenia (1.5-6 mg/day) and manic/mixed (3-6 mg/day) episodes associated with bipolar I disorder. This population pharmacokinetic analysis describes the concentration-time profiles of cariprazine and its two major active metabolites, desmethyl-cariprazine (DCAR) and didesmethyl-cariprazine (DDCAR). Additionally, the potential impact of patient characteristics, creatinine clearance, and cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) metabolizer status on the pharmacokinetics of cariprazine and its metabolites was evaluated. METHODS: Data from three phase 1 and ten phase 2/3 studies in adult patients with schizophrenia or bipolar mania were included. Nonlinear mixed-effects pharmacokinetic modeling was performed using the NONMEM software package. Compartmental modeling was performed sequentially with the cariprazine elimination rate used as the DCAR formation rate and likewise the elimination rate of DCAR used with a delay as the DDCAR formation rate. RESULTS: Cariprazine pharmacokinetics were described by a three-compartment model with zero-order input of the dose to a depot compartment followed by first-order absorption and first-order elimination. DCAR and DDCAR pharmacokinetics were described by two-compartment models with linear elimination. Statistically significant predictors of pharmacokinetic parameters included weight, sex, and race, though differences in exposures were not large enough to require an adjustment in dose. Creatinine clearance was not a statistically significant predictor of drug clearance, and a post hoc analysis found that CYP2D6 metabolizer status was not associated with changes in exposure levels for cariprazine, DCAR, or DDCAR. The median time to 90% of steady state was approximately 1 week for cariprazine and DCAR and 3 weeks for DDCAR. CONCLUSIONS: Population pharmacokinetic modeling provided a quantitative description of the concentration-time profile of cariprazine and its metabolites.

Population Pharmacokinetic Evaluation and Missed-Dose Simulations for Eslicarbazepine Acetate Monotherapy in Patients With Partial-Onset Seizures.

Given the potential consequences of antiepileptic therapy nonadherence, missed-dose scenarios of 12- to 48-hour dose delays (4-hour intervals) for eslicarbazepine acetate monotherapy were evaluated using simulated plasma concentrations of a population pharmacokinetic model (representing 493 subjects). When 1600-mg doses were delayed 12 to <16 or 36 to <44 hours, simulations showed immediate administration of 1600 mg followed by the same dose at the scheduled time maintained plasma concentrations within the target concentration range. With 16- to 24- or 44- to 48-hour delays, administration of 2400 mg at the scheduled time followed by resumption of 1600 mg/day maintained plasma concentrations within the target concentration range. For exploratory purposes, the population pharmacokinetic model was refined to predict (n = 6 subjects) and also to allow for simulation of cerebrospinal fluid concentrations. Based on the plasma concentration simulations conducted herein, potential dosing recommendations were developed that suggest a missed ESL dose should be taken when remembered, and the usual dose regimen resumed. If it is remembered within 4 hours of the next dose, 1.5 times the usual dose should be taken immediately, the scheduled dose for that day should be skipped, and the usual regimen resumed the next day.

Model-Informed Drug Development for Malaria Therapeutics.

Malaria is a critical public health problem resulting in substantial morbidity and mortality, particularly in developing countries. Owing to the development of resistance toward current therapies, novel approaches to accelerate the development efforts of new malaria therapeutics are urgently needed. There have been significant advancements in the development of in vitro and in vivo experiments that generate data used to inform decisions about the potential merit of new compounds. A comprehensive disease-drug model capable of integrating discrete data from different preclinical and clinical components would be a valuable tool across all stages of drug development. This could have an enormous impact on the otherwise slow and resource-intensive process of traditional clinical drug development.

Population pharmacokinetics and pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics of bendamustine in pediatric patients with relapsed/refractory acute leukemia.

OBJECTIVE: The pharmacokinetic (PK) profile of bendamustine has been characterized in adults with indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), but remains to be elucidated in pediatric patients with hematologic malignancies. This analysis used data from a nonrandomized pediatric study in patients with relapsed/refractory acute lymphocytic leukemia or acute myeloid leukemia. METHODS: Bendamustine 90 or 120 mg/m(2) (60-minute infusion) was administered on days 1 and 2 of 21 day cycles. The population PK base model was adjusted for body surface area (BSA), and the appropriateness of the final model was evaluated by visual predictive check. A covariate analysis explored PK variability. Bayesian PK parameter estimates and concentration-time profiles for each patient were generated. Bendamustine PK in pediatric patients was compared with that of adults with indolent NHL. PK/pharmacodynamic analyses were conducted for fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and infection. RESULTS: Thirty-eight patients (median age: 7 years; range: 1-19 years) receiving bendamustine 120 mg/m(2) and an additional five patients receiving bendamustine 90 mg/m(2) (median age: 12 years; range: 8-14 years) were included in the population PK analysis. Peak plasma concentrations of bendamustine (Cmax) occurred at the end of infusion (about 1 h). Decline from peak showed a rapid distribution phase (t½α = 0.308 h) and a slower elimination phase (t½ß = 1.47 h). Model-predicted mean Cmax and area under the curve values from time 0-24 h were 6806 ng/mL and 8240 ng*h/mL, respectively. When dosed based upon BSA, it appeared that age, body weight, race, mild renal (n = 3) or hepatic (n = 2) dysfunction, cancer type, and cytochrome P450 1A2 inhibitors (n = 17) or inducers (n = 3) did not affect systemic exposure, which was comparable between pediatric and adult patients. Infection was the only adverse event associated with bendamustine Cmax. However, due to the small sample size for some subgroups, the observed trends should be interpreted with caution. CONCLUSIONS: At the recommended dose (120 mg/m(2)), bendamustine systemic exposure was similar across the pediatric population and comparable to adults. The similarity in exposure despite the large range of BSA across pediatric and adult populations confirms the appropriateness of BSA-based dosing, which was utilized to attain systemic exposures in pediatric patients reflective of the therapeutic range in adults. Probability of occurrence of infection increased with higher bendamustine Cmax.

An evaluation of the potential for drug-drug interactions between bendamustine and rituximab in indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma.

PURPOSE: Bendamustine plus rituximab has been reported to be effective in treating lymphoid malignancies. This analysis investigated the potential for drug-drug interactions between the drugs in patients with indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma or mantle cell lymphoma. METHODS: Data were derived from a bendamustine-rituximab combination therapy study, a bendamustine monotherapy study, and published literature on rituximab monotherapy and combination therapy. Analysis of the potential for rituximab to affect bendamustine systemic exposure included comparing bendamustine concentration-time profile following monotherapy to that following combination therapy and comparing model-predicted Bayesian bendamustine clearance in the presence and absence of rituximab. Analysis of the potential for bendamustine to affect rituximab systemic exposure included plotting observed minimum, median, and maximum serum rituximab concentrations at the end of rituximab infusion (EOI) and 24 h and 7 days post-infusion in patients receiving combination therapy versus concentrations reported in literature following rituximab monotherapy. RESULTS: The established population pharmacokinetic model following bendamustine monotherapy was evaluated to determine its applicability to combination therapy for the purpose of confirming lack of pharmacokinetic interaction. The model adequately described the bendamustine concentration-time profile following monotherapy and combination therapy in adults. There was no statistically significant difference in estimated bendamustine clearance either alone or in combination. Also, rituximab concentrations from EOI to 24 h and 7 days demonstrated a pattern of decline similar to that seen in rituximab studies without bendamustine, suggesting that bendamustine does not affect the rituximab clearance rate. CONCLUSIONS: Neither bendamustine nor rituximab appears to affect systemic exposure of the other drug when coadministered.

Population pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of garenoxacin in patients with community-acquired respiratory tract infections.

Garenoxacin (T-3811ME, BMS-284756) is a novel, broad-spectrum des-F(6) quinolone currently under study for the treatment of community-acquired respiratory tract infections. This analysis assessed garenoxacin population pharmacokinetics and exposure-response relationships for safety (adverse effects [AE]) and antimicrobial activity (clinical cure and bacteriologic eradication of Streptococcus pneumoniae and the grouping of Haemophilus influenzae, Haemophilus parainfluenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis). Data were obtained from three phase II clinical trials of garenoxacin administered orally as 400 mg once daily for 5 to 10 days for the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia, acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis, and sinusitis. Samples were taken from each patient before drug administration, 2 h following administration of the first dose, and on the day 3 to 5 visit. Individual Bayesian estimates of the fu (fraction unbound), the Cmax, and the fu for the area under the concentration-time curve from 0 to 24 h (fu AUC(0-24)) were calculated as measurements of drug exposure by using an ex vivo assessment of average protein binding. Regression analysis was performed to examine the following relationships: treatment-emergent AE incidence and AUC(0-24), Cmax, or patient factors; clinical response or bacterial eradication and drug exposure (fu Cmax/MIC, fu AUC(0-24)/MIC, and other exposure covariates); or disease and patient factors. Garenoxacin pharmacokinetics were described by a one-compartment model with first-order absorption and elimination. Clearance was dependent on creatinine clearance, ideal body weight, age, obesity, and concomitant use of pseudoephedrine. The volume of distribution was dependent on weight and gender. Patients with mild or moderate renal dysfunction had, on average, approximately a 16 or 26% decrease in clearance, respectively, compared to patients of the same gender and obesity classification with normal renal function. AE occurrence was not related to garenoxacin exposure. Overall, clinical cure and bacterial eradication rates were 91 and 90%, respectively, for S. pneumoniae and 93 and 92%, respectively, for the grouping of H. influenzae, H. parainfluenzae, and M. catarrhalis. The fu AUC(0-24)/MIC ratios were high (>90% were >200), and none of the pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic exposure measurements indexed to the MIC or other factors were significant predictors of clinical or bacteriologic response. Garenoxacin clearance was primarily related to creatinine clearance and ideal body weight. Although garenoxacin exposure was approximately 25% higher for patients with moderate renal dysfunction, this increase does not appear to be clinically significant as exposures in this patient population were not significant predictors of AE occurrence. Garenoxacin exposures were at the upper end of the exposure-response curves for measurements of antimicrobial activity, suggesting that 400 mg of garenoxacin once daily is a safe and adequate dose for the treatment of the specified community-acquired respiratory tract infections.