Artemether-lumefantrine dosing for malaria treatment in young children and pregnant women: A pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The fixed dose combination of artemether-lumefantrine (AL) is the most widely used treatment for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Relatively lower cure rates and lumefantrine levels have been reported in young children and in pregnant women during their second and third trimester. The aim of this study was to investigate the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of lumefantrine and the pharmacokinetic properties of its metabolite, desbutyl-lumefantrine, in order to inform optimal dosing regimens in all patient populations. METHODS AND FINDINGS: A search in PubMed, Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov, Google Scholar, conference proceedings, and the WorldWide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWARN) pharmacology database identified 31 relevant clinical studies published between 1 January 1990 and 31 December 2012, with 4,546 patients in whom lumefantrine concentrations were measured. Under the auspices of WWARN, relevant individual concentration-time data, clinical covariates, and outcome data from 4,122 patients were made available and pooled for the meta-analysis. The developed lumefantrine population pharmacokinetic model was used for dose optimisation through in silico simulations. Venous plasma lumefantrine concentrations 7 days after starting standard AL treatment were 24.2% and 13.4% lower in children weighing <15 kg and 15-25 kg, respectively, and 20.2% lower in pregnant women compared with non-pregnant adults. Lumefantrine exposure decreased with increasing pre-treatment parasitaemia, and the dose limitation on absorption of lumefantrine was substantial. Simulations using the lumefantrine pharmacokinetic model suggest that, in young children and pregnant women beyond the first trimester, lengthening the dose regimen (twice daily for 5 days) and, to a lesser extent, intensifying the frequency of dosing (3 times daily for 3 days) would be more efficacious than using higher individual doses in the current standard treatment regimen (twice daily for 3 days). The model was developed using venous plasma data from patients receiving intact tablets with fat, and evaluations of alternative dosing regimens were consequently only representative for venous plasma after administration of intact tablets with fat. The absence of artemether-dihydroartemisinin data limited the prediction of parasite killing rates and recrudescent infections. Thus, the suggested optimised dosing schedule was based on the pharmacokinetic endpoint of lumefantrine plasma exposure at day 7. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that revised AL dosing regimens for young children and pregnant women would improve drug exposure but would require longer or more complex schedules. These dosing regimens should be evaluated in prospective clinical studies to determine whether they would improve cure rates, demonstrate adequate safety, and thereby prolong the useful therapeutic life of this valuable antimalarial treatment.

Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic Comparison of Recombinant and Plasma-Derived von Willebrand Factor in Patients with von Willebrand Disease Type 3.

Background: Recombinant von Willebrand factor (rVWF, vonicog alfa, Vonvendi/Veyvondi, Takeda Pharmaceuticals USA, Lexington, MA) and several plasma-derived VWF/factor VIII (pdVWF/FVIII) concentrates are available for treating bleeding episodes in patients with von Willebrand disease (VWD). Purpose: To develop population pharmacokinetic (PK)/pharmacodynamic (PD) models that describe VWF:ristocetin cofactor (VWF:RCo) activity and its relationship with FVIII activity (FVIII:C) over time following intravenous administration of either rVWF or a pdVWF/FVIII concentrate (VWF:RCo/FVIII:C 2.4:1) in patients with VWD; to use the final PK/PD models for an in silico comparison of rVWF and pdVWF/FVIII. Methods: The population PK model for rVWF was based on data from four clinical studies in which rVWF was administered to adult patients with VWD type 1, 2 or 3 (phase 1: NCT00816660; phase 3: NCT01410227 and NCT02283268) or severe hemophilia A (phase 1: EudraCT 2011-004314-42). The PK and PK/PD models for pdVWF/FVIII were based on data from the phase 1 study (NCT00816660) in patients with type 3 VWD who received either rVWF plus recombinant FVIII (rFVIII, octocog alfa, ADVATE®, Takeda Pharmaceuticals USA, Lexington, MA, USA) or pdVWF/FVIII. Results: There was a marked difference in clearance following rVWF administration compared with pdVWF/FVIII in type 3 VWD, leading to a ~1.75 longer mean residence time (ie, persistence of VWF:RCo activity in the body) and half-life for rVWF versus pdVWF/FVIII. Simulations showed that following repeated administration of rVWF (50 IU/kg), a FVIII:C activity of >40 IU/dL can be maintained for the full 72 h dosing interval. Conclusion: The slower elimination of VWF:RCo following rVWF administration results in a prolonged effect on FVIII turnover compared with pdVWF/FVIII administration.

Pharmacokinetics of piperaquine after repeated oral administration of the antimalarial combination CV8 in 12 healthy male subjects.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the pharmacokinetic properties of piperaquine after repeated oral administration of the antimalarial combination CV8 in healthy subjects. METHODS: Twelve healthy fasted Vietnamese males were administered four tablets CV8 (320 mg piperaquine phosphate, 32 mg dihydroartemisinin, 5 mg primaquine phosphate, 90 mg trimethoprim) on day 1, followed by two tablets every 24th hour, for a total of 3 days. Blood samples were frequently drawn on days 1 and 3 and sparsely drawn until day 29. Samples were analyzed for piperaquine using solid phase extraction followed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Population pharmacokinetic parameter estimates were obtained by nonlinear mixed effects modeling of the observed data using NONMEM. RESULTS: A two-compartment disposition model with an absorption lag time described the observed piperaquine concentrations. Absorption profiles were found to be irregular with double or multiple peaks. A dual pathway first-order absorption model improved the goodness of fit. Piperaquine pharmacokinetics were characterized by a large volume of distribution and a terminal half-life of several days. Estimates [95% confidence interval (CI)] of CL/F, V(ss)/F and t(1/2)(z) were found to be 56.4 (29-84) l/h, 6,000 (3,500-8,500) l and 11.7 (8.3-15.7) days, respectively. CONCLUSION: Piperaquine pharmacokinetics after repeated oral doses were characterized by multiple concentration peaks and multiphasic disposition, resulting in a long terminal half-life. Sustained exposure to the drug after treatment should be taken into account when designing future clinical studies, e.g. duration of follow-up, and may also drive resistance development in areas of high malaria transmission.