The influence of food on the pharmacokinetics of piperaquine in healthy Vietnamese volunteers.

The combination piperaquine and dihydroartemisinin is emerging as first line treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria in Southeast Asia. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of a standard Vietnamese meal on the single-dose pharmacokinetics of piperaquine when administered in combination with dihydroartemisinin, and to gain extended data on the terminal half-life of piperaquine in healthy Vietnamese volunteers. Subjects were randomly assigned to take a single oral dose of piperaquine phosphate (640 mg)+dihydroartemisinin (80 mg) together with a standardized Vietnamese meal (n=16) or to remain fasting for 4h following drug intake (n=16). Frequent blood sampling was conducted during 36 h, followed by weekly samples for 7 weeks. The pharmacokinetic parameters of piperaquine were determined by noncompartmental analysis. The median (80% central range) AUC(0-last) was 11.5 (6.9-17.3)h mg/L in fed and 13.9 (2.8-19.3)h mg/L in fasting subjects, indicating a considerable variability in exposure in both groups. The estimated overall oral clearance was 0.27 (0.12-1.49)L/(h kg), the volume of distribution during the terminal elimination phase was 230 (102-419)L/kg and estimated terminal half-life was 18 (5-93) days. This study did not demonstrate a significant impact of a standardized Vietnamese meal on the oral absorption of piperaquine.

Artemisinin autoinduction is caused by involvement of cytochrome P450 2B6 but not 2C9.

AIM: Our goal was to investigate whether artemisinin autoinduction is caused by an increase in cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2B6 or CYP2C9 activities, we evaluated the effects of multiple-dose artemisinin administration on S-mephenytoin N-demethylation in healthy subjects. METHODS: Fourteen subjects, 6 poor metabolizers of CYP2C19 and 8 extensive metabolizers, received a single oral dose of 200 mg racemic mephenytoin (CYP2B6 in vivo marker) before (day -28) and during multiple-dose artemisinin administration (250 mg/d orally for 9 days and 500 mg on the tenth day). A 500-mg single dose of artemisinin was administered on day -28. The CYP2C9 in vivo marker tolbutamide was administered on day -28 and on days 7, 12, and 17 to monitor the minor involvement of CYP2C9 in S-mephenytoin N-demethylation. RESULTS: Artemisinin oral clearance increased 5.3-fold (P <.001) by the tenth day of administration. Its pharmacokinetics was not different in the 2 CYP2C19 phenotypes. The oral clearance of R-mephenytoin increased 1.7-fold (P <.05) in both phenotypes during the period of artemisinin administration. The area under the concentration-time curve ratio of S-nirvanol/S-mephenytoin, an index of CYP2B6 activity, increased 1.9-fold (P <.05) in CYP2C19 poor metabolizers during artemisinin multiple-dose administration, whereas the urinary excretion ratio of hydroxytolbutamide plus carboxytolbutamide/tolbutamide remained constant during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that artemisinin induces the N-demethylation of S-mephenytoin probably by an increased capacity of CYP2B6. The autoinduction phenomenon of artemisinin may, therefore, be attributed, at least in part, to induction of CYP2B6, because this is the isozyme primarily involved in its metabolism. In addition, artemisinin alters the disposition of R-mephenytoin by an unidentified isozyme.

Artemisinin and CYP2A6 activity in healthy subjects.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the antimalarial drug artemisinin affects CYP2A6 activity in healthy subjects and to compare the utility of coumarin and nicotine as in vivo probe compounds for CYP2A6. METHODS: Twelve healthy male Vietnamese subjects were given coumarin or nicotine in randomized sequence before and after 5 days of a repeated oral administration of artemisinin during two different treatment periods 1 month apart. Sequential blood samples were drawn at baseline 7 days prior to artemisinin treatment and on the first and fifth day of artemisinin treatment during both treatment periods. Plasma concentrations of 7-hydroxycoumarin glucuronide (7-OHCG), nicotine, cotinine and artemisinin were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography and those of coumarin and 7-hydroxycoumarin (7-OHC) were determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Urine, collected in two time intervals on the days of coumarin intake, was treated with beta-glucuronidase and analysed for 7-OHC levels. RESULTS: Artemisinin AUC(0-infinity) values decreased significantly to 23% [95% confidence interval (CI) 18%-28%] on the fifth day of artemisinin administration as compared with the first. The sum of renally excreted 7-OHC and 7-OHCG increased by 1.55-fold (adjusted 95% CI 1.08-2.23) in the 3- to 8-h interval compared to baseline 7 days before. The 7-OHCG/7-OHC plasma AUC(0-infinity) ratio increased by 1.72-fold (adjusted 95% CI 1.16-2.54) following 5 days of artemisinin intake. There was no significant change in the cotinine/nicotine AUC(0-11 hr) ratio between study days. CONCLUSION: Artemisinin significantly increased the sum of renally excreted 7-OHC and 7-OHCG in one of the two collection intervals, suggesting an induction of CYP2A6. A significant increase in the 7-OHCG to 7-OHC AUC(0-infinity) ratio indicates artemisinin to be an inducer of glucuronidation.

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.

Artemisinin pharmacokinetics and efficacy in uncomplicated-malaria patients treated with two different dosage regimens.

The immediate efficacies of two oral dosage regimens of artemisinin were investigated in 77 male and female adult Vietnamese falciparum malaria patients randomly assigned to treatment with either 500 mg of artemisinin daily for 5 days (group A; n = 40) or artemisinin at a dose of 100 mg per day for 2 days, with the dose increased to 250 mg per day for 2 consecutive days and with a final dose of 500 mg on the fifth day (group B; n = 37). Parasitemia was monitored every 4 h. The average parasite clearance time was longer in group B than in group A (means +/- standard deviations, 50 +/- 23 and 34 +/- 14 h, respectively; P < 0.01). Artemisinin concentrations in saliva samples obtained on days 1 and 5 were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography. The average oral clearance, based on saliva drug concentrations in group B patients, was twofold higher than that in group A patients on day 1 (P < 0.01), with no differences in drug half-lives (P = 0.40), indicating a saturable first-pass metabolism. Female patients had higher oral clearance values on day 1. Artemisinin's pharmacokinetic parameters were similar on day 5 in both groups, although a significant increase in oral clearance from day 1 to day 5 was evident. Thus, artemisinin exhibited both dose- and time-dependent pharmacokinetics. The escalating dose studied did not result in higher artemisinin concentrations toward the end of the treatment period.