Lean body weight dosing avoids excessive systemic exposure to proton pump inhibitors for children with obesity.

BACKGROUND: Children with obesity are more likely to suffer gastroesophageal reflux disease, requiring acid-suppression therapy with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and no guidelines regarding dosing. OBJECTIVE: To prospectively evaluate lean-body-weight-based (LBW) dosing of the PPI pantoprazole for children with and without obesity. METHODS: Methods: Sixty-two children (6-17 years) received a one-time oral dose of liquid pantoprazole (1.2 mg kg-1 LBW). Plasma pantoprazole concentrations were measured at 10 time points over 8 h and pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles generated using non-compartmental techniques, in order to compare PK parameters of interest between children with and without obesity, while accounting for CYP2C19 genotype. RESULTS: Adjusted for milligram-per-kilogram total body weight (TBW) pantoprazole received, apparent drug clearance (CL/F) was reduced 50% in children with vs. without obesity (p=0.03). LBW-based dosing compensated for this reduction in CL/F (p = 0.15). CONCLUSION: To achieve comparable systemic PPI exposures for children with and without obesity, we recommend using LBW, rather than TBW-based dosing for pantoprazole.

Why has model-informed precision dosing not yet become common clinical reality? lessons from the past and a roadmap for the future.

Patient groups prone to polypharmacy and special subpopulations are susceptible to suboptimal treatment. Refined dosing in special populations is imperative to improve therapeutic response and/or lowering the risk of toxicity. Model-informed precision dosing (MIPD) may improve treatment outcomes by achieving the optimal dose for an individual patient. There is, however, relatively little published evidence of large-scale utility and impact of MIPD, where it is often implemented as local collaborative efforts between academia and healthcare. This article highlights some successful applications of bringing MIPD to clinical care and proposes strategies for wider integration in healthcare. Considerations are brought up herein that will need addressing to see MIPD become "widespread clinical practice," among those, wider interdisciplinary collaborations and the necessity for further evidence-based efficacy and cost-benefit analysis of MIPD in healthcare. The implications of MIPD on regulatory policies and pharmaceutical development are also discussed as part of the roadmap.

Ontogeny of Hepatic Drug Transporters as Quantified by LC-MS/MS Proteomics.

Protein expression of major hepatic uptake and efflux drug transporters in human pediatric (n = 69) and adult (n = 41) livers was quantified by liquid chromatography / tandem mass spectroscopy (LC-MS/MS). Transporter protein expression of OCT1, OATP1B3, P-gp, and MRP3 was age-dependent. Particularly, significant differences were observed in transporter expression (P < 0.05) between the following age groups: neonates vs. adults (OCT1, OATP1B3, P-gp), neonates or infants vs. adolescents and/or adults (OCT1, OATP1B3, and P-gp), infants vs. children (OATP1B3 and P-gp), and adolescents vs. adults (MRP3). OCT1 showed the largest increase, of almost 5-fold, in protein expression with age. Ontogenic expression of OATP1B1 was confounded by genotype and was revealed only in livers harboring SLCO1B1*1A/*1A. In livers >1 year, tissues harboring SLCO1B1*14/*1A showed 2.5-fold higher (P < 0.05) protein expression than SLCO1B1*15/*1A. Integration of these ontogeny data in physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models will be a crucial step in predicting hepatic drug disposition in children.

Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase Attenuates Methotrexate Response in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis and In Vitro.

Variability in response to methotrexate (MTX) in the treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) remains unpredictable and poorly understood. Based on previous studies implicating an interaction between nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) expression and MTX therapy in inflammatory arthritis, we hypothesized that increased NAMPT expression would be associated with reduced therapeutic response to MTX in patients with JIA. A significant association was found between increased plasma concentrations of NAMPT and reduced therapeutic response in patients with JIA treated with MTX. Inhibition of NAMPT in cell culture by either siRNA-based gene silencing or pharmacological inhibition with FK-866 was found to result in a fourfold increase in the pharmacological activity of MTX. Collectively, these findings provide evidence that NAMPT inhibits the pharmacological activity of MTX and may represent a predictive biomarker of response, as well as a therapeutic target, in the treatment of JIA with MTX.

Single dose, CYP2D6 genotype-stratified pharmacokinetic study of atomoxetine in children with ADHD.

The effect of CYP2D6 genotype on the dose-exposure relationship for atomoxetine has not been well characterized in children. Children 6-17 years of age diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were stratified by CYP2D6 genotype into groups with 0 (poor metabolizers [PMs], n = 4), 0.5 (intermediate metabolizers [IMs], n = 3), one (extensive metabolizer [EM]1, n = 8) or two (EM2, n = 8) functional alleles and administered a single 0.5 mg/kg oral dose of atomoxetine (ATX). Plasma and urine samples were collected for 24 (IM, EM1, and EM2) or 72 hours (PMs). Dose-corrected ATX systemic exposure (area under the curve [AUC]0-∞ ) varied 29.6-fold across the study cohort, ranging from 4.4 ± 2.7 µM*h in EM2s to 5.8 ± 1.7 µM*h, 16.3 ± 2.9 µM*h, and 50.2 ± 7.3 µM*h in EM1s, IMs, and PMs, respectively (P < 0.0001). Simulated steady state profiles at the maximum US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-recommended dose suggest that most patients are unlikely to attain adequate ATX exposures. These data support the need for individualized dosing strategies for more effective use of the medication.

Genetic determinants of fetal opiate exposure and risk of neonatal abstinence syndrome: Knowledge deficits and prospects for future research.

Opiate-dependent pregnant women receive opiate maintenance medications to prevent illicit use and withdrawal. Fetal opiate exposure causes central nervous system (CNS) alterations which manifest as postnatal physical withdrawal. The extensive variability in the Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome phenotype remains unexplained and may be related to variability in fetal exposure and response. Improved understanding of functionally significant genetic variants in pathways influencing placental opiate transfer and fetal response can lead to personalized maternal therapy and optimized neonatal outcomes.

Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC) Guideline for CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 Genotypes and Dosing of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are primary treatment options for major depressive and anxiety disorders. CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 polymorphisms can influence the metabolism of SSRIs, thereby affecting drug efficacy and safety. We summarize evidence from the published literature supporting these associations and provide dosing recommendations for fluvoxamine, paroxetine, citalopram, escitalopram, and sertraline based on CYP2D6 and/or CYP2C19 genotype (updates at www.pharmgkb.org).

Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC) Guidelines for CYP3A5 Genotype and Tacrolimus Dosing.

Tacrolimus is the mainstay immunosuppressant drug used after solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Individuals who express CYP3A5 (extensive and intermediate metabolizers) generally have decreased dose-adjusted trough concentrations of tacrolimus as compared with those who are CYP3A5 nonexpressers (poor metabolizers), possibly delaying achievement of target blood concentrations. We summarize evidence from the published literature supporting this association and provide dosing recommendations for tacrolimus based on CYP3A5 genotype when known (updates at www.pharmgkb.org).

Drug metabolism for the paediatrician.

Drug metabolism importantly determines drug concentrations. The efficacy and safety of many drugs prescribed for children are, therefore, dependent on intraindividual and interindividual variation in drug-metabolising enzyme activity. During growth and development, changes in drug-metabolising enzyme activity result in age-related differences in drug disposition, most pronounced in preterm infants and young infants. The shape of the developmental trajectory is unique to the drug-metabolising enzyme involved in the metabolism of individual drugs. Other factors impacting drug metabolism are underlying disease, drug-drug interactions and genetic variation. The interplay of age with these other factors may result in unexpected variation in drug metabolism in children of different ages. Extrapolation of adult data to guide drug dosing in children should be done with caution. The younger the child, the less reliable is the extrapolation. This review aims to identify the primary sources of variability of drug metabolism in children, the knowledge of which can ultimately guide the practitioner towards effective and safe drug therapy.

Individualizing the use of medications in children: making Goldilocks happy.

To date, implementation of precision medicine for children has been limited. Extrapolation of adult experience streamlines pediatric drug development programs, and physiologically based pharmacokinetic models aid pediatric dose selection on a population basis. To achieve clinically viable individualization of drug therapy, genotype-stratified pharmacokinetic studies can efficiently characterize the extremes of the dose-exposure relationship. Reducing variability in exposure through genotype-based dosing may improve identification of genetic factors contributing to response, ultimately improving drug therapy for children.

Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium guidelines for cytochrome P450 2D6 genotype and codeine therapy: 2014 update.

Codeine is bioactivated to morphine, a strong opioid agonist, by the hepatic cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6); hence, the efficacy and safety of codeine are governed by CYP2D6 activity. Polymorphisms are a major cause of CYP2D6 variability. We summarize evidence from the literature supporting this association and provide therapeutic recommendations for codeine based on CYP2D6 genotype. This document is an update to the 2012 Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC) guidelines for CYP2D6 genotype and codeine therapy.

Interpreting pharmacogenetic data in the developing neonate: the challenge of hitting a moving target.

In a 2010 review in Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Nick Holford noted that in neonates and young infants, maturation of the organs responsible for drug clearance is a more important determinant of pharmacokinetics (PK) than is body size.(1) Here we review recent developments that provide new insights into how physiological and environmental changes associated with adaptation to extrauterine life affect the ontogeny of drug biotransformation and interpretation of genotype-phenotype relationships in newborns and infants.

Effects of valproic acid on organic acid metabolism in children: a metabolic profiling study.

Young children are at increased risk for valproic acid (VPA) hepatotoxicity. Urinary organic acid profiles, as a surrogate of mitochondrial function, were obtained in children 1.9 to 17.3 years of age (n = 52) who were undergoing treatment with VPA for seizure disorders. Age-matched patients receiving treatment with carbamazepine (CBZ; n = 50) and healthy children not undergoing treatment (n = 22) served as controls. Age-related changes in organic acid profiles were observed in all three groups. Although the untreated and CBZ control groups were indistinguishable from each other with respect to the principal-component analysis (PCA) score plots of the subjects, a distinct boundary was apparent between the VPA and each of the control groups. Interindividual variability was observed in the VPA-induced alterations in endogenous pathways corresponding to branched-chain amino acid metabolism and oxidative stress. The data suggest that more detailed metabolomic analysis may provide novel insights into biological mechanisms and predictive biomarkers for children at highest risk for serious toxicity.

Developmental pharmacogenetics: a general paradigm for application to neonatal pharmacology and toxicology.

Therapy in newborn infants presents unique challenges. The consequences of exposure of the fetus to medications and environmental contaminants in utero (following the mother's exposure to these) may present, in the newborn, as congenital malformations or adverse drug reactions or have unknown long-term consequences. Risk is not uniformly distributed across a population. Rather, pharmacogenomic principles assert that an individual's unique clinical, genomic, and environmental information can be used to accurately predict predisposition to risk. The challenge is to identify the specific factors--genetic and nongenetic--that contribute to increased risk.

Pharmacogenetics of neonatal opioid toxicity following maternal use of codeine during breastfeeding: a case-control study.

A large number of women receive codeine for obstetric pain while breastfeeding. Following a case of fatal opioid poisoning in a breastfed neonate whose codeine prescribed mother was a CYP2D6 ultrarapid metabolizer (UM), we examined characteristics of mothers and infants with or without signs of central nervous system (CNS) depression following codeine exposure while breastfeeding in a case-control study. Mothers of symptomatic infants (n = 17) consumed a mean 59% higher codeine dose than mothers of asymptomatic infants (n = 55) (1.62 (0.79) mg/kg/day vs. 1.02 (0.54) mg/kg/day; P = 0.004). There was 71% concordance between maternal and neonatal CNS depression. Two mothers whose infants exhibited severe neonatal toxicity were CYP2D6 UMs and of the UGT2B7*2/*2 genotype. There may be a dose-response relationship between maternal codeine use and neonatal toxicity, and strong concordance between maternal-infant CNS depressive symptoms. Breastfed infants of mothers who are CYP2D6 UMs combined with the UGT2B7*2/*2 are at increased risk of potentially life-threatening CNS depression.

Assessment of the impact of renal impairment on systemic exposure of new molecular entities: evaluation of recent new drug applications.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently developing a guidance for industry to replace a previous guidance, "Pharmacokinetics in Patients With Impaired Renal Function--Study Design, Data Analysis, and Impact on Dosing and Labeling" (renal guidance) issued in May 1998. The impact of the 1998 renal guidance was assessed following a survey of 94 new drug applications (NDAs) for small-molecule new molecular entities (NMEs) approved over the past 5 years (2003-2007). The survey results indicate that 57% of these NDAs included renal impairment study data, that 44% of those with renal data included evaluation in patients on hemodialysis, and that 41% of those with renal data resulted in recommendation of dose adjustment in renal impairment. In addition, the survey results provided evidence that renal impairment can affect the pharmacokinetics of drugs that are predominantly eliminated by nonrenal processes such as metabolism and/or active transport. The latter finding supports our updated recommendation to evaluate pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic alterations in renal impairment for those drugs that are mainly eliminated by nonrenal processes, in addition to those that are mainly excreted unchanged by the kidney.

The CYP2D6 activity score: translating genotype information into a qualitative measure of phenotype.

Inferring CYP2D6 phenotype from genotype is increasingly challenging, considering the growing number of alleles and their range of activity. This complexity poses a challenge in translational research where genotyping is being considered as a tool to personalize drug therapy. To simplify genotype interpretation and improve phenotype prediction, we evaluated the utility of an "activity score" (AS) system. Over 25 CYP2D6 allelic variants were genotyped in 672 subjects of primarily Caucasian and African-American heritage. The ability of genotype and AS to accurately predict phenotype using the CYP2D6 probe substrate dextromethorphan was evaluated using linear regression and clustering methods. Phenotype prediction, given as a probability for each AS group, was most accurate if ethnicity was considered; among subjects with genotypes containing a CYP2D6*2 allele, CYP2D6 activity was significantly slower in African Americans compared to Caucasians. The AS tool warrants further prospective evaluation for CYP2D6 substrates and in additional ethnic populations.

Identification and characterization of CYP2D6*56B, an allele associated with the poor metabolizer phenotype.

A 5-year-old African-American girl presented with a CYP2D6*4xN/*10 genotype that was discordant with her poor metabolizer phenotype determined with the probe drug dextromethorphan. Both phenotype and genotype were confirmed in repeat assessments, suggesting that the CYP2D6*10 allele carried a novel debilitating sequence variation(s). The rationale for this study was to resolve the discordance and to describe the novel non-functional allelic variant of CYP2D6 and its frequency in populations of different ethnic backgrounds.

Ontogeny of dextromethorphan O- and N-demethylation in the first year of life.

The exponential increase in the number of drugs used to treat infant and childhood illnesses necessitates an understanding of the ontogeny of drug biotransformation for the development of safe and effective therapies. Healthy infants received an oral dose (0.3 mg/kg) of dextromethorphan (DM) at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, and 12 months of age. DM and its major metabolites were measured in urine. CYP2D6 genotype was determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Genotyping data indicated a strong correlation between CYP2D6 genotype and DM O-demethylation (beta=-0.638; 95% CI: -0.745, -0.532; P<0.001). CYP2D6 activity was detectable and concordant with genotype by 2 weeks of age, showed no relationship with gestational age, and did not change with post natal age up to 1 year. In contrast, DM N-demethylation developed significantly more slowly over the first year of life. Genotype and the temporal acquisition of drug biotransformation are critical determinants of a drug response in infants.

Application of pharmacogenomic strategies to the study of drug-induced birth defects.

Approximately 3% of all infants are born with one or more major birth defects, resulting in >150,000 affected babies each year in the US alone. At present, birth defects account for more than 21% of all infant deaths, making them the leading cause of infant mortality. Although the etiology and determinants of individual susceptibility are largely unknown for most congenital malformations, pharmacogenomic analyses offer promise for the future.