Pharmacokinetics

Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, and Safety of Lisinopril in Pediatric Kidney Transplant Patients: Implications for Starting Dose Selection

Posted on by Kayla Korzekwinski

Clinical Pharmacology Therapy • July 2015

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Trachtman H, Frymoyer A, Lewandowski A, Greenbaum LA, Feig DI, Gipson DS, Warady BA, Goebel JW, Schwartz GJ, Lewis K, Anand R, Patel UD; Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act-Pediatric Trials Network Administrative Core Committee.

Hypertension in pediatric kidney transplant recipients contributes to long-term graft loss, yet treatment options–including angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors–are poorly characterized in this vulnerable population. We conducted a multicenter, open-label pharmacokinetic (PK) study of daily oral lisinopril in 22 children (ages 7-17 years) with stable kidney transplant function. Standard noncompartmental PK analyses were performed at steady state.

Fluconazole population pharmacokinetics and dosing for prevention and treatment of invasive Candidiasis in children supported with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Posted on by Kayla Korzekwinski

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy • June 2015

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Watt KM, Gonzalez D, Benjamin DK Jr, Brouwer KL, Wade KC, Capparelli E, Barrett J, Cohen-Wolkowiez M.

Candida infections are a leading cause of infectious disease-related death in children supported by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). The ECMO circuit can alter drug pharmacokinetics (PK); thus, standard fluconazole dosing may result in suboptimal drug exposures. The objective of our study was to determine the PK of fluconazole in children on ECMO. Forty children with 367 PK samples were included in the analysis.

Pharmacokinetics and safety of recently approved drugs used to treat methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections in infants, children and adults

Posted on by Kayla Korzekwinski

Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology • May 2015

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Gostelow M, Gonzalez D, Smith PB, Cohen-Wolkowiez M
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) remains a significant cause of morbidity in hospitalized infants. Over the past 15 years, several drugs have been approved for the treatment of S. aureus infections in adults. The use of there majority of these drugs has extended into the treatment of MRSA infections in infants, frequently with minimal safety or dosing information. Here, we review current pharmacokinetic, safety, and efficacy data of these drugs with a specific focus in infants.

Use of opportunistic clinical data and a population pharmacokinetic model to support dosing of clindamycin for premature infants to adolescents

Posted on by Kayla Korzekwinski

Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics • September 2014

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Gonzalez D, Melloni C, Yogev R, Poindexter BB, Mendley SR, Delmore P, Sullivan JE, Autmizguine J, Lewandowski A, Harper B, Watt KM, Lewis KC, Capparelli EV, Benjamin DK Jr, Cohen-Wolkowiez M; Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act – Pediatric Trials Network Administrative Core Committee.

Clindamycin is commonly prescribed to treat children with skin and skin-structure infections (including those caused by community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA)), yet little is known about its pharmacokinetics (PK) across pediatric age groups. A population PK analysis was performed in NONMEM using samples collected in an opportunistic study from children receiving i.v. clindamycin per standard of care.

Characterization of the population pharmacokinetics of ampicillin in neonates using an opportunistic study design

Posted on by Kayla Korzekwinski

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy • June 2014

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Tremoulet A, Le J, Poindexter B, Sullivan JE, Laughon M, Delmore P, Salgado A, Ian-U Chong S, Melloni C, Gao J, Benjamin DK Jr, Capparelli EV, Cohen-Wolkowiez M; Administrative Core Committee of the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act-Pediatric Trials Network.

Although ampicillin is the most commonly used drug in neonates, developmental pharmacokinetic (PK) data to guide dosing are lacking. Ampicillin is primarily renally eliminated, and developmental changes are expected to influence PK. We conducted an open-label, multicenter, opportunistic, prospective PK study of ampicillin in neonates stratified by gestational age (GA) (≤ 34 or >34 weeks) and postnatal age (PNA) (≤ 7 or >7 days).

Pharmacokinetics of Antimicrobials in Obese Children

Posted on by Kayla Korzekwinski

GaBI Journal • June 2014

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Sampson M, Cohen-Wolkowiez M, Benjamin D Jr, Capparelli E, Watt K.

Childhood obesity is common and results in substantial morbidity. The most commonly prescribed drugs in obese children are antibiotics. However, physiological changes associated with childhood obesity can alter antibiotic pharmacokinetics and optimal body size measures to guide dosing in this population are ill defined. This combination can result in therapeutic failures or drug-related toxicities. This review summarizes pharmacokinetic information for antibiotics in obese children and implications for dosing.

Population pharmacokinetics of intravenous acyclovir in preterm and term infants

Posted on by Kayla Korzekwinski

The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal • December 2013

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Sampson MR, Bloom BT, Lenfestey RW, Harper B, Kashuba AD, Anand R, Benjamin DK Jr, Capparelli E, Cohen-Wolkowiez M, Smith PB; Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act–Pediatric Trials Network.

Acyclovir is used to treat herpes infections in preterm and term infants; however, the influence of maturation on drug disposition and dosing requirements is poorly characterized in this population. We administered intravenous acyclovir to preterm and term infants <31 days postnatal age and collected plasma samples. We performed a population pharmacokinetic analysis.

Determining population and developmental pharmacokinetics of metronidazole using plasma and dried blood spot samples from premature infants

Posted on by Kayla Korzekwinski

The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal • July 2013

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Cohen-Wolkowiez M, Sampson M, Bloom BT, Arrieta A, Wynn JL, Martz K, Harper B, Kearns GL, Capparelli EV, Siegel D, Benjamin DK Jr, Smith PB; Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act–Pediatric Trials Network.

Limited pharmacokinetic (PK) data of metronidazole in premature infants have led to various dosing recommendations. Surrogate efficacy targets for metronidazole are ill-defined and therefore aimed to exceed minimum inhibitory concentration of organisms responsible for intra-abdominal infections. We evaluated the PK of metronidazole using plasma and dried blood spot samples from infants ≤32 weeks gestational age in an open-label, PK, multicenter (N = 3) study using population PK modeling (NONMEM).

Pharmacokinetics of Moxifloxacin in an Infant with Mycoplasma hominis Meningitis

Posted on by Kayla Korzekwinski

The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal • February 2013

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Watt KM, Massaro MM, Smith B, Cohen-Wolkowiez M, Benjamin DK Jr, Laughon MM
Treatment of Mycoplasma hominis meningitis in infants is limited by a lack of consensus regarding therapy and limited pharmacokinetic data for agents to which M. hominis is susceptible. We report the successful treatment of a premature infant with M. hominis meningitis with doxycycline and moxifloxacin and provide a pharmacokinetic profile of moxifloxacin.

Population pharmacokinetics of meropenem in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid of infants with suspected or complicated intra-abdominal infections

Posted on by Kayla Korzekwinski

The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal • October 2011

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Smith PB, Cohen-Wolkowiez M, Castro LM, Poindexter B, Bidegain M, Weitkamp JH, Schelonka RL, Ward RM, Wade K, Valencia G, Burchfield D, Arrieta A, Bhatt-Mehta V, Walsh M, Kantak A, Rasmussen M, Sullivan JE, Finer N, Brozanski BS, Sanchez P, van den Anker J, Blumer J, Kearns GL, Capparelli EV, Anand R, Benjamin DK Jr; Meropenem Study Team.

Suspected or complicated intra-abdominal infections are common in young infants and lead to significant morbidity and mortality. Meropenem is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent with excellent activity against pathogens associated with intra-abdominal infections in this population. The purpose of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetics (PK) of meropenem in young infants as a basis for optimizing dosing and minimizing adverse events.