Children frequently respond differently to therapies compared to adults. Differences also exist between paediatric age groups for pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in both efficacy and safety. Paediatric pharmacovigilance requires an understanding of the unique aspects of children with regards to, for example, drug response, growth and development, clinical presentation of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), how they can be detected and population specific factors (e.g. more frequent use of off-label/unlicensed drugs). In recognition of these challenges a group of experts has been formed in the context of the conect4children (c4c) project to support paediatric drug development. This expert group collaborated to develop methodological considerations for paediatric drug safety and pharmacovigilance throughout the life-cycle of medicinal products which is described in this article. These considerations include practical points to consider for the development of the paediatric section of the risk management plan (RMP), safety in paediatric protocol development and safety data collection and analysis. Furthermore, they describe the specific details of post-marketing pharmacovigilance in children using, for example, spontaneous reports, electronic health care records, registries and record-linkage, as well as the use of paediatric pharmacoepidemiology studies for risk characterisation. Next the details of the assessment of benefit-risk and challenges related to medicinal product formulation in the context of a Paediatric Investigation Plan (PIP) are presented. Finally, practical issues in paediatric signal detection and evaluation are included. This paper provides practical points to consider for paediatric pharmacovigilance throughout the life-cycle of medicinal products for RMPs, protocol development, safety data collection and analysis and PIPs.

Aim Viral blips that occur among virally suppressed HIV-positive patients suggest immune activation and inflammation and associated with slower CD4 count and CD4/CD8 ratio normalisation. With the advances in HIV treatment, lifestyle and comorbidities begin to be a concern despite successful antiretroviral therapy. We reported a study incorporating the effect of CD4 and CD4/CD8 ratio normalisation on viral blips in joint disease progression (DP) and time-to-event (TTE) model. Methods A total of 152 HIV-positive patients receiving efavirenz therapy were recruited. Joint DP and TTE models on viral blip were developed for CD4 and CD4/CD8 ratio separately. Risk factors, such as smoking status, pack-year and comorbidity scores, were included in the analysis. Results Gompertz model best described the CD4 and CD4/CD8 ratio DP models, while viral blips data were fitted with the Cox proportional hazard model. History of opportunistic infections and changing of antiretroviral regimen significantly affect the baseline CD4 and CD4/CD8 ratio. Comorbidity score was significant in both CD4 (asymptote CD4) and CD4/CD8 ratio DP model (recovery rate). Increase in cumulative pack-year resulted in lower CD4/CD8 ratio recovery rate (β -0.02, 95%CI: -0.03 to -0.01; p<0.001). Active smokers with slow CD4 or CD4/CD8 ratio normalisation associated with more viral blips. Conclusion CD4 and CD4/CD8 ratio are significant risk factors of viral blips and potential markers of non-AIDS related morbidities in virally suppressed patients. Early identification of high-risk group with repeated viral load testing, lifestyle modification and comorbidities management should be emphasised in the HIV treatment long-term care plan.

OBJECTIVES: We hypothesized that Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) decreased drug consumption or accelerated switch of biologics in chronic arthritis patients undergoing TNF-alpha inhibiting (TNFi)-therapy. Primary outcome was dose reduction, secondary outcomes included clinical scores DAS28-CRP or ASDAS-CRP, self-reported outcome and experienced adverse events. METHODS: 48-week prospective, randomized open-label trial investigating TDM in participants (n=239) treated with infliximab (IFX), etanercept (ETN) or adalimumab (ADA), receiving standard of care or standard of care plus TDM, the latter based on serum-trough concentration measurements of IFX, ETN and ADA. Independent of clinical status, adults treated for their rheumatoid arthritis (41%), psoriatic arthritis (20%), or spondylarthritis (39%), were included in a tertiary outpatient clinic. Serum TNFi trough-values were determined at inclusion and every 16 weeks and used proactively in the TDM-group to evaluate whether participants were within the therapeutic window or not, consequently leading to maintained TNFi-therapy, dose-reduction, or switch to other biologics. RESULTS: In comparison to standard of care, TDM reduced doses for IFX (- 12% [CI: -20; -3] p=0.001); ETN (-15 % [-29; 1]; p=0.01) and prolonged the inter-dosing interval in ETN (+ 235 %;[38;432] p=0.02) and ADA (+ 28%;[6; 51] p = 0.04) and accelerated switch of biologics (χ2= 6.03, p=0.01). No group-differences were shown in clinical assessment CRP, DAS28-CRP or ASDAS-CRP, nor in self-reported outcome or experienced adverse events, indicating sustained disease control. • CONCLUSIONS – TDM improved clinical decision making and caused earlier and targeted dose-reduction and accelerated switch of biologics, thereby preventing over- and under medication.

Background: Higher anticholinergic burden from medications is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and cognitive function decline. A mechanistic pathway has never been established. We aimed to determine whether chronic inflammation may mediate these associations. Methods: Participants were drawn from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer, Norfolk cohort (40-79 years at baseline). The anticholinergic cognitive burden score (ACB) was calculated at baseline/first (1HC) (1993/97) and second (2HC) (1998/2000) health checks. Plasma fibrinogen and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured during 1HC and Tumour Necrosis Factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) during 2HC. Cross-sectional associations between ACB and inflammatory markers were examined for 1HC and 2HC, respectively. The prospective association was also examined between 1HC ACB and 2HC inflammatory markers. All models adjusted for age, sex, lifestyle factors, co-morbidities and medications. Results: 17,678 and 22,051 participants were included in cross-sectional analyses for CRP, and fibrinogen, respectively. A total of 5,101 participants with available data for TNF-α and IL-6 were included in the longitudinal analyses. Cross-sectionally, a point increase in the ACB was associated with a significant increase in all inflammatory markers (beta (standard error): fibrinogen – 0.035g/l (0.006), p<0.001; CRP 0.284mg/l (0.044), p<0.001; TNF-α 0.031pg/ml (0.010), p=0.002; and IL-6 0.112pg/ml (0.033), p=0.001. Longitudinally, a unit increase in the ACB was associated with a significant increase in TNF-α 0.028pg/ml (0.011), p=0.013 and IL-6 0.076 pg/ml (0.035), p=0.029. Conclusion: Higher anticholinergic burden was significantly associated with higher inflammatory markers. Inflammation may mediate the relationship between exposure to anticholinergic medications and adverse outcomes

Objectives: A lot of medication risks related to high-dose methotrexate (HDMTX) therapy still remain to be identified and standardized. This study aims to establish an evidence-based practice guideline for individualized medication of HDMTX. Methods: The practice guideline was launched by the Division of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, Chinese Pharmacological Society. The guideline was developed following the WHO handbook for guideline development and the methodology of evidence-based medicine (EBM). The guideline was initially registered in the International Practice Guidelines Registry Platform (IPGRP-2017CN021). Systematic reviews were conducted to synthesis available evidence. A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted by questionnaires to evaluate patients’ perception and willingness on individualized medication of HDMTX. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach was used to rate the quality of evidence and to grade the strength of recommendations. Results: Multidisciplinary working groups were included in this guideline, including clinicians, pharmacists, methodologists, pharmacologists and pharmacoeconomic specialists. A total of 124 patients were involved to integrate patient values and preferences. Finally, the guideline presents 28 recommendations, regarding evaluation prior to medication (renal function, liver function, pleural effusion, comedications, genetic testing), pre-treatment and routine dosing regimen, therapeutic drug monitoring (necessity, method, timing, target concentration), leucovorin rescue (initial timing, dosage regimen and optimization), management of toxicities. Of them, 12 are strong recommendations. Conclusions: We developed an evidence-based practice guideline with respect to HDMTX medication using a rigorous and multidisciplinary approach. This guideline provides comprehensive and practical recommendations involving the whole process of HDMTX medication to health care providers.

Aim: Different to inhibitory drugs of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), diuretics are known to decrease blood pressure (BP) and stimulate renin release by the kidneys. Despite plasma aldosterone (PA) level is mostly regulated by the RAAS activity, serum potassium has been shown to be an important factor in animal models and humans. Here we perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized-controlled trials investigating the effects of diuretic therapy on PA and its correlation with change in potassium and BP. Methods: Three databases were searched: MEDLINE, EMBASE and The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). Titles were firstly screened by title and abstract for relevancy before full-text articles were assessed for eligibility according to a pre-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria. Results: A total of 1139 articles were retrieved of which 45 met the pre-specified inclusion/exclusion criteria. The average standardised difference in mean PA change was similar for all classes of diuretic (mean, 95% CI); thiazide/thiazide-like 0.304 (0.169, 0.440), loop 0.927 (0.37, 1.49), MRA/potassium-sparing 0.264 (0.174, 0.355) and combination 0.466 (0.142, 0.789), Q = 6.475, P = 0.091. In subjects previously untreated with another antihypertensive, there was a significant relationship between PA change and change in systolic BP but no relationship with the change in potassium. Conclusion: In RCTs of diuretic therapy in hypertension, there is an increase in PA with all classes of diuretic and no between-class heterogeneity. Change in PA is not related with potassium but correlates to the change in BP in subjects previously untreated with another antihypertensive medication.

Aim: A better knowledge of opioid prescribing patterns would help to identify areas of potential improvement in cancer pain management. This study aimed to identify potential inappropriate use (PIU) of strong opioid analgesics in cancer outpatients in their last year of life. Methods: A retrospective cohort of cancer patients dead between 2011 and 2014 and who were exposed as outpatient to a strong opioid analgesic in the last year of life was identified in the “Echantillon Généraliste de Bénéficiaires” (a 1/97th random sample of the French general population). Prescribing patterns of strong opioids were analyzed and PIU was defined by at least one of these criteria: overlapping prescriptions; contraindicated prescriptions; lack of laxatives; potential drug interactions; prescription in patients hospitalized for opioid-related disorders. Factors associated with PIU were investigated through a multiple logistic regression model. Results: One third of the 2,236 patients (median age 72 years (IQR: 61-82), 44.1% of women) presented a PIU (insufficient laxative prescription (19.6% of patients), insufficient background treatment with transmucosal fentanyl (14.8%), overlapping prescriptions (2.6%)). The rate of PIU significantly decreased from 37.6% (2011) to 29.8% (2014). For patients with a duration of opioid use  3 months, factors associated with PIU were fentanyl prescription (aOR=2.36; 95% CI [1.86-3.00]) and previous use of strong opioid (aOR=1.88; [1.50-2.36]) Conclusion: In France, one third of cancer patients exposed to strong opioids experienced PIU and this proportion tended to decrease over time. There is still room for progress in cancer pain management at the end of life.

Abstract Background: Propofol may result in hypotension, bradycardia, and loss of protective reflexes, especially in elderly patients, while esketamine, a N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists, has analgesic, anaesthetic and sympathomimetic properties and is known to cause less cardiorespiratory depression. We hypothesized that esketamine may reduce the median effective concentration (EC50) of propofol and cause more stable haemodynamic responses during gastrointestinal endoscopy in elderly patients. Methods: Ninety elderly patients, aged 65-89 years, undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopy were randomly assigned into three groups: SK0.25 group (0.25 mg/kg esketamine), SK0.5 group (0.5 mg/kg esketamine) and saline control group. Anaesthesia was achieved by target-controlled infusion of propofol with an initial plasma concentration of 2.5 μg/ml with different bolus doses of esketamine during gastrointestinal endoscopy. The EC50 of propofol for gastrointestinal endoscopy was determined by using an up-and-down method of Dixon with an adjacent concentration gradient at 0.5μg/mL to prohibit purposeful movements. Cardiovascular parameters were also measured and recorded. Results: Propofol EC50 and its 95% confidence interval for gastrointestinal endoscopy in elderly patients were 1.71 (1.15-2.27) μg/mL in SK0.5 group, 2.45 (1.85-3.05) μg/mL in SK0.25 group and 3.69 (2.59-4.78) μg/mL in control group respectively (P < 0.05). The average percent change to baseline mean arterial pressure (MBP) was -19.7 (7.55), -15.2 (7.14) and -10.1 (6.73) with P＜0.001, in the control group, the SK0.25 group and the SK0.5 group, respectively. Conclusions: Combination medication of propofol with esketamine reduced the propofol EC50 during gastrointestinal endoscopy in elderly patients and caused more stable haemodynamic responses compared with single administration of propofol.

In daily paediatrics, drugs are commonly used off-label, as they are not approved for children. Approval is lacking because the required clinical studies were limited to adults in the past. Without clinical studies, evidence-based recommendations for drug use in children are limited. In the meantime, paediatric regulation came into force where the approval of new drugs requires clinical studies in children. Still, most of the drugs currently prescribed to children are not yet covered by this new regulation. Information on drug dosing in children can be found in different handbooks, databases, and scientific publications but the dosing recommendations can differ considerably. Accordingly, prescribing medicines to children remains a challenge. To improve drug safety and efficacy in children and assist the prescribers, stakeholders in Swiss paediatrics started a pilot project, supported by the Federal Office of Public Health, with the aim to create a database, providing healthcare professionals with so called “harmonised” dosage recommendations based on national consensus. A standardised process for dosage harmonisation was defined, guided, and documented in an electronic tool, developed for this purpose thereby integrating the latest available scientific evidence and best clinical practice for optimal dosage recommendations. As proof of principle, a total of 102 dosage recommendations for 30 different drugs have been nationally harmonised in the pilot phase considering the current literature and the consent of the most experienced national experts in the field. This approach paved the way for unified national dosage recommendations for children.

Aim: The main objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of real DDIs between immunosuppressants and other drugs in transplant patients. Methods: We conducted a prospective, observational 1-year study at a tertiary hospital, including all transplanted patients. We evaluated data from monitoring blood concentrations of immunosuppressive drugs and adverse drug events (ADEs) caused by DDIs. The DDIs were classified as C, D, or X according to their Lexi-Interact rating (C = monitor therapy, D = consider therapy modification, X = avoid combination). The clinical importance of real DDIs was expressed in terms of patient outcomes. The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) package v. 25.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results: A total of 309 transplant patients were included. Their mean age was 52.0 ± 14.7 years (18–79) and 69.9% were male. The prevalence of real DDIs was 21.7%. Immunosuppressive drugs administered with anti-fungal azoles and tacrolimus (TAC) with nifedipine have a great clinical impact. Real DDIs caused ADEs in 22 patients. The most common clinical outcome was nephrotoxicity (1.6%; n=5), followed by hypertension (1.3%; n=4). Suggestions for avoiding category D and X DDIs included: changing the immunosuppressant dosage, using paracetamol instead of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and interrupting atorvastatin. The number of drugs prescribed and having been prescribed TAC was associated with an increased risk of real DDIs. Conclusion: There are many potential DDIs described in the literature but only a small percentage proved to be real DDIs, based on the patients´ outcomes.

Aim A robust and user-friendly software tool was developed for the prediction of dopamine D2 receptor occupancy (RO) in patients with schizophrenia treated with either olanzapine or risperidone. This tool can facilitate clinician exploration of the impact of treatment strategies on RO using sparse plasma concentration measurements. Methods Previously developed population pharmacokinetic (PPK) models for olanzapine and risperidone were combined with a PD model for D2 receptor occupancy (RO) and implemented in the R programming language. MAP Bayesian estimation was used to provide predictions of plasma concentration and receptor occupancy and based on sparse PK measurements. Results The average (standard deviation) response times of the tools were 2.8 (3.1) and 5.3 (4.3) seconds for olanzapine and risperidone, respectively. The mean error (95% confidence interval) and root mean squared error (RMSE, 95% CI) of predicted versus observed concentrations were 3.73 ng/mL (-2.42 – 9.87) and 10.816 (6.71 – 14.93) for olanzapine, and 0.46 ng/mL (-4.56 – 5.47) and 6.68 (3.57 – 9.78) for risperidone and its active metabolite (9-OH risperidone). Mean error and RMSE of RO were -1.47% (-4.65 – 1.69) and 5.80 (3.89 – 7.72) for olanzapine and -0.91% (-7.68 – 5.85) and 8.87 (4.56 – 13.17) for risperidone. Conclusion Treatment of schizophrenia with antipsychotics offers unique challenges and requires careful monitoring to establish the optimal dosing regimen. Our monitoring software predicts RO in a reliable and accurate form.

Aim: With the widespread use of SGLT2i, various adverse events (AEs) have been reported. This study aimed to describe the distribution of SGLT2i-related AEs in different systems, quantify the association of important medical events (IMEs) and SGLT2i regimens, and build a signal profile of SGLT2i- induced IMEs. Methods: Data from 2015 Q1 to 2020 Q4 in the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System database (FAERS) were selected to conduct disproportionality analysis. Two signal indicators, the reported odds ratio (ROR) and information component (IC), were used to evaluate the correlation between SGLT2i and IMEs. The lower end of the 95% confidence interval of IC (IC025) exceeding zero was deemed a signal. For ROR, it was defined a signal if ROR025 over one, with at least 3 cases. Results: A total of 45,771,436 records were involved, including 111,564 records related to SGLT2i, with 38,366 records of SGLT2i-induced IMEs. Overall, SGLT2i was significantly associated with IMEs (IC=0.36, 95% CI: 0.35-0.38; ROR=1.44, 95% CI: 1.42-1.46). Most SGLT2i-related adverse events occurred in monotherapy (92.93%). Diabetic ketoacidosis was the most IMEs. Specifically, acute osteomyelitis has the strongest signal of all SGLT2i (IC025=7.83), and it was unique to canagliflozin. Diabetic ketoacidosis, acute kidney injury, ketoacidosis, Fournier’s gangrene, and euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis were common to the four FDA-approved SGLT2i. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that different SGLT2i regimens lead to different important adverse events, but there are overlapping events. Early identification and management of SGLT2i-associated IMEs are essential for clinical practice.

Chagas cardiomyopathy is the most prevalent non-ischemic cardiomyopathy in Latin America, with high morbidity and mortality even today. Treatment of these patients is based on the use of medications for heart failure. This study evaluated a cohort of patients with Chagas heart disease who used sacubitril valsartan at a referral hospital for the disease in Brazil. After six months, there was a symptomatic improvement in these individuals assessed by the NYHA classification, with a 44.3% reduction in the absolute number of patients classified as III-IV in the period (p 0.035), but without changes in the parameters on the echocardiogram for reverse ventricular remodeling and still high mortality rate and hospitalization. These results emphasize the importance of studying the use of sacubitril valsartan in chagas heart disease to better describe its effectiveness taking into account the peculiarities of these individuals.

Aims: To develop a pharmaceutical consultation mode of multidisciplinary individualized medication recommendations, to improve the quantity and quality of clinical pharmacists’ consultations Methods: A retrospective study of 542 clinical pharmacists-led consultations was conducted. In the pre-intervention group, medication advice was given based on the purpose of the consultation. In the post-intervention group, a consultation mode of multidisciplinary individualized medication recommendation was implemented, in which clinical pharmacists with specialties of anticoagulation, gastroenterology and nutrition were asked to give individualized medication recommendations and a set of evaluation criteria for rational drug use was formulated. Outcomes, including the patterns and number of consultations, individualized medication recommendations, acceptance rate and effectiveness rate, were compared between the two periods. Results: A total of 651 cases were reviewed, and 542 cases of which meeting the predesigned inclusion and exclusion criteria were included, with 94 and 448 patients in the pre-intervention and post-intervention groups, respectively. The total number of consultations increased year by year, so did the number of general consultations, multidisciplinary difficult consultations, departments applying for general consultations, departments applying for multidisciplinary difficult consultations, anti-infection consultations and non-anti-infection consultations in details. The effectiveness rate of consultations in the post-intervention group was 81.7% vs 70.2% in the pre-intervention group (P < 0.05). No difference was shown between two groups in acceptance rate (96.9% vs 95.7%, p=0.578).

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, industry and healthcare providers have investigated methodologies to manage infection of SARS-CoV-2. One treatment breakthrough has been the introduction of monoclonal antibodies to prevent worsening SARS-CoV-2 infection in non-hospitalized patients diagnosed with COVID-19. These monoclonal antibodies, like bamlanivimab, bind to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and prevent its ability to binding to human ACE2 receptors. This is a case of a 91 year-old man with no prior seizure history who developed new-onset seizures after bamlanivimab infusion.

Most but not all observational studies of statin treatment of COVID-19 patients suggest that treatment improves outcomes. However, almost all observational studies fail to consider what cardiovascular investigators have known for 15-20 years: withdrawing statins after hospital admission has detrimental effects on patient outcomes. Continuing (or starting) statin treatment after hospital admission consistently improves COVID-19 patient outcomes, whereas discontinuing treatment does not. Thus, observational studies of the effectiveness of statin treatment of COVID-19 patients must consider the consequences of statin withdrawal.

Improved global access to novel age-appropriate formulations for paediatric subsets, either of new chemical entities or existing drugs, is a priority to ensure that medicines meet the needs of these patients. However, despite regulatory incentives, the introduction to the market of paediatric formulations still lags behind adult products. This is mainly caused by additional complexities associated with the development of acceptable age-appropriate paediatric medicines. This position paper proposes the use of a paediatric Quality Target Product Profile (pQTPP) as an efficient tool to facilitate early planning and decision making during the children-centric formulation design for new chemical entities, or to repurpose/reformulate off-patent drugs. Essential key attributes of a paediatric formulation are suggested and described. Moreover, greater collaboration between formulation experts and clinical colleagues, including healthcare professionals, is advocated to lead to safe and effective, age-appropriate medicinal products. Acceptability testing should be a secondary endpoint in paediatric clinical trials to ensure post-marketing adherence is not compromised by a lack of acceptability. Not knowing the indications and the related age groups and potential dosing regimens early enough is still a major hurdle for efficient paediatric formulation development; however the proposed pQTPP could be a valuable collaborative tool for planning and decision making to expedite paediatric product development.

Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is a teamwork clinical pharmacokinetic services aimed to optimize pharmacotherapy of certain drugs such as those with a narrow therapeutic range, complicated pharmacokinetics. It involves the determination of drug level in blood samples taken at the appropriate time. Interpretation of results requires integration of pharmacokinetics, the pharmacodynamics of the drug and the patient’s clinical profile. To be cost-effective the service should be optimized. This review was written by experts from different developing countries to highlight the fundamentals of the service and provide suggestions for its optimization. These cover the rationale of requesting drug level, design of request form, optimal sampling, and analytical tools. guidelines for appropriate interpretation of drug levels; completeness of the roles of the qualified medical team; continuing education and skills development; involve the patients in improving the service, conducting relevant research; use PK software and integration of TDM with pharmacogenomics

Intravenous epoprostenol remains an important treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) but can only be given intravenously. Until recently the only formulation available to our patients (Flolan 10.5) was thermolabile and required daily preparation. In 2016, we transitioned all patients in our service to a new, thermostable formulation (Flolan 12). All patients in our unit using epoprostenol as of November 2016 were recruited to this prospective study which examined for safety issues and effects on QoL, 6MWD and serum NT-proBNP. We also collected qualitative data regarding activities of daily living. The transition process did not result in any clinical deterioration. There were no safety issues identified and all but one of the participants preferred the new formulation. We therefore conclude that transitioning patients from intravenous Flolan 10.5 to Flolan 12 is safe, does not lead to any clinical deterioration and is acceptable to patients for reasons of convenience.

Aims: Assessing the suitability and safety of doses of levetiracetam in pediatrics using physiologic-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling. Methods: A PBPK model of levetiracetam was developed and validated for healthy adults and scaled for children (0.5 to 12 years old). Prediction of levetiracetam exposure at steady- state, were carried out for different therapeutic regimens to achieve the target of Cmax values within the therapeutic range of 5 to 46 µg ml-1. Then, a multivariate linear regression analysis (MLR) was applied to correlate the simulated data with covariates: dose, therapeutic regimen, sex, age and body weight (BW), to describe the best model prediction for the initial dosing in pediatrics. Results: The results indicated the suitability of the PBPK model for adults and pediatrics. For children aged 0.5 to 6 y.o. the dose range capable of reaching the pharmacokinetic target is between 10 and 100 mg kg-1 day-1, for 7 to 9 y.o. doses between 20 and 90 mg kg-1 day-1, and for 10 to 12 y.o. doses between 20 to 80 mg kg-1 day-1. Further, the MLR related Cmax to dose, therapeutic regimen, and BW. Conclusions: For 3 daily administrations, it is suggested that maximum daily doses of 80 mg kg-1 could be used for ages between 0.5 and 6 y.o. and 100 mg kg-1 for ages above 7 years old, since they weigh below 50 kg. The PBPK model lumped to MLR could be very supportive for clinical decisions to safety and effectiveness of prescription of levetiracetam along the titration phase.

Rationale & Objective: Hyperphosphatemia is present in most patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and has been associated with increased cardiovascular mortality. Phosphate binders (calcium-based and calcium free) are the mainstay pharmacologic treatment to lower phosphorus levels in patients with ESRD. Study Design: We evaluated biochemical markers of vascular calcification, inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction in patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) treated with sevelamer carbonate versus calcium acetate. Setting & Participants: We enrolled 50 CKD patients (stages 3 and 4) and treated them with sevelamer carbonate and calcium acetate for 12 weeks. Outcomes: At the end of the study the biomarkers of vascular calcification, inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction were analyzed. Results: A significant increase in HDL-cholesterol was observed with sevelamer carbonate but not with calcium acetate. Treatment with sevelamer carbonate reduced serum phosphate, calcium phosphate, and FGF-23 levels and there was no change with calcium acetate treatment. The inflammatory markers IL-8, IFN-γ, and TNFα decreased with response to both treatments. The levels of IL-6 significantly increased with calcium acetate treatment and no change was observed in the sevelamer carbonate treatment group. Conclusion: Sevelamer carbonate showed favorable effects on anti-inflammatory and vascular calcification biomarkers compared to calcium acetate treatment. Funding: Funding was received from Sanofi/Genzyme. Trial Registration: Registered at trial.com, registration number NCT01277497.

Although infrequent, drug-induced agranulocytosis can be stimulated by antibiotics. Here, we analyzed the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report database to identify profiles of antibiotic-induced agranulocytosis. Ten of 60 antibiotics showed signals for agranulocytosis; the reporting odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for ampicillin/sulbactam, amikacin, cefmetazole, cefozopran, clindamycin, ciprofloxacin, imipenem/cilastatin, kanamycin, teicoplanin, and vancomycin were 2.65 (1.79–3.80), 2.49 (1.91–4.34), 4.48 (2.27–6.92), 2.77 (1.88–3.95), 1.64 (1.04–2.47), 2.01 (1.40–2.82), 2.78 (2.11–3.60), 6.05 (2.16–13.7), 2.05 (1.31–3.07), and 3.54 (2.73–4.54), respectively. The median times-to-onset of agranulocytosis for ampicillin/sulbactam, cefmetazole, cefozopran, clindamycin, imipenem/cilastatin, kanamycin, teicoplanin, and vancomycin were 20, 6, 10, 16, 12, 3, 18, and 13 days, respectively. The 95% confidence intervals of the Weibull shape parameter β for these antibiotics were over and excluded 1, indicating that the antibiotics were the wear out failure type. These findings provided insights into the characteristics of antibiotic-induced agranulocytosis.

Aim: Dapagliflozin improves glycaemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and is approved in European and Japanese patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) with inadequate glycaemic control. The objectives of this work were to characterise the dapagliflozin pharmacokinetics (PK) in patients with T1DM, assess the influence of covariates on dapagliflozin PK, and compare dapagliflozin systemic exposure between patients with T1DM and T2DM. Methods: Population PK analysis was performed using a non-linear mixed-effect modelling approach. The analysis included 5,793 dapagliflozin plasma concentrations from 1,150 adult patients with T1DM, collected from one phase 2 (NCT01498185) and two phase 3 studies (DEPICT-1, NCT02268214; DEPICT-2, NCT02460978). Covariate effects were investigated using stepwise covariate modelling. Model-derived area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) was compared with AUC in patients with T2DM. Results: The final two-compartmental model adequately described the dapagliflozin concentrations in patients with T1DM. The estimated apparent clearance was 20.5 L/h. Model-predicted systemic exposure for 5 mg and 10 mg of dapagliflozin indicated dose-proportionality and was comparable between patients with T1DM and T2DM. The identified covariate relationships showed that patients with better renal function (measured as estimated glomerular filtration rate), males, and heavier patients had lower dapagliflozin systemic exposure. Among the covariates studied, no covariates affected dapagliflozin systemic exposure to a clinically relevant extent. Conclusions: Dapagliflozin PK in patients with T1DM was adequately described by the population PK model and no clinically relevant covariates were identified. Dapagliflozin systemic exposure was comparable between patients with T1DM and T2DM. NCT01498185, NCT02268214, NCT02460978

Aim The study aim is the validation of two algorithms of Limited Sampling Strategy (LSS) for the quantification of Mycophenolic Acid (MPA) Area under the plasma concentration-time curve from 0 to 12h (AUC0-12h) in a cohort of non-selected Heart Transplant (HTx) recipients treated, as standard clinical practice, with Mycophenolate Mofetil (MMF) combined with Cyclosporine (CsA), or Tacrolimus (TAC). These two LSSs were previously tested and validated by Baraldo et al. in a cohort of selected HTx recipients 1,2. The value of MPA AUC0-12h (real and estimated with LSSs) among non-rejected (NR) and rejected (R) patients were evaluated. Methods Linear regression and Bland Altman Analysis validated two LSSs methods (named LSS3 and LSS4 by number of blood samples used). The value of MPA AUC0-12h between NR and R patients were compared by Mann-Whitney test. Results The validation reports positive results for LSS3 and LSS4 according to linear regression (r=0.91 and 0.94 and R2=0.84 and 0.88, respectively) and Bland Altman Analysis (p=0.04 and 0.04). There was a difference of borderline statistically significance (p=0.06) for the median value of MPA AUC0-12h (mg×h/L) between NR and R patients (46.60; Interquartile Range (IQR): 34.80-64.10 vs 33.70; IQR: 23.60-48.25); whereas the difference was statistically significant for both LSS3 and LSS4 (p=0.03 and 0.04). Conclusion The capability of these two LSSs to estimate MPA AUC0-12h in cohort of non-selected HTx recipients and the suggestion of a significant difference on MPA AUC0-12h between NR and R patients, confirm the importance of MPA quantification in the clinical field.