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 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.