Application of Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic Modeling in Preterm Neonates to Guide Gentamicin Dosing Decisions and Predict Antibacterial Effect

Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling in Neonates: Current Status and Future Perspectives

Rational drug use in special populations is a clinical problem that doctors and pharma-cists must consider seriously. Neonates are the most physiologically immature and vulnerable to drug dosing. There is a pronounced difference in the anatomical and physiological profiles be-tween neonates and older people, affecting the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of drugs in vivo, ultimately leading to changes in drug concentration. Thus, dose adjustments in neonates are necessary to achieve adequate therapeutic concentrations and avoid drug toxicity. Over the past few decades, modeling and simulation techniques, especially physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling, have been increasingly used in pediatric drug development and clinical therapy. This rigorously designed and verified model can effectively compensate for the deficiencies of clinical trials in neonates, provide a valuable reference for clinical research design, and even replace some clinical trials to predict drug plasma concentrations in newborns. This review introduces previous findings regarding age-dependent physiological changes and pathological factors affecting neonatal pharmacokinetics, along with their research means. The application of PBPK modeling in neonatal pharmacokinetic studies of various medications is also reviewed. Based on this, we propose future perspectives on neonatal PBPK modeling and hope for its broader application.

Pragmatic physiologically-based pharmacokinetic modeling to support clinical implementation of optimized gentamicin dosing in term neonates and infants: proof-of-concept

Introduction

Modeling and simulation can support dosing recommendations for clinical practice, but a simple framework is missing. In this proof-of-concept study, we aimed to develop neonatal and infant gentamicin dosing guidelines, supported by a pragmatic physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling approach and a decision framework for implementation.

Methods

An already existing PBPK model was verified with data of 87 adults, 485 children and 912 neonates, based on visual predictive checks and predicted-to-observed pharmacokinetic (PK) parameter ratios. After acceptance of the model, dosages now recommended by the Dutch Pediatric Formulary (DPF) were simulated, along with several alternative dosing scenarios, aiming for recommended peak (i.e., 8-12 mg/L for neonates and 15-20 mg/L for infants) and trough (i.e., <1 mg/L) levels. We then used a decision framework to weigh benefits and risks for implementation.

Results

The PBPK model adequately described gentamicin PK. Simulations of current DPF dosages showed that the dosing interval for term neonates up to 6 weeks of age should be extended to 36-48 h to reach trough levels <1 mg/L. For infants, a 7.5 mg/kg/24 h dose will reach adequate peak levels. The benefits of these dose adaptations outweigh remaining uncertainties which can be minimized by routine drug monitoring.

Conclusion

We used a PBPK model to show that current DPF dosages for gentamicin in term neonates and infants needed to be optimized. In the context of potential uncertainties, the risk-benefit analysis proved positive; the model-informed dose is ready for clinical implementation.

Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling for Drug Dosing in Pediatric Patients: A Tutorial for a Pragmatic Approach in Clinical Care

It is well-accepted that off-label drug dosing recommendations for pediatric patients should be based on the best available evidence. However, the available traditional evidence is often low. To bridge this gap, physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling is a scientifically well-founded tool that can be used to enable model-informed dosing (MID) recommendations in children in clinical practice. In this tutorial, we provide a pragmatic, PBPK-based pediatric modeling workflow. For this approach to be successfully implemented in pediatric clinical practice, a thorough understanding of the model assumptions and limitations is required. More importantly, careful evaluation of an MID approach within the context of overall benefits and the potential risks is crucial. The tutorial is aimed to help modelers, researchers, and clinicians, to effectively use PBPK simulations to support pediatric drug dosing.

Developmental Pharmacokinetics of Antibiotics Used in Neonatal ICU: Focus on Preterm Infants

Neonatal Infections are among the most common reasons for admission to the intensive care unit. Neonatal sepsis (NS) significantly contributes to mortality rates. Empiric antibiotic therapy of NS recommended by current international guidelines includes benzylpenicillin, ampicillin/amoxicillin, and aminoglycosides (gentamicin). The rise of antibacterial resistance precipitates the growth of the use of antibiotics of the Watch (second, third, and fourth generations of cephalosporines, carbapenems, macrolides, glycopeptides, rifamycins, fluoroquinolones) and Reserve groups (fifth generation of cephalosporines, oxazolidinones, lipoglycopeptides, fosfomycin), which are associated with a less clinical experience and higher risks of toxic reactions. A proper dosing regimen is essential for effective and safe antibiotic therapy, but its choice in neonates is complicated with high variability in the maturation of organ systems affecting drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. Changes in antibiotic pharmacokinetic parameters result in altered efficacy and safety. Population pharmacokinetics can help to prognosis outcomes of antibiotic therapy, but it should be considered that the neonatal population is heterogeneous, and this heterogeneity is mainly determined by gestational and postnatal age. Preterm neonates are common in clinical practice, and due to the different physiology compared to the full terms, constitute a specific neonatal subpopulation. The objective of this review is to summarize the evidence about the developmental changes (specific for preterm and full-term infants, separately) of pharmacokinetic parameters of antibiotics used in neonatal intensive care units.

Physiologically-based pharmacokinetic modelling and dosing evaluation of gentamicin in neonates using PhysPK

Each year, infections caused around the 25% of neonatal deaths. Early empirical treatments help to reduce this mortality, although optimized dosing regimens are still lacking. The aims were to develop and validate a gentamicin physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model and then potentially explore dosing regimens in neonates using pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic criteria. The PBPK model developed consisted of 2 flow-limited tissues: kidney and other tissues. It has been implemented on a new tool called PhysPK, which allows structure reusability and evolution as predictive engine in Model-Informed Precision Dosing (MIPD). Retrospective pharmacokinetic information based on serum levels data from 47 neonates with gestational age between 32 and 39 weeks and younger than one-week postnatal age were used for model validation. The minimal PBPK model developed adequately described the gentamicin serum concentration-time profile with an average fold error nearly 1. Extended interval gentamicin dosing regimens (6 mg/kg q36h and 6 mg/kg q48h for term and preterm neonates, respectively) showed efficacy higher than 99% with toxicity lower than 10% through Monte Carlo simulation evaluations. The gentamicin minimal PBPK model developed in PhysPK from literature information, and validated in preterm and term neonates, presents adequate predictive performance and could be useful for MIPD strategies in neonates.

Use of Antibiotics in Preterm Newborns

Due to complex maturational and physiological changes that characterize neonates and affect their response to pharmacological treatments, neonatal pharmacology is different from children and adults and deserves particular attention. Although preterms are usually considered part of the neonatal population, they have physiological and pharmacological hallmarks different from full-terms and, therefore, need specific considerations. Antibiotics are widely used among preterms. In fact, during their stay in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), invasive procedures, including central catheters for parental nutrition and ventilators for respiratory support, are often sources of microbes and require antimicrobial treatments. Unfortunately, the majority of drugs administered to neonates are off-label due to the lack of clinical studies conducted on this special population. In fact, physiological and ethical concerns represent a huge limit in performing pharmacokinetic (PK) studies on these subjects, since they limit the number and volume of blood sampling. Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is a useful tool that allows dose adjustments aiming to fit plasma concentrations within the therapeutic range and to reach specific drug target attainment. In this review of the last ten years’ literature, we performed Pubmed research aiming to summarize the PK aspects for the most used antibiotics in preterms.

Current and future physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling approaches to optimize pharmacotherapy in preterm neonates

INTRODUCTION

There is a need for structured approaches to inform on pharmacotherapy in preterm neonates. With their proven track record up to regulatory acceptance, physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling and simulation provide such a structured approach, and hold the promise to support drug development in preterm neonates.

AREAS COVERED

Compared to the general and pediatric use of PBPK modeling, its use to inform pharmacotherapy in preterms is limited. Using a systematic search (PBPK + preterm), we retained 25 records (20 research papers, 2 letters, 3 abstracts). We subsequently collated the published information on PBPK software packages (PK-Sim®, Simcyp®), and their applications and optimization efforts in preterm neonates. It is encouraging that these applications cover a broad range of scenarios (pharmacokinetic-dynamic analyses, drug-drug interactions, developmental pharmacogenetics, lactation related exposure) and compounds (small molecules, proteins). Furthermore, specific compartments (cerebrospinal fluid, tissue) or (patho)physiologic processes (cardiac output, biliary excretion, first pass metabolism) are considered.

EXPERT OPINION

Knowledge gaps exist, giving rise to various levels of model uncertainty in PBPK applications in preterm neonates. To improve this setting, we need cross talk between clinicians and modelers to generate and integrate knowledge (PK datasets, system knowledge, maturational physiology and pathophysiology) to further refine PBPK models.

Increasing application of pediatric physiologically based pharmacokinetic models across academic and industry organizations

There has been a significant increase in the use of physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models during the past 20 years, especially for pediatrics. The aim of this study was to give a detailed overview of the growth and areas of application of pediatric PBPK (P‐PBPK) models. A total of 181 publications and publicly available regulatory reviews were identified and categorized according to year, author affiliation, platform, and primary application of the P‐PBPK model (in clinical settings, drug development or to advance pediatric model development in general). Secondary application areas, including dose selection, biologics, and drug interactions, were also assessed. The growth rate for P‐PBPK modeling increased 33‐fold between 2005 and 2020; this was mainly attributed to growth in clinical and drug development applications. For primary applications, 50% of articles were classified under clinical, 18% under drug development, and 33% under model development. The most common secondary applications were dose selection (75% drug development), pharmacokinetic prediction and covariate identification (47% clinical), and model parameter identification (68% model development), respectively. Although population PK modeling remains the mainstay of approaches supporting pediatric drug development, the data presented here demonstrate the widespread application of P‐PBPK models in both drug development and clinical settings. Although applications for pharmacokinetic and drug–drug interaction predictions in pediatrics is advocated, this approach remains underused in areas such as assessment of pediatric formulations, toxicology, and trial design. The increasing number of publications supporting the development and refinement of the pediatric model parameters can only serve to enhance optimal use of P‐PBPK models.