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Meesters K, Balbas-Martinez V, Allegaert K, Downes KJ, Michelet R. Personalized Dosing of Medicines for Children: A Primer on Pediatric Pharmacometrics for Clinicians. Paediatr Drugs 2024; 26:365-379. [PMID: 38755515 DOI: 10.1007/s40272-024-00633-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
The widespread use of drugs for unapproved purposes remains common in children, primarily attributable to practical, ethical, and financial constraints associated with pediatric drug research. Pharmacometrics, the scientific discipline that involves the application of mathematical models to understand and quantify drug effects, holds promise in advancing pediatric pharmacotherapy by expediting drug development, extending applications, and personalizing dosing. In this review, we delineate the principles of pharmacometrics, and explore its clinical applications and prospects. The fundamental aspect of any pharmacometric analysis lies in the selection of appropriate methods for quantifying pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Population pharmacokinetic modeling is a data-driven method ('top-down' approach) to approximate population-level pharmacokinetic parameters, while identifying factors contributing to inter-individual variability. Model-informed precision dosing is increasingly used to leverage population pharmacokinetic models and patient data, to formulate individualized dosing recommendations. Physiologically based pharmacokinetic models integrate physicochemical drug properties with biological parameters ('bottom-up approach'), and is particularly valuable in situations with limited clinical data, such as early drug development, assessing drug-drug interactions, or adapting dosing for patients with specific comorbidities. The effective implementation of these complex models hinges on strong collaboration between clinicians and pharmacometricians, given the pivotal role of data availability. Promising advancements aimed at improving data availability encompass innovative techniques such as opportunistic sampling, minimally invasive sampling approaches, microdialysis, and in vitro investigations. Additionally, ongoing research efforts to enhance measurement instruments for evaluating pharmacodynamics responses, including biomarkers and clinical scoring systems, are expected to significantly bolster our capacity to understand drug effects in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Meesters
- Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, 4480 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC, V6H 3V4, Canada.
- Vaccine Evaluation Center, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| | | | - Karel Allegaert
- Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Hospital Pharmacy, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Kevin J Downes
- Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Robin Michelet
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- qPharmetra LLC, Berlin, Germany
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2
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Thompson EJ, Jeong A, Helfer VE, Shakhnovich V, Edginton A, Balevic SJ, James LP, Collier DN, Anand R, Gonzalez D. Physiologically-based pharmacokinetic modeling of pantoprazole to evaluate the role of CYP2C19 genetic variation and obesity in the pediatric population. CPT Pharmacometrics Syst Pharmacol 2024. [PMID: 38837864 DOI: 10.1002/psp4.13167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Pantoprazole is a proton pump inhibitor indicated for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease, a condition that disproportionately affects children with obesity. Appropriately dosing pantoprazole in children with obesity requires understanding the body size metric that best guides dosing, but pharmacokinetic (PK) trials using traditional techniques are limited by the need for larger sample sizes and frequent blood sampling. Physiologically-based PK (PBPK) models are an attractive alternative that can account for physiologic-, genetic-, and drug-specific changes without the need for extensive clinical trial data. In this study, we explored the effect of obesity on pantoprazole PK and evaluated label-suggested dosing in this population. An adult PBPK model for pantoprazole was developed using data from the literature and accounting for genetic variation in CYP2C19. The adult PBPK model was scaled to children without obesity using age-associated changes in anatomical and physiological parameters. Lastly, the pediatric PBPK model was expanded to children with obesity. Three pantoprazole dosing strategies were evaluated: 1 mg/kg total body weight, 1.2 mg/kg lean body weight, and US Food and Drug Administration-recommended weight-tiered dosing. Simulated concentration-time profiles from our model were compared with data from a prospective cohort study (PAN01; NCT02186652). Weight-tiered dosing resulted in the most (>90%) children with pantoprazole exposures in the reference range, regardless of obesity status or CYP2C19 phenotype, confirming results from previously published population PK models. PBPK models may allow for the efficient study of physiologic and developmental effects of obesity on PK in special populations where clinical trial data may be limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth J Thompson
- Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Angela Jeong
- Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Victória E Helfer
- Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Valentina Shakhnovich
- University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
- Divisions of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition & Clinical Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutic Innovation, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
- Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Andrea Edginton
- School of Pharmacy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Stephen J Balevic
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Laura P James
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Section of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Arkansas Children's Hospital, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - David N Collier
- Department of Pediatrics and Center for Health Disparities, Division of General Pediatrics, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Daniel Gonzalez
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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Ahn YJ, Maya J, Singhal V. Update on Pediatric Anti-obesity Medications-Current Landscape and Approach to Prescribing. Curr Obes Rep 2024; 13:295-312. [PMID: 38689134 DOI: 10.1007/s13679-024-00566-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW To review the current medical therapies available for treatment of obesity in children and adolescents less than 18 years old in the United States and outline the approach to their use. RECENT FINDINGS Obesity is a chronic disease with increasing prevalence in children and adolescents in the United States. Over the past few years, more FDA-approved medical treatments for obesity, such as GLP-1 receptor agonists, have emerged for patients less than 18 years old. Furthermore, there are medications with weight loss effects that can be used off-label for obesity in pediatric patients. However, access to many of these medications is limited due to age restrictions, insurance coverage, and cost. Medical options are improving to provide treatment for obesity in pediatric populations. FDA and off-label medications should be considered when appropriate to treat children and adolescents with obesity. However, further studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy and long-term safety of FDA-approved and off-label medications for obesity treatment in pediatric patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoon Ji Ahn
- Division of Endocrinology-Metabolism Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, MGH Weight Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jacqueline Maya
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Vibha Singhal
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
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Burhanuddin K, Mohammed A, Badhan RKS. The Impact of Paediatric Obesity on Drug Pharmacokinetics: A Virtual Clinical Trials Case Study with Amlodipine. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:489. [PMID: 38675150 PMCID: PMC11053426 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16040489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The incidence of paediatric obesity continues to rise worldwide and contributes to a range of diseases including cardiovascular disease. Obesity in children has been shown to impact upon the plasma concentrations of various compounds, including amlodipine. Nonetheless, information on the influence of obesity on amlodipine pharmacokinetics and the need for dose adjustment has not been studied previously. This study applied the physiologically based pharmacokinetic modelling and established a paediatric obesity population to assess the impact of obesity on amlodipine pharmacokinetics in children and explore the possible dose adjustments required to reach the same plasma concentration as non-obese paediatrics. The difference in predicted maximum concentration (Cmax) and area under the curve (AUC) were significant between children with and without obesity across the age group 2 to 18 years old when a fixed-dose regimen was used. On the contrary, a weight-based dose regimen showed no difference in Cmax between obese and non-obese from 2 to 9 years old. Thus, when a fixed-dose regimen is to be administered, a 1.25- to 1.5-fold increase in dose is required in obese children to achieve the same Cmax concentration as non-obese children, specifically for children aged 5 years and above.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Raj K. S. Badhan
- School of Pharmacy, College of Health and Life Science, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK; (K.B.); (A.M.)
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Kalsoom S, Rasool MF, Imran I, Saeed H, Ahmad T, Alqahtani F. A Comprehensive Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Model of Nadolol in Adults with Renal Disease and Pediatrics with Supraventricular Tachycardia. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2024; 17:265. [PMID: 38399480 PMCID: PMC10891759 DOI: 10.3390/ph17020265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Nadolol is a long-acting non-selective β-adrenergic antagonist that helps treat angina and hypertension. The current study aimed to develop and validate the physiologically based pharmacokinetic model (PBPK) of nadolol in healthy adults, renal-compromised, and pediatric populations. A comprehensive PBPK model was established by utilizing a PK-Sim simulator. After establishing and validating the model in healthy adults, pathophysiological changes i.e., blood flow, hematocrit, and GFR that occur in renal failure were incorporated in the developed model, and the drug exposure was assessed through Box plots. The pediatric model was also developed and evaluated by considering the renal maturation process. The validation of the models was carried out by visual predictive checks, calculating predicted to observed (Rpre/obs) and the average fold error (AFE) of PK parameters i.e., the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC0-t), the maximum concentration in plasma (Cmax), and CL (clearance). The presented PBPK model successfully simulates the nadolol PK in healthy adults, renal-impaired, and pediatric populations, as the Rpre/obs values of all PK parameters fall within the acceptable range. The established PBPK model can be useful in nadolol dose optimization in patients with renal failure and children with supraventricular tachycardia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samia Kalsoom
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan;
| | - Muhammad Fawad Rasool
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan;
| | - Imran Imran
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan;
| | - Hamid Saeed
- Section of Pharmaceutics, University College of Pharmacy, Allama Iqbal Campus, University of the Punjab, Lahore 54000, Pakistan;
| | - Tanveer Ahmad
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), CNRS UMR5309, INSERM U1209, Grenoble Alpes University, 38700 La Tronche, France;
| | - Faleh Alqahtani
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
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Samuels S, Bhatt-Mehta V, Park K, Burckart GJ. Obesity Considerations in Pediatric Drug Development, 2016-2021. J Clin Pharmacol 2023; 63 Suppl 2:S18-S24. [PMID: 37942908 DOI: 10.1002/jcph.2305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Pediatric obesity is a global public health concern. Obesity-related physiological changes may affect the pharmacokinetics of drugs and lead to therapeutic failure or toxicities. An earlier review of pediatric drug development programs from 2007 to 2016 found that, of 89 programs listing obesity-related terms, only 4 (4%) products described pharmacokinetic changes associated with obesity. This review examined obesity considerations for 185 drug products for which pediatric drug development programs were submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) between 2016 and 2021. The FDA-authored review documents and drug product labeling were queried for obesity-related terms and the review found 97/185 (52%) drug products had obesity-related terms in these sources. Of the 97 drug products, 55/97 (57%) had obesity-related terms in the FDA-authored reviews only, 13/97 (13%) had obesity-related terms in the drug product labeling only, and 29/97 (30%) had obesity-related terms in both FDA-authored reviews and drug product labeling. Most of the obesity-related information in the drug product labeling originated from data collected from adults. Only 13/185 (7%) drug product labeling contained obesity-related terms in reference to drug pharmacokinetics. Specific dosage recommendations for the use of the drug products in pediatric patients who are obese remain lacking. The dearth of available information to guide drug dosages in the obese pediatric population suggests that further research, innovative approaches, and evidence-based guidelines are needed to inform the optimal therapeutic use of drugs in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherbet Samuels
- Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Varsha Bhatt-Mehta
- Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Kyunghun Park
- Office of Pharmaceutical Quality, Office of Biotechnology Products, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Gilbert J Burckart
- Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
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Anderson BJ, Cortinez LI. Perioperative Acetaminophen Dosing in Obese Children. CHILDREN 2023; 10:children10040625. [PMID: 37189874 DOI: 10.3390/children10040625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Acetaminophen is a commonly used perioperative analgesic drug in children. The use of a preoperative loading dose achieves a target concentration of 10 mg/L associated with a target analgesic effect that is 2.6 pain units (visual analogue scale 1–10). Postoperative maintenance dosing is used to keep this effect at a steady-state concentration. The loading dose in children is commonly prescribed per kilogram. That dose is consistent with the linear relationship between the volume of distribution and total body weight. Total body weight is made up of both fat and fat-free mass. The fat mass has little influence on the volume of distribution of acetaminophen but fat mass should be considered for maintenance dosing that is determined by clearance. The relationship between the pharmacokinetic parameter, clearance, and size is not linear. A number of size metrics (e.g., fat-free and normal fat mass, ideal body weight and lean body weight) have been proposed to scale clearance and all consequent dosing schedules recognize curvilinear relationships between clearance and size. This relationship can be described using allometric theory. Fat mass also has an indirect influence on clearance that is independent of its effects due to increased body mass. Normal fat mass, used in conjunction with allometry, has proven a useful size metric for acetaminophen; it is calculated using fat-free mass and a fraction (Ffat) of the additional mass contributing to total body weight. However, the Ffat for acetaminophen is large (Ffat = 0.82), pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameter variability high, and the concentration–response slope gentle at the target concentration. Consequently, total body weight with allometry is acceptable for the calculation of maintenance dose. The dose of acetaminophen is tempered by concerns about adverse effects, notably hepatotoxicity associated with use after 2–3 days at doses greater than 90 mg/kg/day.
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Freriksen JJM, van der Heijden JEM, de Hoop-Sommen MA, Greupink R, de Wildt SN. Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic (PBPK) Model-Informed Dosing Guidelines for Pediatric Clinical Care: A Pragmatic Approach for a Special Population. Paediatr Drugs 2023; 25:5-11. [PMID: 36201128 PMCID: PMC9534738 DOI: 10.1007/s40272-022-00535-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling can be an attractive tool to increase the evidence base of pediatric drug dosing recommendations by making optimal use of existing pharmacokinetic (PK) data. A pragmatic approach of combining available compound models with a virtual pediatric physiology model can be a rational solution to predict PK and hence support dosing guidelines for children in real-life clinical care, when it can also be employed by individuals with little experience in PBPK modeling. This comes within reach as user-friendly PBPK modeling platforms exist and, for many drugs and populations, models are ready for use. We have identified a list of drugs that can serve as a starting point for pragmatic PBPK modeling to address current clinical dosing needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolien J M Freriksen
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Joyce E M van der Heijden
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Marika A de Hoop-Sommen
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Rick Greupink
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Saskia N de Wildt
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Intensive Care and Department of Pediatrics Surgery, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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Zhou X, Dun J, Chen X, Xiang B, Dang Y, Cao D. Predicting the correct dose in children: Role of computational Pediatric Physiological-based pharmacokinetics modeling tools. CPT Pharmacometrics Syst Pharmacol 2022; 12:13-26. [PMID: 36330677 PMCID: PMC9835135 DOI: 10.1002/psp4.12883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The pharmacokinetics (PKs) and safety of medications in particular groups can be predicted using the physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model. Using the PBPK model may enable safe pediatric clinical trials and speed up the process of new drug research and development, especially for children, a population in which it is relatively difficult to conduct clinical trials. This review summarizes the role of pediatric PBPK (P-PBPK) modeling software in dose prediction over the past 6 years and briefly introduces the process of general P-PBPK modeling. We summarized the theories and applications of this software and discussed the application trends and future perspectives in the area. The modeling software's extensive use will undoubtedly make it easier to predict dose prediction for young patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Zhou
- College of PharmacyHebei Medical UniversityShijiazhuangChina
| | - Jiening Dun
- College of PharmacyHebei Medical UniversityShijiazhuangChina
| | - Xiao Chen
- College of PharmacyHebei Medical UniversityShijiazhuangChina
| | - Bai Xiang
- College of PharmacyHebei Medical UniversityShijiazhuangChina
| | - Yunjie Dang
- College of PharmacyHebei Medical UniversityShijiazhuangChina
| | - Deying Cao
- College of PharmacyHebei Medical UniversityShijiazhuangChina
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Gaeta F, Conti V, Pepe A, Vajro P, Filippelli A, Mandato C. Drug dosing in children with obesity: a narrative updated review. Ital J Pediatr 2022; 48:168. [PMID: 36076248 PMCID: PMC9454408 DOI: 10.1186/s13052-022-01361-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Childhood obesity and its associated comorbidities are highly prevalent diseases that may add to any other possible health problem commonly affecting the pediatric age. Uncertainties may arise concerning drug dosing when children with obesity need pharmacologic therapies. In general, in pediatric practice, there is a tendency to adapt drug doses to a child’s total body weight. However, this method does not consider the pharmacological impact that a specific drug can have under a two-fold point of view, that is, across various age and size groups as well. Moreover, there is a need for a therapeutic approach, as much as possible tailored considering relevant interacting aspects, such as modification in metabolomic profile, drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Taking into account the peculiar differences between children with overweight/obesity and those who are normal weight, the drug dosage in the case of obesity, cannot be empirically determined solely by the per kg criterion. In this narrative review, we examine the pros and cons of several drug dosing methods used when dealing with children who are affected also by obesity, focusing on specific aspects of some of the drugs most frequently prescribed in real-world practice by general pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Gaeta
- Pediatrics Section, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana", University of Salerno, 84081, Baronissi, Salerno, Italy
| | - Valeria Conti
- Pharmacology Section, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana", University of Salerno, 84081, Baronissi, Salerno, Italy
| | - Angela Pepe
- Pediatrics Section, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana", University of Salerno, 84081, Baronissi, Salerno, Italy
| | - Pietro Vajro
- Pediatrics Section, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana", University of Salerno, 84081, Baronissi, Salerno, Italy
| | - Amelia Filippelli
- Pharmacology Section, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana", University of Salerno, 84081, Baronissi, Salerno, Italy
| | - Claudia Mandato
- Pediatrics Section, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana", University of Salerno, 84081, Baronissi, Salerno, Italy.
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