Semimechanistic pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic modeling of piperaquine in a volunteer infection study with Plasmodium falciparum blood-stage malaria

Dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine is a recommended first-line artemisinin combination therapy for Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Piperaquine is also under consideration for other antimalarial combination therapies. The aim of this study was to develop a pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic model that might...

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Main Authors: Wattanakul, T, Baker, M, Mohrle, J, McWhinney, B, Hoglund, RM, McCarthy, JS, Tarning, J
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: American Society for Microbiology 2021
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author Wattanakul, T
Baker, M
Mohrle, J
McWhinney, B
Hoglund, RM
McCarthy, JS
Tarning, J
author_facet Wattanakul, T
Baker, M
Mohrle, J
McWhinney, B
Hoglund, RM
McCarthy, JS
Tarning, J
author_sort Wattanakul, T
collection OXFORD
description Dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine is a recommended first-line artemisinin combination therapy for Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Piperaquine is also under consideration for other antimalarial combination therapies. The aim of this study was to develop a pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic model that might be useful when optimizing the use of piperaquine in new antimalarial combination therapies. The pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic model was developed using data from a previously reported dose-ranging study where 24 healthy volunteers were inoculated with 1,800 blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum parasites. All volunteers received a single oral dose of piperaquine (960 mg, 640 mg, or 480 mg) on day 7 or day 8 after parasite inoculation in separate cohorts. Parasite densities were measured by quantitative PCR (qPCR), and piperaquine levels were measured in plasma samples. We used nonlinear mixed-effect modeling to characterize the pharmacokinetic properties of piperaquine and the parasite dynamics associated with piperaquine exposure. The pharmacokinetics of piperaquine was described by a three-compartment disposition model. A semimechanistic parasite dynamics model was developed to explain the maturation of parasites, sequestration of mature parasites, synchronicity of infections, and multiplication of parasites, as seen in natural clinical infections with P. falciparum malaria. Piperaquine-associated parasite killing was estimated using a maximum effect (Emax) function. Treatment simulations (i.e., 3-day oral dosing of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine) indicated that to be able to combat multidrug-resistant infections, an ideal additional drug in a new antimalarial triple-combination therapy should have a parasite reduction ratio of ≥102 per life cycle (38.8 h) with a duration of action of ≥2 weeks. The semimechanistic pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic model described here offers the potential to be a valuable tool for assessing and optimizing current and new antimalarial drug combination therapies containing piperaquine and the impact of these therapies on killing multidrug-resistant infections. (This study has been registered in the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry under no. ANZCTRN12613000565741.)
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spelling oxford-uuid:206704bf-84c3-4fb0-b193-67f27d2645c62022-03-26T11:27:26ZSemimechanistic pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic modeling of piperaquine in a volunteer infection study with Plasmodium falciparum blood-stage malariaJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:206704bf-84c3-4fb0-b193-67f27d2645c6EnglishSymplectic ElementsAmerican Society for Microbiology2021Wattanakul, TBaker, MMohrle, JMcWhinney, BHoglund, RMMcCarthy, JSTarning, JDihydroartemisinin-piperaquine is a recommended first-line artemisinin combination therapy for Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Piperaquine is also under consideration for other antimalarial combination therapies. The aim of this study was to develop a pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic model that might be useful when optimizing the use of piperaquine in new antimalarial combination therapies. The pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic model was developed using data from a previously reported dose-ranging study where 24 healthy volunteers were inoculated with 1,800 blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum parasites. All volunteers received a single oral dose of piperaquine (960 mg, 640 mg, or 480 mg) on day 7 or day 8 after parasite inoculation in separate cohorts. Parasite densities were measured by quantitative PCR (qPCR), and piperaquine levels were measured in plasma samples. We used nonlinear mixed-effect modeling to characterize the pharmacokinetic properties of piperaquine and the parasite dynamics associated with piperaquine exposure. The pharmacokinetics of piperaquine was described by a three-compartment disposition model. A semimechanistic parasite dynamics model was developed to explain the maturation of parasites, sequestration of mature parasites, synchronicity of infections, and multiplication of parasites, as seen in natural clinical infections with P. falciparum malaria. Piperaquine-associated parasite killing was estimated using a maximum effect (Emax) function. Treatment simulations (i.e., 3-day oral dosing of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine) indicated that to be able to combat multidrug-resistant infections, an ideal additional drug in a new antimalarial triple-combination therapy should have a parasite reduction ratio of ≥102 per life cycle (38.8 h) with a duration of action of ≥2 weeks. The semimechanistic pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic model described here offers the potential to be a valuable tool for assessing and optimizing current and new antimalarial drug combination therapies containing piperaquine and the impact of these therapies on killing multidrug-resistant infections. (This study has been registered in the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry under no. ANZCTRN12613000565741.)
spellingShingle Wattanakul, T
Baker, M
Mohrle, J
McWhinney, B
Hoglund, RM
McCarthy, JS
Tarning, J
Semimechanistic pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic modeling of piperaquine in a volunteer infection study with Plasmodium falciparum blood-stage malaria
title Semimechanistic pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic modeling of piperaquine in a volunteer infection study with Plasmodium falciparum blood-stage malaria
title_full Semimechanistic pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic modeling of piperaquine in a volunteer infection study with Plasmodium falciparum blood-stage malaria
title_fullStr Semimechanistic pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic modeling of piperaquine in a volunteer infection study with Plasmodium falciparum blood-stage malaria
title_full_unstemmed Semimechanistic pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic modeling of piperaquine in a volunteer infection study with Plasmodium falciparum blood-stage malaria
title_short Semimechanistic pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic modeling of piperaquine in a volunteer infection study with Plasmodium falciparum blood-stage malaria
title_sort semimechanistic pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic modeling of piperaquine in a volunteer infection study with plasmodium falciparum blood stage malaria
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