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Population Pharmacokinetics of Tadalafil in Pediatric Patients with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: A Combined Adult/Pediatric Model

Ferguson-Sells L, Velez de Mendizabal N, Li B, Small D

Clinical pharmacokinetics, 2022

305 participants · 8 citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Tadalafil 40 mg once daily is approved for adult patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). To investigate and potentially fulfill an unmet need in pediatric patients with PAH, pharmacokinetic (PK) data were explored in a pediatric phase Ib/II study and pooled with prior phase III (pulmonary arterial hypertension and response to tadalafil [PHIRST-1]) adult data to develop the first population PK model for tadalafil in pediatric patients with PAH.

METHODS: H6D-MC-LVIG (NCT01484431) was an open-label, multicenter, multiple ascending dose study in pediatric patients with PAH, while PHIRST-1 was a phase III, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel design study in adults with PAH who received one of five treatments (tadalafil 2.5, 10, 20, or 40 mg, or placebo orally, once daily). PK data from the studies were pooled to develop a pediatric population PK model for tadalafil that characterized relationships among dose, exposure, and the effects of covariates with an aim to develop a population PK model that could simulate concentration-time profiles and assess exposure-matched dosing strategies in a pediatric PAH population.

RESULTS: In line with the observed data, modeling and simulation demonstrated that the doses studied in the pediatric population produced area under the concentration-time curves (AUCs) within the range of those associated with improved exercise ability in adults with PAH. The analyses included 1430 observations…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design. Reported size: 305 participants or records.

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