Dose rationale for gabapentin and tramadol in pediatric patients with chronic pain

Despite off‐label use, the efficacy and safety of gabapentin and tramadol in pediatric patients (3 months to <18 years old) diagnosed with chronic pain has not been characterized. However, generating evidence based on randomized clinical trials in this population has been extremely challenging. The current investigation illustrates the use of clinical trial simulations (CTSs) as a tool for optimizing doses and protocol design for a prospective investigation in pediatric patients with chronic pain. Pharmacokinetic (PK) modeling and CTSs were used to describe the PKs of gabapentin and tramadol in the target population. In the absence of biomarkers of analgesia, systemic exposure (AUC, Css) was used to guide dose selection under the assumption of a comparable exposure‐response (PKPD) relationship for either compound between adults and children. Two weight bands were identified for gabapentin, with doses titrated from 5 to 63 mg/kg. This yields gabapentin exposures (AUC(0–8)) of approximately 35 mg/L*h (1200 mg/day adult dose equivalent). For tramadol, median steady state concentrations between 200 and 300 ng/mL were achieved after doses of 2–5 mg/kg, but concentrations showed high interindividual variability. Simulation scenarios showed that titration steps are required to explore therapeutically relevant dose ranges taking into account the safety profile of both drugs. Gabapentin can be used t.i.d. at doses between 7–63 and 5–45 mg/kg for patients receiving gabapentin weighing <15 and ≥15 kg, respectively, whereas a t.i.d. regimen with doses between 1 and 5 mg/kg can be used for tramadol in patients who are not fast metabolisers.