Pharmacokinetics of ascending doses of ivermectin in Trichuris trichiura-infected children aged 2–12 years

BACKGROUND: Yearly, millions of children are treated globally with ivermectin mainly for neglected tropical diseases. Anatomical, physiological and biochemical differences between children and adults may result in changes in pharmacokinetics. However, paediatric pharmacokinetic data of ivermectin are lacking. METHODS: In the framework of a randomized controlled dose-finding trial in rural Côte d’Ivoire, Trichuris trichiura-infected pre-school-aged children (PSAC, 2–5 years) and school-aged children (SAC, 6–12 years) were assigned to 100 or 200 μg/kg and 200, 400 or 600 μg/kg ivermectin, respectively (ISRCTN registry no. ISRCTN15871729). Capillary blood was collected on dried blood spot cards until 72 h post-treatment. Ivermectin was quantified by LC-MS/MS, and pharmacokinetic parameters were evaluated by non-compartmental analysis. RESULTS: C (max) and AUC increased in PSAC and SAC with ascending doses and were similar in both age groups when the current standard dose (200 μg/kg) was administered (∼23 ng/mL and ∼350 ng×h/mL, respectively). PSAC with lower BMI were associated with significantly higher AUCs. AUC and C(max) were ∼2-fold lower in children compared with parameters previously studied in adults, whereas body weight-adjusted CL/F (∼0.35 L/h/kg) was significantly higher in children. T(max) (∼6 h), t(1/2) (∼18 h), mean residence time (MRT(INF)) (∼28 h) and V/F (∼8 L/kg) were similar in all paediatric treatment arms. CONCLUSIONS: A positive association of AUC or C(max) with dose was observed in both age groups. Undernutrition might influence the AUC of ivermectin in PSAC. Ivermectin shows a lower exposure profile in children compared with adults, highlighting the need to establish dosing recommendations for different age groups.