A Review of Clinical Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Profiles of Select Antiretrovirals: Focus on Differences among Chinese Patients.

OBJECTIVE

To identify the pharmacokinetic differences of antiretroviral drugs between HIV-infected Chinese patients and patients of other race/ethnicities.

STUDY

DESIGN

Results from prospective, open-label pharmacokinetic studies among Chinese and historical data from other race/ethnicities.

PATIENTS: Pharmacokinetics of six commonly used antiretroviral drugs, including zidovudine, lamivudine, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, nevirapine, efavirenz and lopinavir/ritonavir, was evaluated in HIV-infected Chinese patients and compared with historical data from other race/ethnicities.

ANALYSIS: Pharmacokinetic analyses were performed at the steady state among HIV-infected Chinese patients. Safety data were collected during the follow-up. The pharmacokinetic parameters including maximal concentrations (Cmax), area-under-curve (AUC) and clearance (Cl/F) from the Chinese patients were compared to the historic data from other race/ethnicities.

RESULTS

Current evidence, though limited, suggested that these antiretroviral agents were generally safe and effective among HIV-infected Chinese patients. However, compared with other racial groups, Chinese patients exhibited higher Cmax , AUC and lower Cl/F for most of the agents, and the incidences of adverse reactions, for example, liver toxicity, rash, and bone health, were more frequent.

CONCLUSIONS

These pharmacokinetic differences suggest that lower dosages for commonly prescribed antiretroviral drugs in China might be appropriate to reduce drug-related adverse reactions, while maintain the antiviral efficacy.