Lean body weight dosing avoids excessive systemic exposure to proton pump inhibitors for children with obesity.

BACKGROUND

Children with obesity are more likely to suffer gastroesophageal reflux disease, requiring acid-suppression therapy with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and no guidelines regarding dosing.

OBJECTIVE

To prospectively evaluate lean-body-weight-based (LBW) dosing of the PPI pantoprazole for children with and without obesity.

METHODS

Methods

Sixty-two children (6-17 years) received a one-time oral dose of liquid pantoprazole (1.2 mg kg-1 LBW). Plasma pantoprazole concentrations were measured at 10 time points over 8 h and pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles generated using non-compartmental techniques, in order to compare PK parameters of interest between children with and without obesity, while accounting for CYP2C19 genotype.

RESULTS

Adjusted for milligram-per-kilogram total body weight (TBW) pantoprazole received, apparent drug clearance (CL/F) was reduced 50% in children with vs. without obesity (p=0.03). LBW-based dosing compensated for this reduction in CL/F (p = 0.15).

CONCLUSION

To achieve comparable systemic PPI exposures for children with and without obesity, we recommend using LBW, rather than TBW-based dosing for pantoprazole.