Imatinib plasma trough concentration and its correlation with characteristics and response in Chinese CML patients.

AIM: To investigate the pharmacokinetics of imatinib in Chinese chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) patients.

METHODS

Fourty-six naïve Chinese CML patients treated with imatinib (400 and 600 mg daily, n=36 and 10, respectively) were recruited. The correlations of imatinib (400 mg) trough plasma concentrations (C(mins)) with the patients' characteristics and responses were analyzed.

RESULTS

The overall mean (+/-SD, CV%) steady-state C(mins) for imatinib at 400 mg (n=36) and 600 mg (n=10) daily was 1325.61 ng/mL (+/-583.53 ng/mL; 44%) and 1550.90 ng/mL (+/-462.63 ng/mL; 30%), respectively, and no statistically significant differences were found between them (P=0.267). At 400 mg daily, female patients had significantly higher C(mins) than the male patients (P=0.048), and molecular responses were not correlated with imatinib C(mins), but they were correlated with time elapsed before imatinib therapy.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that Chinese CML patients have higher imatinib C(mins) than their Caucasian counterparts and that the optimal initial imatinib dose for them requires further investigation.