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Population pharmacokinetics of intravenous ondansetron in oncology and surgical patients aged 1−48 months

  • Pharmacokinetics and Disposition
  • Published:
European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Until recently, ondansetron was approved for the prevention of nausea and vomiting only in patients older than 2 years. However, as the use of ondansetron in patients younger than 2 years had been documented, characterization of ondansetron pharmacokinetics in this younger pediatric age group was warranted.

Methods

The pharmacokinetics of intravenously administered ondansetron were evaluated in oncology and surgical patients aged 1–48 months. Pooled data from 124 patients, including 745 pharmacokinetic samples, were analyzed using nonlinear mixed-effects modeling.

Results

Ondansetron pharmacokinetics were described by a two-compartment model. Body-size effects on ondansetron disposition were accounted for via standard allometric relationships, normalized to 10.4 kg. A maturation process with a half-life of approximately 4 months was incorporated to describe a decrease in clearance (CL) in infants. Clearance [95% confidence interval (CI)] for a typical patient was 1.53 (1.34−1.78) L/h/kg0.75 with an interindividual variability of 56.8%. Ondansetron CL was reduced by 31%, 53%, and 76% for the typical 6-month-, 3-month-, and 1-month-old patient, respectively. Simulations showed that an ondansetron dose of 0.1 mg/kg in children younger than 6 months produced exposure similar to a 0.15-mg/kg dose in older children.

Conclusions

The population pharmacokinetic analysis of ondansetron allows for characterization of individual patients based on body weight and age. It is recommended that patients younger than 4 months receiving ondansetron be closely monitored.

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Acknowledgements

Brendan M. Johnson acknowledges support from a Clinical Pharmacokinetics/ Pharmacodynamics Fellowship provided by the University of North Carolina in collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline. The authors wish to acknowledge the following investigators of Study 1: Raafat Hannallah, Peter Davis, Joseph Tobin, and Victor Baum; and investigators who contributed pharmacokinetic data to Study 2: Jeanette Pullen, Lia Gore, Victor M. Aquino, Lisa Bomgaars, Jeffrey Blumer, Paul Gaynon, Stuart Goldman, Regina Jakacki, Mitchell Cairo, Henry Nicholson, Violet Shen, Burton Appel, James Alan Whitlock, Maxine L. Hetherington, Helen Irving, Amos Toren, Andreas Zoubek, Robert Klaassen, Purificacion Garcia-Miguel, and Arturo Munoz-Villa. The authors also wish to acknowledge Sharon C. Murray, Andrew P. Beelen, Linda M. Blackburn, Maura T. Watmuff, Vince Barnett, and Bonnie Whitehead of GlaxoSmithKline.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Metrum Institute, 2 Tunxis Road, Suite 112, Tariffville, CT, 06081, USA

    John T. Mondick

  2. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

    Peter C. Adamson & Jeffrey S. Barrett

  3. Clinical Pharmacokinetics/Modeling and Simulation, GlaxoSmithKline, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA

    Brendan M. Johnson, Lynda J. Haberer & J. Frank Hoke

  4. Next Level Solutions, Raleigh, NC, 27614, USA

    Mark E. Sale

  5. Division of Pediatric Anesthesiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02214, USA

    Charles J. Coté

  6. James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA

    James M. Croop

  7. Oncology Medicines Development Center, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA, 19426, USA

    Mark W. Russo

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  1. John T. Mondick
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Correspondence to John T. Mondick.

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Mondick, J.T., Johnson, B.M., Haberer, L.J. et al. Population pharmacokinetics of intravenous ondansetron in oncology and surgical patients aged 1−48 months. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 66, 77–86 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-009-0730-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-009-0730-8

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