PHARlVlACOLOG Y Towards individualised therapy with zidovudine

Individualised antiretroviral therapy with zido\udine may be appropriate in patients with AIDS, once more information on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the agent is available.

This is the suggestion of researchers from The ~etherlands who studied pharmacokinetic variability and potential drug interactions in 68 patients with HIV-infection receiving zidovudine IOO-500mg.

Zidovudine clearance was found to be significantly lower in women. patients wIth advanced HIV disease, and those with a lower body weight. Clearance was apparently increased with concomitant administration of rifampicin and ganciclovir. and higher plasma concentrations of zidovudine were associated with concomitant methadone administration. These findings may indicate an effect on the antiviral efficacy and toxicity of zidovudine in individual patients, comment the researchers.

They point out that this is the largest population of ,uch patients evaluated in a prospectivc pharmacokinetic study of zidovudine.

Burger D:v1. :v1eenhor" PI.. ten ;-';apcl CIll!. :v1uldcr JW. :-';ed C. ct al.

Pharmacokmctic vanahilHy of zidovudmc In HIV-infcClcd mdividual:-.: ,>uh·

group J.!1al;- ~!~ lTJd d.rug l11tC"'(l('finn ... A rns X· I A~~-l oH9. DC\.' j 994 "'.';2--;1'

0156·2703/94/0967'00019/$01.00" Adis International Limited 1994. All rights reserved

19

INPl-iARMA'10 Dec 1994