Background: The prolonged treatment duration for multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis (TB) makes dosing linezolid difficult because of adverse effects associated with long-term use. We sought to find the optimal dosing regimen for linezolid given different MIC values. Methods: Pharmacokinetic (PK) data from TB patients were included from Brazil, Georgia, and two U.S. sites. Population PK modeling and simulation were performed. We used fAUC/MIC >119 as the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) target, and Cmin of 2 and 7 mg/L as thresholds for toxicity. The PK/PD breakpoint was defined as the highest MIC at which the probability of target attainment is >90%. Results: A total of 104 patients with pulmonary TB were included, with a median age and weight of 37 years and 60 kilograms. 81% had drug-resistant TB. The PK data were best described by a one-compartment model. The PK/PD breakpoint was 0.125 mg/L for a total daily dose of 300 mg, while the daily dose of 450-600 mg and 900-1200 mg had PK/PD breakpoints of 0.25 and 0.50 mg/L, respectively. The probability of achieving Cmin ≤2 mg/L was higher when the dose was given at once versus dividing it to two doses. Conclusion: Linezolid daily dose of 300 mg may not be optimal. We predicted excellent and comparable efficacy of linezolid using total daily doses of 900 and 1200 mg for MICs ≤0.5 mg/L, but with a potential for more toxicity compared to 600 mg daily. The increase in Cmin was noticeable when the daily dose was divided and may incur greater toxicity.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tuberculosis is the leading cause of death attributed to a single microbial pathogen worldwide. In addition to the large number of patients affected by tuberculosis, the emergence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug-resistance is complicating tuberculosis control in many high-burden countries. During the past 5 years, the global number of patients identified with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), defined as bacillary resistance at least against rifampicin and isoniazid, the two most active drugs in a treatment regimen, has increased by more than 20% annually. Today we experience a historical peak in the number of patients affected by MDR-TB. The management of MDR-TB is characterized by delayed diagnosis, uncertainty of the extent of bacillary drug-resistance, imprecise standardized drug regimens and dosages, very long duration of therapy and high frequency of adverse events which all translate into a poor prognosis for many of the affected patients. Major scientific and technological advances in recent years provide new perspectives through treatment regimens tailor-made to individual needs. Where available, such personalized treatment has major implications on the treatment outcomes of patients with MDR-TB. The challenge now is to bring these adances to those patients that need them most.

One-third of the world's population is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb.). Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) can progress to tuberculosis disease, the leading cause of death by infection. Rifamycin antibiotics, like rifampin and rifapentine, have unique sterilizing activity against M.tb. What are the advantages of each for LTBI or tuberculosis treatment? Areas covered: We review studies assessing the pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD), drug interaction risk, safety, and efficacy of rifampin and rifapentine and provide basis for comparing them. Expert commentary: Rifampin has shorter half-life, higher MIC against M.tb, lower protein binding, and better distribution into cavitary contents than rifapentine. Drug interactions for the two drugs maybe similar in magnitude. For LTBI, rifapentine is effective as convenient, once-weekly, 12-week course of treatment. Rifampin is also effective for LTBI, but must be given daily for four months, therefore, drug interactions are more problematic. For drug-sensitive tuberculosis disease, rifampin remains the standard of care. Safety profile of rifampin is better-described; adverse events differ somewhat for the two drugs. The registered once-weekly rifapentine regimen is inadequate, but higher doses of either drugs may shorten the treatment duration required for effective management of TB. Results of clinical trials evaluating high-dose rifamycin regimens are eagerly awaited.

Background: The mortality rate of patients with a drug-resistant bacterial infection is high, as are the associated treatment costs. To overcome these issues, optimization of the available therapeutic options is required. Beta-lactams are time-dependent antibiotics and their efficacy is determined by the amount of time the free concentration remains above the minimum inhibitory concentration. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the extent and variability of protein binding for meropenem, cefepime, and piperacillin. Methods: Plasma samples for the analysis of meropenem, cefepime, and piperacillin were collected from patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital as part of the standard care. The bound and unbound drug fractions in the samples were separated by ultrafiltration. Validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry assays were used to quantify the total and free plasma concentrations, and the protein binding was determined. Results: Samples from 95 patients were analyzed. The median (range) age of patients was 56 years (17–87) and the median (range) body mass index was 25.7 kg/m2 (14.7–74.2). Approximately 59% of the patients were men. The median (range) unbound fraction (fu) was 62.5% (41.6–99.1) for meropenem, 61.4% (51.6–99.2) for cefepime, and 48.3% (39.4–71.3) for piperacillin. In the bivariate analysis, as the total meropenem concentration increased, the fu increased (r = 0.37, P = 0.045). A decrease in piperacillin fu was observed as the albumin concentration increased (r = −0.56, P = 0.005). Conclusions: The average fu values were lower than those reported in the literature. There was also a large variability in fu; hence, it should be considered when managing patients administered with these drugs through direct measurements of free drug concentrations.

The 4-drug regimen of rifampin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol is an inexpensive, reliable option for treating patients with drug-susceptible tuberculosis (TB). Its efficacy could be further improved by determining the free drug concentrations in plasma, knowing that only the unbound drug can freely penetrate to the tissues. Using an ultrafiltration technique, we determined the protein binding (PB) extent and variability of the first-line anti-TB drugs when given simultaneously to TB patients, representing a real-life case scenario. We used clinical samples routinely received by our laboratory. Plasma proteins were also measured. A protein-free medium was used to determine the nonspecific binding. Plasma samples from 22 patients were included, of which plasma proteins were measured for 18 patients. The median PB was determined for rifampin (88%; range, 72 to 91%), isoniazid (14%; range, 0 to 34%), pyrazinamide (1%; range, 0 to 7%), and ethambutol (12%; range, 4 to 24%). Plasma proteins were not found to be significant predictors for the PB of first-line anti-TB drugs. Rifampin PB was positively correlated with its plasma concentration ( value = 0.0051). Conversely, isoniazid PB was negatively correlated with its plasma concentration ( value = 0.0417). Age was found to have a significant effect on isoniazid PB ( value = 0.0376). No correlations were observed in pyrazinamide or ethambutol. In conclusion, we have determined variable PB of rifampin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol in patient plasma samples, with median values of 88, 14, 1, and 12%, respectively. In this small study, PB of rifampin and that of isoniazid are dependent on their plasma concentrations.

Tuberculosis (TB) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are both major public health problems. Despite high rates of coinfection, there is scarce literature addressing the convergence of the two diseases. One particularly unexplored area is the potential for simultaneous treatment of TB and HCV which would allow for leveraging an extensive global TB treatment infrastructure to help scale up HCV treatment. We review the drug metabolism of anti-TB and HCV drugs and the known and potential drug-drug interactions between recommended HCV regimens and individual anti-TB drugs. Rifampin is the only anti-TB drug to have been formally studied for potential drug interactions with anti-HCV direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), and existing data preclude these combinations. However, based on known pathways of drug metabolism and enzyme effects, the combination of HCV DAA regimens with all other anti-TB drugs may be feasible. Pharmacokinetic studies are needed next to help move cotreatment regimens forward for clinical use among patients coinfected with TB and HCV.

Vandetanib prolongs PFS but has not been shown to improve OS. Vandetanib can be considered for patients with unresectable locoregional disease. It is a first-line option for patients with unresectable symptomatic distant metastases as well as an option for advanced disseminated symptomatic metastatic disease. Vandetanib is expected to be an important addition to the formulary of health plans that provide prescription drug benefits.

Objectives The current WHO weight-based dosing recommendations for efavirenz result in a wide variability of drug exposure in children. Our objectives are to characterize the effects of rifampicin- and isoniazid-containing anti-TB therapy and CYP2B6 activity on efavirenz concentrations in children, using non-linear mixed-effects modelling. Methods This is a pharmacokinetic (PK) substudy of a prospective study that examined the interactions between anti-TB therapy and efavirenz in HIV-infected children with and without TB. PK samples were obtained 4 weeks after starting efavirenz (PK1) and repeated 4 weeks after completing TB therapy (PK2) in TB/HIV coinfected patients. Drug concentrations were measured using LC-MS/MS. Composite CYP2B6 516/983/15582 genotype was determined. Population PK modelling was performed in Monolix. Simulations were performed to obtain the predicted mid-dose concentrations (C12). Results One hundred and five HIV-infected Ghanaian children (46 with TB/HIV) were included. The median age and weight were 7 years and 19 kg. The efavirenz concentrations over time were adequately described using a one-compartment model. Weight, composite CYP2B6 genotype and PK visit had a significant influence on the PK parameters, while TB therapy had no significant effect. Simulations showed adequate C12 for intermediate composite CYP2B6 metabolizers only. Conclusions Our model showed that rifampicin- and isoniazid-containing anti-TB therapy does not influence efavirenz PK parameters. On the other hand, it describes the effect of efavirenz autoinduction after completing TB treatment. In addition, dosing efavirenz in children based only on weight results in a large variability in drug exposure. We propose dose adjustments for slow and extensive composite CYP2B6 metabolizers.