Safety and pharmacokinetics of escalating daily doses of the antituberculosis drug rifapentine in healthy volunteers

Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2012 May;91(5):881-8. doi: 10.1038/clpt.2011.323.

Abstract

Rifapentine (RP T) is an antituberculosis drug that may shorten treatment duration when substituted for rifampin (RI F).The maximal tolerated daily dose of RP T and its potential for cytochrome 3A4 induction and autoinduction at clinically relevant doses are unknown. In this phase I, dose-escalation study among healthy volunteers, daily doses as high asa prespecified maximum of 20 mg/kg/day were well tolerated. Steady-state RP T concentrations increased with dose from 5 to 15 mg/kg, but area under the plasma concentration–time curve (AU C0–24) and maximum concentration (Cmax)were similar in the 15- and 20-mg/kg cohorts. Although RP T pharmacokinetics (PK) appeared to be time-dependent,accumulation occurred with daily dosing. The mean AU C0–12 of oral midazolam (MDZ), a cytochrome 3A (CYP 3A) probe drug, was reduced by 93% with the coadministration of RPT and by 74% with the coadministration of RIF (P < 0.01).Changes in the oral clearance of MDZ did not vary by RP T dose. In conclusion, RP T was tolerated at doses as high as20 mg/kg/day, its PK were less than dose-proportional, and its CYP 3A induction was robust.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial, Phase I
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antitubercular Agents / administration & dosage*
  • Area Under Curve
  • Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A / biosynthesis
  • Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Midazolam / pharmacokinetics
  • Middle Aged
  • Rifampin / administration & dosage
  • Rifampin / adverse effects
  • Rifampin / analogs & derivatives*
  • Rifampin / pharmacokinetics

Substances

  • Antitubercular Agents
  • Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A
  • CYP3A4 protein, human
  • Midazolam
  • Rifampin
  • rifapentine