Population Pharmacokinetic Studies in Pediatrics

Dear Colleagues,

For medication use in children, there is often limited data on the pharmacokinetics and drugs with a narrow therapeutic index can cause serious side effects if dosed incorrectly (e.g. antibiotics, anticonvulsants and immunosuppressants). Information from population PK studies can be very useful in guiding dosing strategies for drugs in pediatric populations. The main challenge is that children are not small adults and they develop rapidly with many physiological changes occurring. Important developmental changes include differences in organ size, gastric pH, total body water, expression of CYP450 enzymes and glomerular filtration rate. These have an important impact on drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion. Moreover, the pediatric population is subdivided into different age groups (newborn, infant, toddler, preschool child, school age child and adolescent) within which there are major differences as well. Mathematical models are used to correct for these inter-individual differences and to provide estimates on drug clearance and exposure. Additionally, Physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling incorporates detailed physiological and anatomical information about the body that allows for more personalized dosing recommendations.

This Special Issue entitled "Population Pharmacokinetic Studies in Pediatrics" presents the latest findings from popPK and PBPK studies on drugs for which safe and effective dosing in children is of great importance.

Dr. Meta H.M. Diekstra
Guest Editor

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