Evaluation of posaconazole plasma concentrations achieved with the delayed-release tablets in Korean high-risk patients with haematologic malignancy.

Abstract

Posaconazole (PCZ) is a triazole approved for prophylaxis of invasive fungal infections. Herein, the impact of clinical variables on PCZ plasma concentrations (PPCs) attained with PCZ delayed-release tablet (DRT) was investigated and compared with a historical cohort treated with PCZ oral suspension (OS). Steady-state PCZ PPCs in 513 patients with haematologic malignancy treated with PCZ-DRT were assessed and impact of variables were analysed. Also, a comparison with matched historical cohort treated with PCZ-OS was made. The median PPC in the PCZ-DRT group was 1,308.9ng/mL (range: 29.8-10455.9). Use of proton pump inhibitor (1181 vs 1344ng/mL, P=.0337) in the AML/myelodysplastic syndrome remission induction group, diarrhoea (867 vs 1543ng/mL, P=.0325) and gastrointestinal graft-versus-host disease (870 vs 1713ng/mL, P=.0178) in the HSCT group were associated with lower PPCs. There was lack of evidence that hepatotoxicity was related with PCZ-DRT. Higher prevalence of UGT1A4*3 allele (33.0%) was noted compared to allele frequency in Koreans in those with PPCs<500mg/mL. The median PPC in the PCZ-DRT group was significantly higher than that in the PCZ-OS group (1308.9 vs 713.0ng/mL, P<.0001). Significantly less patients had PPCs<700ng/mL in the PCZ-DRT group compared to the PCZ-OS group (18.7% vs 48.0%, P<.0001). Our study demonstrates that PCZ-DRT has enhanced absorption and bioavailability than PCZ-OS in real-world clinical settings. In addition, specific factors associated with lower PPCs should prompt consideration of therapeutic drug monitoring in patients treated with PCZ-DRT.