The Repurposing of Ivermectin for Malaria: A Prospective Pharmacokinetics-Based Virtual Clinical Trials Assessment of Dosing Regimen Options

Abstract

Ivermectin has demonstrated many successes in the treatment of a range of nematode infections. Considering the increase in malaria resistance, attention has turned toward ivermectin as a candidate for repurposing for malaria. This study developed and validated an ivermectin physiology-based pharmacokinetic model in healthy adults (20-50 years), pediatric (3-5 years/15-25 kg) subjects, and a representative adult malaria population group (Thailand). Dosing optimization demonstrating a twice-daily dose for 3- or 5-day regimens would provide a time above the LC50 of more than 7 days for adult and pediatric subjects. Furthermore, to address the occurrence of CYP450 induction that is often encountered with antiretroviral agents, simulated drug-drug interaction studies with efavirenz highlighted that a 1-mg/kg once-daily dose for 5 days would counteract the increased ivermectin hepatic clearance and enable a time above LC50 of 138.8 h in adults and 141.2 h in pediatric subjects. It was also demonstrated that dosage regimen design would require consideration of the age-weight geographical relationship of the subjects, with a dosage regimen for a representative Thailand population group requiring at least a single daily dose for 5 days to maintain ivermectin plasma concentrations and a time above LC50 similar to that in healthy adults.