Pharmacokinetics of Moxidectin combined with Albendazole or Albendazole plus Diethylcarbamazine for Bancroftian Filariasis

by Yashpal S. Chhonker, Catherine Bjerum, Veenu Bala, Allassane F. Ouattara, Benjamin G. Koudou, Toki P. Gabo, Abdullah Alshehri, Abdoulaye Me ïté, Peter U. Fischer, Gary J. Weil, Christopher L. King, Philip J. Budge, Daryl J. Murry Moxidectin (MOX) is a milbemycin endectocide recently approved by the U.S. FDA for the treatment of onchocerciasis in persons at least 12 years of age. MOX has been shown to have a good safety profile in recent clinical trials. The efficacy of MOX for the treatment of lymphatic filariasis (LF) and its potential use in mass drug administration protocols for the elimination of LF is currently under evaluation. In the context of a clinical trial, we investigated the pharmacokinetics and drug interactions of a combination of MOX plus albendazole (ALB) with or without diethylcarbamazine (DEC) compared to ivermectin (IVM) plus ALB with or without DEC in the following four different treatment arms: (I) IVM (0.2mg/kg) plus DEC (6 mg/kg) and ALB (400mg); (II) IVM plus ALB; (III) MOX (8 mg) plus DEC and ALB; and (IV) MOX plus ALB. Drug concentrations were determined using validated liquid chromatography-mass spectrometric methods. Pharmacokinetic parameters were determined using standard non-compartmental analysis methods. Statistical analysis was performed using JMP software. Fifty-eight of 164 study participants (53 men and five women) were included with ages ranging from 18 to 63 yrs (mean = 37). MOX apparent oral clearance (Cl/F) ranged from 0.7 to 1...
Source: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases - Category: Tropical Medicine Authors: Source Type: research