PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases (Dec 2020)

Population pharmacokinetics of ivermectin for the treatment of scabies in Indigenous Australian children.

  • Amanda Gwee,
  • Stephen Duffull,
  • Xiao Zhu,
  • Steven Y C Tong,
  • Noel Cranswick,
  • Brett McWhinney,
  • Jacobus Ungerer,
  • Joshua Francis,
  • Andrew C Steer

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0008886
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14, no. 12
p. e0008886

Abstract

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Ivermectin is a broad-spectrum antiparasitic agent used for the treatment and control of neglected tropical diseases. In Australia, ivermectin is primarily used for scabies and is licensed in children aged ≥5 years weighing >15 kg. However, young children, aged 15 kg. Doses of 200 μg/kg rounded to the nearest whole or half 3 mg tablet were given to children with scabies and ivermectin concentrations determined at two time points after dosing. A population pharmacokinetic model was developed using non-linear mixed effects modelling. A separate covariate database of children aged 2 to 4 years and weighing 5 years. The median simulated area under the concentration-time curve was 976 μg∙h/L. Using modelling, we have identified a dosing strategy for ivermectin in children aged 2 to 4 years and weighing less than 15 kg that can be prospectively evaluated for safety and efficacy.