Examining the Role of Precision Medicine with Oral Baclofen in Pediatric Patients with Cerebral Palsy

Purpose of ReviewDespite its widespread use, oral baclofen requires a critical review of the pharmacology to determine potential precision medicine applications to improve medication administration. Discussing the dose -> exposure -> response relationship of oral baclofen allows a conceptual framework in which designing clinical trials would become more successful. This paper seeks to examine some of the areas where variability in exposures can exist and lead to undesired clinical responses.Recent FindingsSeveral factors are at play to implement precision medicine with oral baclofen in the pediatric patient with cerebral palsy. Variations in intestinal absorption, oral baclofen clearance, pharmacogenomic variants, and distribution of this medication into the cerebrospinal fluid cause differences in the amount of baclofen available at the GABA-B receptor site, causing a clinical response.SummaryOral baclofen has significant variability in disposition and clinical response. Research to determine the causes for this variability and controlling for these factors would allow improvement in clinical outcomes.