In Vitro and In Vivo Drug Interaction Study of Two Lead Combinations, Oxantel Pamoate plus Albendazole and Albendazole plus Mebendazole, for the Treatment of Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis

The current treatments against Trichuris trichiura, albendazole and mebendazole, are only poorly efficacious. Therefore, combination chemotherapy was recommended for treating soil-transmitted helminthiasis. Albendazole-mebendazole and albendazole-oxantel pamoate have shown promising results in clinical trials. However, in vitro and in vivo drug interaction studies should be performed before their simultaneous treatment can be recommended. Inhibition of human recombinant cytochromes P450 (CYPs) CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, and CYP3A4 was tested by exposure to albendazole, albendazole sulfoxide, mebendazole, and oxantel pamoate, as well as albendazole-mebendazole, albendazole sulfoxide-mebendazole, albendazole-oxantel pamoate, and albendazole sulfoxide-oxantel pamoate. A high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC)-UV/visible spectroscopy method was developed and validated for simultaneous quantification of albendazole sulfoxide, albendazole sulfone, mebendazole, and oxantel pamoate in plasma. Albendazole, mebendazole, oxantel pamoate, albendazole-mebendazole, and albendazole-oxantel pamoate were orally applied to rats (100 mg/kg) and pharmacokinetic parameters calculated. CYP1A2 showed a 2.6-fold increased inhibition by albendazole-oxantel pamoate (50% inhibitory concentration [IC50] = 3.1 mu M) and a 3.9-fold increased inhibition by albendazole sulfoxide-mebendazole (IC50 = 3.8 mu M) compared to the single drugs. In rats, mebendazole's area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) and maximal plasma concentration (C-max) were augmented 3.5and 2.8-fold, respectively (P = 0.02 for both) when coadministered with albendazole compared to mebendazole alone. Albendazole sulfone was slightly affected by albendazole-mebendazole, displaying a 1.3-fold-elevated AUC compared to albendazole alone. Oxantel pamoate could not be quantified, translating to a bioavailability below 0.025% in rats. Elevated plasma levels of albendazole sulfoxide, albendazole sulfone, and mebendazole in coadministrations are probably not mediated by CYP-based drug-drug interaction. Even though this study indicates that it is safe to coadminister albendazole-oxantel pamoate and albendazole-mebendazole, human pharmacokinetic studies are recommended.