Deferasirox pharmacokinetic evaluation in b-thalassaemia paediatric patients

Objectives Iron chelation in the transfusion-dependent anaemias management is essential to prevent end-organ damage and to improve survival. Deferasirox is a once-daily orally active tridentate selective iron chelator which pharmacokinetic disposition could influence treatment efficacy and toxicity. Therapeutic drug monitoring is an important tool for optimizing drug utilization and doses. Methods A fully validated chromatographic method was used to quantify deferasirox concentration in plasma collected from paediatric patients with beta-thalassaemia. Samples obtained after 5 days of washout or in naive patients before and after 2, 4, 6 and 24 h drug administration were evaluated. Key findings Associations between variables were tested using the Pearson test. Twenty paediatric patients were enrolled; they were mainly men (13.65%), with median age of 6.35 years and body mass index of 15.45 kg/m(2). Concerning pharmacokinetic parameters, a higher interindividual variability was shown. A positive, but not significant, correlation (r = 0.363; P = 0.115) was found between deferasirox area under the concentration curve over 24 h (AUC) and drug dose. Conclusions Monitoring plasma deferasirox concentrations appears beneficial for guiding appropriate patient treatment, enhancing effectiveness and minimizing toxicity.