Abstract

CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY OF THE AGENTS TO TREAT HIV INFECTION IN INFANTS AND CHILDREN

Gian Maria Pacifici*

ABSTRACT

The antiretroviral agents used in paediatric patients to treat HIV infection are zidovudine, abacavir, emtricitabine, lamivudine, stavudine, and tenofovir disoproxil. The dosing of children with these antiretroviral agents has been reviewed. The pharmacokinetics of zidovudine have been studied in children and zidovudine interrupts the transmission of HIV from the mother to the infant. The pharmacokinetics of abacavir have been studied in infants, the pharmacokinetics of emtricitabine have been studied in infants and children, and the pharmacokinetics of lamivudine have been studied in infants. Lamivudine prevents the transmission of hepatitis B virus from the mother to the infant. The pharmacokinetics of stavudine have been studied in infants and the pharmacokinetics of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate have been studied in children. The transfer of zidovudine, abacavir, stavudine, and tenofovir across the human placenta has been reviewed and the migration of zidovudine, abacavir, emtricitabine, lamivudine, stavudine, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate into the breast-milk has been reviewed. The aim of this study is to review the dosing, efficacy and safely, pharmacokinetics, transfer across the human placenta, and migration into the breast-milk of zidovudine, abacavir, emtricitabine, lamivudine, stavudine, and tenofovir disoproxil.

Keywords: abacavir, breast-milk, dosing, emtricitabine, lamivudine, pharmacokinetics, placental-transfer, stavudine, tenofovir-disoproxil, treatment, zidovudine.