No abstract

Nimodipine is the only drug approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration for improving outcome after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). It has less than optimal efficacy, causes dose-limiting hypotension in a substantial proportion of patients, and is administered enterally 6 times daily. We describe development of site-specific, sustainedrelease nimodipine microparticles that can be delivered once directly into the subarachnoid space or cerebral ventricles for potential improvement in outcome of patients with aneurysmal SAH. Eight injectable microparticle formulations of nimodipine in poly(DL-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) polymers of varying composition were tested in vitro, and 1 was advanced into preclinical studies and clinical application. Intracisternal or intraventricular injection of nimodipine-PLGA microparticles in rats and beagles demonstrated dose-dependent, sustained concentrations of nimodipine in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid for up to 29 days with minimal toxicity in the brain or systemic tissues at doses <2 mg in rats and 51 mg in beagles, which would be equivalent of up to 612-1200 mg in humans, based on scaling relative to cerebrospinal fluid volumes. Efficacy was tested in the double-hemorrhage dog model of SAH. Nimodipine-PLGA microparticles significantly attenuated angiographic vasospasm. This therapeutic approach shows promise for improving outcome after SAH and may have broader applicability for similar diseases that are confined to body cavities or spaces, are self-limited, and lack effective treatments.

Generic and brand name antiretroviral drugs are becoming increasingly available in developing countries. We analyzed 6 antiretroviral medications from 4 international sources for drug content. The active ingredient in tested drug products was within 15% of the labeled amount (range, -12% to +15%) for drugs that were properly stored.

TLC provides a rapid, sensitive, and economical tool to qualitatively measure NVP in plasma. This method offers clinicians in resource-poor settings an alternative approach for measuring adherence, particularly in developing-world regions where NVP use is common and there is an immediate need to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission.

Considerable interpatient variability in indinavir pharmacokinetics, possibly due in part to variable metabolism of the drug through intestinal cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4, may contribute to poor virologic response in certain individuals with HIV infection. The purpose of this study was to characterize the influence of intestinal CYP3A4 modulation with grapefruit juice and Seville orange juice on indinavir pharmacokinetics. In an open‐label, three‐period crossover study, 13 healthy volunteers received indinavir 800 mg every 8 hours for 1 day and a single 800 mg dose the next morning. The last two indinavir doses were taken with 8 ounces of Seville orange juice, single‐strength grapefruit juice, or water (control). Plasma samples were collected at time 0 (predose) and at 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 hours after the last indinavir dose. Concentration‐time data were analyzed using noncompartmental methods. Coadministration of Seville orange juice and indinavir resulted in a statistically significant increase in indinavir tmax (1.87 [1.65‐2.22] vs. 1.25 [1.03‐1.60] h; p < 0.05) without altering other pharmacokinetic parameter values. Grapefruit juice administration did not result in any changes in indinavir pharmacokinetics. Modulation of intestinal CYP3A4 by grapefruit juice and Seville orange juice did not alter the systemic availability of indinavir. The contribution of presystemic metabolism to indinavir interpatient variability appears to be small.