[Dosing regimen rationalization of biapenem in pediatric patients: use of Monte Carlo simulation]

Biapenem has been used in pediatric patients as well as adult patients; however, little information is available on dosing regimens for pediatric patients. This study examined biapenem pharmacokinetics in pediatric population and performed pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic analysis. Biapenem plasma concentrations from 10 pediatric patients were pharmacokinetically analyzed. A multi-regression analysis showed the pharmacokinetic parameters were affected by body weight and creatinine clearance of the patients. Using the pharmacokinetic parameters, a Monte Carlo simulation predicted the probabilities of attaining the pharmacodynamic target (40% of the time above the minimum inhibitory concentration for the bacterium). In the case of about 20 kg, biapenem regimens of 5 mg/kg b.i.d. and 10 mg/kg b.i.d. provided sufficient target attainment probabilities against Streptococcus pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates, respectively. Our results should provide a PK-PD-based guidance for rationalizing biapenem regimen according to the body weight and renal function of a pediatric patient and the specific bacterium suspected.