[Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of ceftaroline]

Ceftaroline is administered intravenously in the form of a prodrug, ceftaroline fosamil, which is rapidly hydrolyzed by plasma phosphatases to its active form, ceftaroline. In general, the pharmacokinetics of ceftaroline differ little from those of other cephalosporins. A proportional increase in both the peak plasma concentration (Cmax) and the area under the curve (AUC) have been observed when the drug is administered in increasing doses, which demonstrates its linear pharmacokinetics. Half the dose of ceftaroline is excreted actively through the kidneys. The pharmacokinetic parameters of ceftaroline administered through the intramuscular route in diverse animal species were similar to those observed when the drug was administered intravenously and consequently clinical research into ceftaroline administered through this alternative route would be appropriate. Patients with moderate-severe alterations of renal function and those undergoing hemodialysis require dose adjustments. There is limited experience of the pharmacokinetics of ceftaroline in children, which has given rise to several schedules stratified by age groups. The pharmacodynamics of the drug have been studied in models of animal infection and in in vitro infections caused mainly by Staphylococcus aureus (including methicillin-resistant S. aureus [MRSA], strains with intermediate vancomycin sensitivity [hVISA or hGISA]) and by Streptococcus pneumoniae strains with distinct sensitivities to penicillin. Because ceftaroline is a time-dependent antibiotic, the most widely studied pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) indicator is the time interval during which drug concentrations are maintained above the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), calculated both as total drug (T > MIC) and as free fraction of the drug (fT > MIC). The PK/PD simulations carried out in these models, developed on the basis of the concentrations obtained with routine doses in humans, have shown that ceftaroline has a good PK/PD profile against these microorganisms, including strains with reduced sensitivity to vancomycin, linezolid, and daptomycin.