The EINSTEIN-Jr program will evaluate rivaroxaban for the treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in children, targeting exposures similar to the 20 mg once-daily dose for adults.This was a multinational, single-dose, open-label, phase I study to describe the pharmacodynamics (PD), pharmacokinetics (PK) and safety of a single bodyweight-adjusted rivaroxaban dose in children aged 0.5-18 years. Children who had completed treatment for a venous thromboembolic event were enrolled into four age groups (0.5-2 years, 2-6 years, 6-12 years and 12-18 years) receiving rivaroxaban doses equivalent to 10 mg or 20 mg (either as a tablet or oral suspension). Blood samples for PK and PD analyses were collected within specified time windows.Fifty-nine children were evaluated. In all age groups, PD parameters (prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time and anti-Factor Xa activity) showed a linear relationship versus rivaroxaban plasma concentrations and were in line with previously acquired adult data, as well as in vitro spiking experiments. The rivaroxaban pediatric physiologically based pharmacokinetic model, used to predict the doses for the individual body weight groups, was confirmed. No episodes of bleeding were reported, and treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in four children and all resolved during the study.Bodyweight-adjusted, single-dose rivaroxaban had predictable PK/PD profiles in children across all age groups from 0.5 to 18 years. The PD assessments based on prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time demonstrated that the anticoagulant effect of rivaroxaban was not affected by developmental hemostasis in children.ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01145859.
Essentials In this crossover study the anticoagulant effects of rivaroxaban and apixaban were compared. Healthy volunteers received rivaroxaban 20 mg once daily or apixaban 5 mg twice daily. Rivaroxaban was associated with more prolonged inhibition of thrombin generation than apixaban. Rivaroxaban induced a clear prolongation of prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time.Background The anticoagulant actions of the oral direct activated factor Xa inhibitors, rivaroxaban and apixaban, have not previously been directly compared. Objectives To compare directly the steady-state pharmacokinetics and anticoagulant effects of rivaroxaban and apixaban at doses approved for stroke prevention in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. Methods Twenty-four healthy Caucasian male volunteers were included in this open-label, two-period crossover, phase 1 study (EudraCT number: 2015-002612-32). Volunteers were randomized to receive rivaroxaban 20 mg once daily or apixaban 5 mg twice daily for 7 days, followed by a washout period of at least 7 days before they received the other treatment. Plasma concentrations and anticoagulant effects were measured at steady state and after drug discontinuation. Results Overall exposure was similar for both drugs: the geometric mean area under the plasma concentration-time curve for the 0-24-h interval was 1830 μg h L-1 for rivaroxaban and 1860 μg h L-1 for apixaban. Rivaroxaban was associated with greater inhibition of endogenous thrombin potential (geometric mean area under the curve relative to baseline during the 0-24-h interval: 15.5 h versus 17.5 h) and a more pronounced maximal prolongation relative to baseline of prothrombin time (PT) (1.66-fold versus 1.14-fold) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) (1.43-fold versus 1.16-fold) at steady state than apixaban. Conclusions Despite similar exposure to both drugs, rivaroxaban 20 mg once daily was associated with greater and more sustained inhibition of thrombin generation than apixaban 5 mg twice daily. Sensitive PT and APTT assays can be used to estimate the anticoagulant effects of rivaroxaban.
Ecological, toxicological, and pharmacological research is often concerned with the answer to the question of how a substance is processed within a biological system. The exact knowledge of the corresponding kinetic pattern forms the basis for a useful answer. In order to identify non-linear kinetics, a first-order approximation method is proposed for complexity-reduction. A simulation study is presented to investigate the error of the approximation in case of a simple Michaelis-Menten kinetic process. The proposed method shows to give useful results which allow to characterize the underlying kinetic pattern. Furthermore it could be shown that in simulating kinetic processes the applied numerical methods may perform with considerable numerical instabilities.
Rivaroxaban is an oral, direct Factor Xa inhibitor that targets free and clot-bound Factor Xa and Factor Xa in the prothrombinase complex. It is absorbed rapidly, with maximum plasma concentrations being reached 2–4 h after tablet intake. Oral bioavailability is high (80–100 %) for the 10 mg tablet irrespective of food intake and for the 15 mg and 20 mg tablets when taken with food. Variability in the pharmacokinetic parameters is moderate (coefficient of variation 30–40 %). The pharmacokinetic profile of rivaroxaban is consistent in healthy subjects and across a broad range of different patient populations studied. Elimination of rivaroxaban from plasma occurs with a terminal half-life of 5–9 h in healthy young subjects and 11–13 h in elderly subjects. Rivaroxaban produces a pharmacodynamic effect that is closely correlated with its plasma concentration. The pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic relationship for inhibition of Factor Xa activity can be described by an E max model, and prothrombin time prolongation by a linear model. Rivaroxaban does not inhibit cytochrome P450 enzymes or known drug transporter systems and, because rivaroxaban has multiple elimination pathways, it has no clinically relevant interactions with most commonly prescribed medications. Rivaroxaban has been approved for clinical use in several thromboembolic disorders.
To investigate the influence of food and administration of an antacid (aluminum-magnesium hydroxide) or ranitidine on the absorption of BAY 59-7939 (rivaroxaban), 4 randomized studies were performed in healthy male subjects. In 2 food interaction studies, subjects received BAY 59-7939, either as two 5-mg tablets (fasted and fed), four 5-mg tablets (fasted), or one 20-mg tablet (fasted and fed). In 2 drug interaction studies, BAY 59-7939 (six 5-mg tablets) was given alone or with ranitidine (150 mg twice daily, preceded by a 3-day pretreatment phase) or antacid (10 mL). Plasma samples were obtained to assess pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters of BAY 59-7939. In the presence of food, time to maximum concentration (t(max)) was delayed by 1.25 hours; maximum concentration (C(max)) and area under the curve (AUC) were increased, with reduced interindividual variability at higher doses of BAY 59-7939. Compared with baseline, BAY 59-7939 resulted in a relative increase in maximum prothrombin time (PT) prolongation of 44% (10 mg) and 53% (20 mg) in the fasted state, compared with 53% and 83% after food. Time to maximum PT prolongation was delayed by 0.5 to 1.5 hours after food, with no relevant influence of food type. No significant difference in C(max) and AUC was observed with coadministration of BAY 59-7939 and ranitidine or antacid.
