Population pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics of minocycline plus rifampicin in patients with complicated skin and skin structure infections caused by MRSA

Abstract Background The population pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) of minocycline, rifampicin and linezolid in patients with complicated skin and soft tissue infections (cSSTIs) caused by MRSA are described. Methods Samples were collected in a Phase 4 study of oral minocycline plus rifampicin versus linezolid showing minocycline plus rifampicin to be non-inferior to linezolid. Antibiotics were assayed by HPLC or LC-MS, and a population PK model was developed using Pmetrics. The association between PK/PD indices and patient outcomes was explored. Results A three-compartment model (with an absorption compartment) with first-order input and elimination best described the data for the three drugs. No covariates were included in the final model. The population median values (95% credibility limits) of the clearance and volume of distribution were 7.412 L/h (5.121–8.361) and 14.155 L (6.799–33.901) for minocycline, 5.683 L/h (3.703–7.726) and 7.736 L (6.031–8.948) for rifampicin, and 1.970 L/h (1.326–2.499) and 20.169 L (12.857–32.629) for linezolid, respectively. Maximum a posteriori probability-Bayesian estimation plots of observed versus predicted had a slope of 0.999 r20.967 for minocycline, slope 0.998 r20.769 for rifampicin and slope 0.998 r20.895 for linezolid. PK/PD indices were not related to clinical outcome. Taking a translational minocycline fAUC24h/MIC target of >0.5 for minocycline in the presence of rifampicin, 96% (49/51) of patients reached the target. Conclusions Population PK models of minocycline, rifampicin and linezolid were developed in patients with MRSA cSSTI and almost all patients reached the predefined PD index targets. As a result, neither AUC, MIC nor the AUC/MIC ratio could be related to clinical outcome.