Lopinavir/Ritonavir Pharmacokinetic Profile: Impact of Sex and Other Covariates Following a Change From Twice‐Daily to Once‐Daily Therapy

The aim of this study was to determine the impact of sex on the pharmacokinetics of lopinavir/ritonavir. Interaction between lopinavir/ritonavir and tenofovir was also evaluated. Steady-state plasma samples were obtained from virologically suppressed HIV-infected patients on lopinavir/ritonavir 800/200-mg soft gel capsule taken once daily. Drug assays were performed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Pharmacokinetic parameters estimated by noncompartmental method were reported as 90% confidence intervals (CIs) about the geometric mean ratio (GMR). There were 9 males and 11 females. No sex differences were observed in lopinavir/ritonavir pharmacokinetics profile. The GMR(sex) (women compared with men) for lopinavir area under the concentration-time curve (AUC(24)), maximum concentration (C(max)), and minimum concentration (C(min)) was 0.95 (90% CI, 0.70-1.29), 0.88 (90% CI, 0.67-1.15), and 1.27 (90% CI, 0.60-2.66), respectively. Similarly, the GMR(sex) for ritonavir AUC(24), C(max), and C(min) was 0.84 (90% CI, 0.57-1.24), 0.79 (90% CI, 0.50-1.22), and 1.02 (90% CI, 0.58-1.80), respectively. Tenofovir coadministration led to a reduction in lopinavir/ritonavir plasma exposure, giving a lopinavir GMR(tenofovir) for C(max) of 0.72 (90% CI, 0.57-0.93) and AUC(24) of 0.74 (90% CI, 0.56-0.98), respectively. No difference in lopinavir/ritonavir plasma concentrations between sexes was demonstrated in this study. However, tenofovir coadministration lowered lopinavir/ritonavir plasma exposure.