Population Pharmacokinetics of Oxcarbazepine: A Systematic Review

Introduction Oxcarbazepine is commonly used as a first-line drug in the treatment of partial seizures. Due to the high pharmacokinetic variability of oxcarbazepine, many population pharmacokinetic models have been developed to optimise the dosing regimen of oxcarbazepine. Areas covered This review summarize the published population pharmacokinetic studies of oxcarbazepine in children and adults. The quality of the identified reports from the PubMed and Embase databases was also evaluated. We also explored the significant covariates that may have an impact on the dosage regimen and clinical use of oxcarbazepine. Expert Opinion The oxcarbazepine dose regimen was dependent on weight and co-administration with enzyme-inducing medications. In order to achieve more accurate treatment, we should establish PK / PD model of OXC to evaluate the effectiveness of dose adjustment from pharmacodynamic indicators. Furthermore, exploring the pharmacokinetic in specifical patients, such as infants is essential to improve its safety. Article highlights In this review, we identified weight, renal function, and co-administered medications as covariates that most likely to influence oxcarbazepine pharmacokinetics. Comparing to adult patients, paediatric patients show a higher clearance per kilogramme weigh which lead to higher doses per kilogramme; they may also require therapeutic drug monitoring owing to a larger variation in clearance. Further studies are essential to evaluate oxcarbazepine pharmacokinetics in special populations such as infants.