Precision Medicine in Oncology: Imatinib Dosing in the Obese Cancer Population Using Virtual Clinical Trials

ABSTRACT This study investigates the impact of obesity on imatinib pharmacokinetics in cancer patients by utilizing physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling (PBPK) and virtual clinical trial approaches and evaluates the effectiveness of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM)–guided dose adjustment...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Khairulanwar Burhanuddin, Afzal Mohammed, Nurul Afiqah Burhanuddin, Raj K. S. Badhan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-06-01
Series:CPT: Pharmacometrics & Systems Pharmacology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/psp4.70018
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850100504826216448
author Khairulanwar Burhanuddin
Afzal Mohammed
Nurul Afiqah Burhanuddin
Raj K. S. Badhan
author_facet Khairulanwar Burhanuddin
Afzal Mohammed
Nurul Afiqah Burhanuddin
Raj K. S. Badhan
author_sort Khairulanwar Burhanuddin
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT This study investigates the impact of obesity on imatinib pharmacokinetics in cancer patients by utilizing physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling (PBPK) and virtual clinical trial approaches and evaluates the effectiveness of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM)–guided dose adjustment to recover the imatinib trough concentration (Cmin) into the target concentration. PBPK models were validated against clinical data from lean, overweight, and obese cancer populations. Simulations revealed significant physiological differences across body‐mass‐index categories, including higher body surface area, liver weight, and cardiac output in obese individuals, coupled with lower CYP3A4 enzyme activity and hematocrit levels, which translated into pharmacokinetic differences. Obese patients exhibited significantly lower imatinib maximum concentration and area‐under‐the‐curve values. Cmin levels, a key determinant of therapeutic response, were consistently lower in the obese cohort, with a greater proportion of individuals falling below the subtherapeutic threshold (< 750 ng/mL); nevertheless, the differences are not statistically significant. TDM‐guided dose adjustments improved Cmin levels across BMI groups. For patients with Cmin between 450 and 750 ng/mL, dose increases of 1.5–2.0 times effectively restored levels to the target range (750–1500 ng/mL). However, individuals with Cmin < 450 ng/mL often failed to achieve therapeutic levels, suggesting limited benefit from further dose escalation and a need for alternative therapies. This study underscores the importance of PBPK modeling and TDM in tailoring imatinib therapy for obese cancer patients by addressing physiological differences and optimizing dosing strategies for better outcomes.
format Article
id doaj-art-2528cab3089049b1bd43dc06800aa219
institution DOAJ
issn 2163-8306
language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series CPT: Pharmacometrics & Systems Pharmacology
spelling doaj-art-2528cab3089049b1bd43dc06800aa2192025-08-20T02:40:17ZengWileyCPT: Pharmacometrics & Systems Pharmacology2163-83062025-06-011461050106410.1002/psp4.70018Precision Medicine in Oncology: Imatinib Dosing in the Obese Cancer Population Using Virtual Clinical TrialsKhairulanwar Burhanuddin0Afzal Mohammed1Nurul Afiqah Burhanuddin2Raj K. S. Badhan3National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency, Ministry of Health Malaysia Petaling Jaya MalaysiaSchool of Pharmacy, College of Health and Life Science Aston University Birmingham UKDepartment of Mathematical Science, Science and Technology Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Bangi Selangor MalaysiaSchool of Pharmacy, College of Health and Life Science Aston University Birmingham UKABSTRACT This study investigates the impact of obesity on imatinib pharmacokinetics in cancer patients by utilizing physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling (PBPK) and virtual clinical trial approaches and evaluates the effectiveness of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM)–guided dose adjustment to recover the imatinib trough concentration (Cmin) into the target concentration. PBPK models were validated against clinical data from lean, overweight, and obese cancer populations. Simulations revealed significant physiological differences across body‐mass‐index categories, including higher body surface area, liver weight, and cardiac output in obese individuals, coupled with lower CYP3A4 enzyme activity and hematocrit levels, which translated into pharmacokinetic differences. Obese patients exhibited significantly lower imatinib maximum concentration and area‐under‐the‐curve values. Cmin levels, a key determinant of therapeutic response, were consistently lower in the obese cohort, with a greater proportion of individuals falling below the subtherapeutic threshold (< 750 ng/mL); nevertheless, the differences are not statistically significant. TDM‐guided dose adjustments improved Cmin levels across BMI groups. For patients with Cmin between 450 and 750 ng/mL, dose increases of 1.5–2.0 times effectively restored levels to the target range (750–1500 ng/mL). However, individuals with Cmin < 450 ng/mL often failed to achieve therapeutic levels, suggesting limited benefit from further dose escalation and a need for alternative therapies. This study underscores the importance of PBPK modeling and TDM in tailoring imatinib therapy for obese cancer patients by addressing physiological differences and optimizing dosing strategies for better outcomes.https://doi.org/10.1002/psp4.70018cancer obesityimatinibPBPKpharmacokineticsTDM
spellingShingle Khairulanwar Burhanuddin
Afzal Mohammed
Nurul Afiqah Burhanuddin
Raj K. S. Badhan
Precision Medicine in Oncology: Imatinib Dosing in the Obese Cancer Population Using Virtual Clinical Trials
CPT: Pharmacometrics & Systems Pharmacology
cancer obesity
imatinib
PBPK
pharmacokinetics
TDM
title Precision Medicine in Oncology: Imatinib Dosing in the Obese Cancer Population Using Virtual Clinical Trials
title_full Precision Medicine in Oncology: Imatinib Dosing in the Obese Cancer Population Using Virtual Clinical Trials
title_fullStr Precision Medicine in Oncology: Imatinib Dosing in the Obese Cancer Population Using Virtual Clinical Trials
title_full_unstemmed Precision Medicine in Oncology: Imatinib Dosing in the Obese Cancer Population Using Virtual Clinical Trials
title_short Precision Medicine in Oncology: Imatinib Dosing in the Obese Cancer Population Using Virtual Clinical Trials
title_sort precision medicine in oncology imatinib dosing in the obese cancer population using virtual clinical trials
topic cancer obesity
imatinib
PBPK
pharmacokinetics
TDM
url https://doi.org/10.1002/psp4.70018
work_keys_str_mv AT khairulanwarburhanuddin precisionmedicineinoncologyimatinibdosingintheobesecancerpopulationusingvirtualclinicaltrials
AT afzalmohammed precisionmedicineinoncologyimatinibdosingintheobesecancerpopulationusingvirtualclinicaltrials
AT nurulafiqahburhanuddin precisionmedicineinoncologyimatinibdosingintheobesecancerpopulationusingvirtualclinicaltrials
AT rajksbadhan precisionmedicineinoncologyimatinibdosingintheobesecancerpopulationusingvirtualclinicaltrials