Pharmacokinetics and therapeutic drug monitoring of antiretrovirals in pregnant women

Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2008 Aug;66(2):179-95. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.2008.03220.x. Epub 2008 May 15.

Abstract

Highly active antiretroviral therapy is recommended for HIV-infected pregnant women to prevent mother-to-child transmission. The specific physiological background induced by pregnancy leads to significant changes in maternal pharmacokinetics, suggesting potential variability in plasma concentrations of antiretrovirals during gestation. Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of protease inhibitors (PIs) and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) is recommended in certain situations, including pregnancy, but its systematic use in HIV-infected pregnant women remains controversial. This review provides an update of the pharmacokinetic data available for PIs and NNRTIs in pregnant women and highlights the clinical interest of systematic TDM of certain antiretroviral drugs during pregnancy, including nevirapine, nelfinavir, saquinavir, indinavir and lopinavir.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active
  • Drug Monitoring / methods*
  • Female
  • HIV Infections / drug therapy
  • HIV Infections / prevention & control*
  • HIV Infections / transmission
  • HIV Protease Inhibitors / pharmacokinetics*
  • HIV Protease Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / prevention & control*
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / drug therapy
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / prevention & control*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / pharmacokinetics*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Viral Load

Substances

  • HIV Protease Inhibitors
  • Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors