Bioanalytical methods for pharmacokinetic studies of antileishmanial drugs

Abstract

Bioanalytical method development and validation for the quantification of antileishmanial drugs are pivotal to support clinical trials and provide the data necessary to conduct pharmacokinetic (PK) analysis. This review provides a comprehensive overview of published validated bioanalytical assays for the quantification of antileishmanial drugs amphotericin B, miltefosine, paromomycin, pentamidine, and pentavalent antimonials in human matrices. The applicability of the assays for leishmaniasis clinical trials as well as their relevance to PK studies with emphasis on the choice of matrix, calibration range, sample volume, sample preparation, choice of internal standards, separation, and detection was discussed for each antileishmanial drug. Given that no published bioanalytical methods included multiple antileishmanial drugs in a single assay although antileishmanial shortened combination regimens currently were under investigation, it was recommended to combine various drugs in a single bioanalytical method. Furthermore, bioanalytical method development regarding target site matrix as well as applying microsampling strategies was recommended to optimize future clinical PK studies in leishmaniasis.