Publication: Drug Design, Development and Therapy
Abstract
Flurbiprofen is widely used for postoperative pain management, but the population pharmacokinetics of its two enantiomers, particularly in cerebrospinal fluid, had not been well characterized alongside pharmacogenetic influences. This prospective study in 67 joint replacement patients collected plasma and cerebrospinal fluid samples to build population pharmacokinetic models for both flurbiprofen enantiomers using Phoenix NLME, examining the influence of 12 pharmacogenetic variants. ABCB1 polymorphisms significantly influenced clearance of the S(+)-enantiomer, while POR polymorphisms and body surface area influenced the R(-)-enantiomer, with both enantiomers showing larger volumes of distribution in cerebrospinal fluid than plasma. These findings on enantiomer-specific pharmacogenetic covariates may support future dose optimization and novel therapeutic approaches for flurbiprofen.
Author(s): Yao H, Luo X, Yuan J, Zhang H, An H, Feng Y.
Published: October 9, 2025
Phoenix NLME: Enantiomer-Specific Modeling
Phoenix NLME built separate population PK models for two drug enantiomers in this study, linking genetic variants to each isomer’s distinct clearance pathway. Phoenix NLME is the engine behind population PK/PD modeling, combining the flexibility of code with the ease of a guided interface, part of a Phoenix platform used across more than 170 academic institutions.
