Population Pharmacokinetics of Diethylcarbamazine in Patients with Lymphatic Filariasis and Healthy Individuals

Diethylcarbamazine (DEC) is a key drug for treating and preventing lymphatic filariasis through mass drug administration, but its population pharmacokinetics in infected versus healthy individuals had not been directly compared. This study in 56 adults (32 infected, 24 uninfected) in Côte d’Ivoire built a population pharmacokinetic model using Phoenix NLME, examining covariates including infection status, body weight, sex, and renal and liver function. Body weight and gender were identified as significant covariates for DEC’s volume of distribution, with simulations showing body weight meaningfully affects drug exposure in both sexes. This population pharmacokinetic model supports future research into DEC drug-drug interactions within combination mass drug administration regimens for lymphatic filariasis.