Population pharmacokinetics of the rilpivirine long-acting formulation after intramuscular dosing in healthy subjects and people living with HIV

Objectives: To characterize the population pharmacokinetics of the rilpivirine long-acting (LA) formulation after intramuscular administration.

Methods: Rich and sparse rilpivirine plasma concentration data were obtained from seven clinical studies. In total, 18 261 rilpivirine samples were collected from 986 subjects (131 healthy subjects from Phase I studies and 855 people living with HIV from Phase IIb/III studies). Doses ranged from 300 to 1200 mg, as single-dose or multiple-dose regimens (every 4 or 8 weeks). In Phase III studies, an initiation injection of 900 mg followed by continuation injections of 600 mg every 4 weeks was used. Non-linear mixed-effects modelling was performed using NONMEM® software.

Results: A one-compartment model with linear elimination and two parallel absorption pathways (fast and slow) with sequential zero-first-order processes adequately captured rilpivirine flip-flop pharmacokinetics after intramuscular administration of the LA formulation. The estimated apparent elimination half-life of rilpivirine LA was 200 days. None of the evaluated covariates (age, body weight, BMI, sex, race, health status and needle length) had a clinically relevant impact on rilpivirine pharmacokinetics.

Conclusions: The population pharmacokinetic model suitably describes the time course and associated variability of rilpivirine plasma concentrations after rilpivirine LA intramuscular administration. The monthly regimen consists of an oral lead-in period (rilpivirine 25 mg tablets once daily for 4 weeks), followed by an initiation injection of 900 mg rilpivirine LA, then 600 mg rilpivirine LA continuation injections monthly. The absence of a clinically relevant effect of covariates on rilpivirine pharmacokinetics suggests that rilpivirine LA dose adjustments for specific subgroups are not warranted.