The pharmacokinetics of irbesartan in renal failure and maintenance hemodialysis.

Purpose: An open-label, multiple-dose, parallel-group study was conducted to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of the angiotensin II receptor antagonist irbesartan in subjects with varying degrees of renal function.

Methods: Forty subjects were divided into four treatment groups on the basis of 24-hour creatinine clearance (CLCR): normal renal function (> 75 ml/min/1.73 m2), mild to moderate renal impairment (30 to 74 ml/min/1.73 m2), severe renal impairment (< 30 ml/min/1.73 m2), and maintenance hemodialysis. Subjects received 100 mg irbesartan daily for 8 days (or 300 mg daily for 9 days for the hemodialysis group). Serial blood and urine samples were collected for 24 hours after the first and last of eight successive daily doses. In addition, arterial and venous blood samples were collected during two hemodialysis sessions from subjects requiring maintenance hemodialysis.

Results: There was no statistically significant linear relationship between CLCR and maximum plasma concentrations, dose-adjusted area under the plasma concentration time curve values on days 1 or 8, or any other pharmacokinetic parameters among the renal function groups studied. There was no indication of drug accumulation with repetitive dosing. In the subjects receiving hemodialysis, arterial-venous concentration differences for irbesartan were negligible, suggesting that this compound is not cleared through hemodialysis. In addition, irbesartan was well tolerated.

Conclusion: Based on pharmacokinetic parameters, no starting dose adjustment is necessary in subjects with mild to severe renal impairment, inclusive of hemodialysis. Subjects with volume depletion may have an exaggerated response to an initial dose of irbesartan and, under such circumstances, volume depletion should be corrected or a lower starting dose of irbesartan should be considered.