Clinical Pharmacokinetics of Oxaliplatin: a Critical Review

Oxaliplatin (cis-[(1R,2R)-1,2-cyclohexanediamine-N,N'] oxalato(2-)-O,O'] platinum; Eloxatine) is a novel platinum coordination complex used for the treatment of metastatic colorectal carcinoma in combination with fluoropyrimidines. The objective of this review is to integrate the key data from multiple studies into a single, comprehensive overview of oxaliplatin disposition in cancer patients. The pharmacokinetics (PKs) of unbound platinum in plasma ultrafiltrate after oxaliplatin administration was triphasic, characterized by a short initial distribution phase and a long terminal elimination phase (t1/2, 252-273 h). No accumulation was observed in plasma ultrafiltrate after 130 mg/m2 every 3 weeks or 85 mg/m2 every 2 weeks. Interpatient and intrapatient variability in platinum exposure (area under the curve(0-48)) is moderate to low (33 and 5% respectively). In the blood, platinum binds irreversibly to plasma proteins (predominantly serum albumin) and erythrocytes. Accumulation of platinum in blood cells is not considered to be clinically significant. Platinum is rapidly cleared from plasma by covalent binding to tissues and renal elimination. Urinary excretion (53.8 +/- 9.1%) was the predominant route of platinum elimination, with fecal excretion accounting for only 2.1 +/- 1.9% of the administered dose 5 days postadministration. Tissue binding and renal elimination contribute equally to the clearance of ultrafilterable platinum from plasma. Renal clearance of platinum significantly correlated with glomerular filtration rate, indicating that glomerular filtration is the principal mechanism of platinum elimination by the kidneys. Clearance of ultrafilterable platinum is lower in patients with moderate renal impairment; however, no marked increase in drug toxicity was reported. The effect of severe renal impairment on platinum clearance and toxicity is currently unknown. Covariates such as age, sex, and hepatic impairment had no significant effect on the clearance of ultrafilterable platinum, and dose adjustment due to these variables is not required. Oxaliplatin undergoes rapid and extensive nonenzymatic biotransformation and is not subjected to CYP450-mediated metabolism. Up to 17 platinum-containing products have been observed in plasma ultrafiltrate samples from patients. These include several proximate cytotoxic species, including the monochloro-, dichloro-, and diaquo-diaminocyclohexane platinum complexes, along with several other noncytotoxic products. Oxaliplatin does not inhibit CYP450 isoenzymes in vitro. Platinum was not displaced from plasma proteins by a variety of concomitant medications tested in vitro, and no marked PK interactions between oxaliplatin, 5-fluorouracil, and irinothecan have been observed. These results indicate that the additive/synergistic antitumor activity observed with these agents is not due to major alterations in drug exposure, and the enhanced efficacy is likely to be mechanistically based. Together, these PK, biotransformation, drug-drug interaction analyses and studies in special patient populations provide a firm scientific basis for the safe and effective use of oxaliplatin in the clinic. These analyses also reveal that the pharmacological activity of oxaliplatin may be attributable, at least in part, to the unique pattern of platinum disposition observed in patients.