Steady-State Pharmacokinetics of Intravenous Hydromorphone in Japanese Patients With Renal Impairment and Cancer Pain

The opioid analgesic hydromorphone has a low renal excretion ratio; however, exposure after oral administration is several times higher in those with moderate or severe renal impairment. We evaluated the impact of renal impairment on the steady-state pharmacokinetics of intravenously administered hydromorphone in patients with cancer being treated for pain. This was an open-label, prospective, parallel-comparison, interventional clinical pharmacology study. This study was conducted at one hospital in Japan. Using creatinine clearance (CLcr) values, patients were grouped according to kidney function: CLcr ≥90 mL/min (normal), 60-<90 mL/min (mild impairment), 30-<60 mL/min (moderate impairment), or <30 mL/min (severe impairment). Hydromorphone was administered by constant infusion to patients at the same constant dose rate as at the time of enrollment. Hydromorphone and its glucuronide metabolite concentrations in plasma and urine were measured by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Pharmacokinetic parameters at steady state were assessed using noncompartmental analysis. Thirty-two patients were enrolled (normal,  = 3; mild,  = 10; moderate,  = 15; and severe,  = 4). Adjusted geometric mean ratios for hydromorphone steady-state clearance (CLss) for patients with impaired versus normal renal function were 0.69 (90% confidence interval [CI], 0.41-1.14), 0.52 (90% CI, 0.31-0.84), and 0.55 (90% CI, 0.30-1.02) for mild, moderate, or severe impairment, respectively. Exposures to the metabolite hydromorphone-3-glucuronide generally increased with renal impairment. No adverse event was reported. Hydromorphone CLss in patients with impaired renal function (moderate and severe) was decreased ∼50% of that of normal renal function.