Pharmacokinetics of the anticonvulsant levetiracetam in neonatal foals.

This study explored the potential use of levetiracetam, an anticonvulsant medication, in newborn foals suffering from neurological conditions such as seizures. Dosing recommendations and methods of administration were evaluated

Objectives and Methodology

• The study aimed to establish the pharmacokinetic profile, or how the drug moves within the body, of levetiracetam in healthy newborn foals. This is crucial as dosage recommendations for adult horses or other species can’t be directly applied to foals due to differences in drug disposition and clearance dosages.
• Levetiracetam was administered in a single dose, intravenously (i.v.) or intragastrically, to six healthy foals age between 1-10 days. The drug’s concentration in the foals’ plasma was then measured using a validated High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) protocol.

Results

• Following intravenous administration, levetiracetam had an average elimination half-life of about 7.76 hours. The systemic clearance was 61.67 mL/h/kg, and the drug showed an apparent volume of distribution at steady state of 0.670 L/kg.
• When administered intragastrically, levetiracetam reached a peak concentration of 38.34 mg/L approximately 0.875 hours post-administration. The bioavailability of the drug via this route was found to be excellent (at 103.04%).
• No significant variances were discovered in terms of pharmacokinetic variables between different administration routes or order.

Conclusions

• The study, despite limitations such as small sample size and single-dose administration, concluded that levetiracetam has excellent intragastric bioavailability in foals.
• The results suggest that the anticonvulsant can maintain necessary plasma concentrations with both twice-daily intravenous or oral administration. It is also proposed that once-daily administration may be feasible in some foals based on the therapeutic range recommended in other species.
• The study highlights the potential of levetiracetam being a safe and cost-effective anticonvulsant treatment for neonatal foals suffering from neurological disorders like seizures.