Drug Development for Pediatric Populations: Regulatory Aspects

• Main Authors: Jochen Zisowsky, Jasper Dingemanse, Andreas Krause
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2010-11-01
• Series: Pharmaceutics
• Subjects: pediatrics; children; pediatric drug development; pediatric legislation; health authorities; regulatory guidelines; PIP; clinical studies; Modeling and Simulation; PK/PD modeling
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/2/4/364/

Pediatric aspects are nowadays integrated early in the development process of a new drug. The stronger enforcement to obtain pediatric information by the regulatory agencies in recent years resulted in an increased number of trials in children. Specific guidelines and requirements from, in particular, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) form the regulatory framework. This review summarizes the regulatory requirements and strategies for pediatric drug development from an industry perspective. It covers pediatric study planning and conduct, considerations for first dose in children, appropriate sampling strategies, and different methods for data generation and analysis to generate knowledge about the pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of a drug in children. The role of Modeling and Simulation (M&S) in pediatrics is highlighted—including the regulatory basis—and examples of the use of M&S are illustrated to support pediatric drug development.