Individualizing the Use of Medications in Children: Making Goldilocks Happy

Abstract

To date, implementation of precision medicine for children has been limited. Extrapolation of adult experience streamlines pediatric drug development programs, and physiologically based pharmacokinetic models aid pediatric dose selection on a population basis. To achieve clinically viable individualization of drug therapy, genotype-stratified pharmacokinetic studies can efficiently characterize the extremes of the dose-exposure relationship. Reducing variability in exposure through genotype-based dosing may improve identification of genetic factors contributing to response, ultimately improving drug therapy for children.