Chloroquine absorption in children from polyethylene glycol base suppositories.

Chloroquine phosphate (CP) has been formulated in a suppository base consisting of polyethylene glycol, PEG 1000 and PEG 6000 (7:3) with 0.5% polysorbate 80 included as an absorption promoter. Peak chloroquine blood levels in children (mean body weight 10 kg, age 21 months) were 0.67 +/- 0.08 micrograms/ml (after 200 mg CP) and 1.06 +/- 0.23 micrograms/ml (after 300 mg CP) following rectal administration of the suppositories. Prior to drug administration, the base level chloroquine was 0.30 +/- 0.02 micrograms/ml. Elimination half lives calculated from the rapid phase of log concentration-time curves were 3.3 h (after 200 mg CP) and 2.7 h (after 300 mg CP), respectively. Based on literature evidence the blood levels obtained with the 300 mg CP suppositories would be therapeutic in the management of malaria and rheumatoid disease.