Comparison of Dietary Phosphate Absorption After Single Doses of Lanthanum Carbonate and Sevelamer Carbonate in Healthy Volunteers: A Balance Study

Background Lanthanum carbonate and sevelamer carbonate are noncalcium phosphate binders used to treat hyperphosphatemia in patients with chronic kidney disease. This is the first study to compare phosphate absorption from a standardized meal ingested with a typical clinical dose of these binders. Study Design Randomized open-label crossover study. Settings & Participants Healthy volunteers were confined to a clinical research center during 4 study periods. Of 31 volunteers randomly assigned, 19 completed all treatments and 18 were analyzed in the pharmacodynamic set (1 was excluded because of vomiting). Intervention Participants were assigned in random order to meal alone, meal plus lanthanum carbonate (1 tablet containing 1,000 mg of elemental lanthanum), and meal plus sevelamer carbonate (three 800-mg tablets). The gastrointestinal tract was cleared, the meal was ingested (± treatment), and rectal effluent was collected. In a fourth period, volunteers repeated the study procedures while fasting. Outcomes The primary end point, net phosphate absorption, was analyzed using a mixed-effect linear model. Measurements Phosphorus content of effluent and duplicate meal samples were measured using inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectroscopy. Results The standard meal contained ∼375 mg of phosphate, 75% of which was absorbed (net absorption, 281.7 ± 14.1 mg [adjusted mean ± standard error]). Lanthanum carbonate decreased net phosphate absorption by 45% (net absorption, 156.0 ± 14.2 mg) compared with 21% (net absorption, 221.8 ± 14.1 mg) for sevelamer carbonate ( P P Limitations A single-dose study. Conclusions In healthy volunteers, 1,000 mg of lanthanum carbonate decreased phosphate absorption by 45% compared with a 21% decrease with 2,400 mg of sevelamer carbonate.