2005 - 12

J Pharm Pharmacol. 2005 Dec;57(12):1539-54.

Clinical pharmacokinetics of the cyclooxygenase inhibiting nitric oxide donator (CINOD) AZD3582.

Fagerholm U, Bjarnsson MA. Clinical Pharmacology, AstraZeneca R&D Södertälje, S-151 85 Södertälje, Sweden.

The clinical pharmacokinetics of the COX-inhibiting nitric oxide donator (CINOD) AZD3582 and its metabolites, including naproxen, nitric oxide and nitrate, are summarized. AZD3582 has low aqueous solubility, moderate and passive intestinal permeability and is degraded by intestinal esterases. Its oral bioavailability (F) appears to be maximally a few per cent, and increases by several-fold after food intake. Ninety-four per cent or more of an AZD3582 dose is absorbed, of which at least 9-20% appears to be taken up as intact substance. AZD3582 has a predicted plasma protein binding degree of approximately 0.1%, a half-life (t1/2) of 3 to 10 h and does not accumulate after repeated once- and twice-daily dosing. In patients AZD3582 does not provide a significantly better gastrointestinal (GI) side-effect profile than the highly permeable and locally irritating naproxen. Possible reasons for this include considerable GI uptake as naproxen, limited duration and extent of nitric oxide donation in the GI mucosa and the circulation, tolerance development (involving auto-inhibition of nitric oxide catalysing enzymes) and mucosal damage caused by nitric oxide. Blood pressure data suggest that nitric oxide is mainly donated within 3 h. The uptake of naproxen is slightly slower and lower (> or = 94% relative GI uptake and 80-85% relative F) after AZD3582 administration compared with naproxen dosing. The naproxen t1/2 and trough steady-state concentrations after AZD3582 and naproxen dosing are similar. The average systemic nitrate exposure is approximately doubled after dosing of 375 to 750 mg AZD3582 twice daily.



Arthritis Rheum. 2005 Dec 15;53(6):827-37.

Comparison of the COX-inhibiting nitric oxide donator AZD3582 and rofecoxib in treating the signs and symptoms of Osteoarthritis of the knee.

Schnitzer TJ, Kivitz AJ, Lipetz RS, Sanders N, Hee A. Northwestern Center for Clinical Research, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of AZD3582 with that of rofecoxib, naproxen, and placebo in patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee, and to define the dosage of AZD3582 (125 mg, 375 mg, and 750 mg twice a day) that is noninferior in efficacy to rofecoxib. METHODS: A double-blind study of 672 patients with OA of the knee was conducted. Patients who experienced increased pain on withdrawal of analgesia were randomized to receive AZD3582 125 mg, 375 mg, or 750 mg twice a day; rofecoxib 25 mg once a day; naproxen 500 mg twice a day; or placebo for 6 weeks. Efficacy, tolerability, and safety were monitored throughout the study. The primary variable was the change in Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index pain subscale from baseline to the mean of weeks 4 and 6, comparing AZD3582 with placebo for superiority and with rofecoxib for noninferiority using a predefined margin of 10 mm. RESULTS: For the primary variable, AZD3582 375 mg and 750 mg were superior to placebo (least squares mean difference [95% confidence interval] -12 mm [-18, -6], P < 0.001 and -13 mm [-19, -7], P < 0.001, respectively) and were noninferior to rofecoxib (-2 mm [-8, 4], P < 0.001 and -3 mm [-9, 3], P < 0.001, respectively). AZD3582 125 mg was not significantly different from placebo for the primary variable. CONCLUSION: AZD3582 375 mg and 750 mg twice a day were superior to placebo and as effective as rofecoxib 25 mg/day in treating the signs and symptoms of OA of the knee. AZD3582 125 mg twice a day was not statistically different from placebo.



Inflammopharmacology. 2005;12(5-6):521-34.

NMI-1182, a gastro-protective cyclo-oxygenase-inhibiting nitric oxide donor.

Ellis JL, Augustyniak ME, Cochran ED, Earl RA, Garvey DS, Gordon LJ, Janero DR, Khanapure SP, Letts LG, Melim TL, Murty MG, Schwalb DJ, Shumway MJ, Selig WM, Trocha AM, Young DV, Zemtseva IS. NitroMed Inc., 125 Spring Street, Lexington, MA 02421-0781, USA.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used to treat inflammation and to provide pain relief but suffer from a major liability concerning their propensity to cause gastric damage. As nitric oxide (NO) is known to be gastro-protective we have synthesized a NO-donating prodrug of naproxen named NMI-1182. We evaluated two cyclo-oxygenase (COX)-inhibiting nitric oxide donors (CINODs), NMI-1182 and AZD3582, for their ability to be gastro-protective compared to naproxen and for their anti-inflammatory activity. NMI-1182 and AZD3582 were found to produce similar inhibition of COX activity to that produced by naproxen. Both NMI-1182 and AZD3582 produced significantly less gastric lesions after oral administration than naproxen. All three compounds effectively inhibited paw swelling in the rat carrageenan paw edema model. In the carrageenan air pouch model all three compounds significantly reduced PGE2 levels in the pouch exudate but only NMI-1182 and naproxen inhibited leukocyte influx. These data demonstrate that NMI-1182 has comparable anti-inflammatory activity to naproxen but with a much reduced likelihood to cause gastric damage.