CLINICAL PHARMACOKINETICS OF LANSOPRAZOLE

Lansoprazole, a benzimidazole derivative with antisecretory and antiul cer activities, inhibits the acid pump activity at the final stage of the enzyme process and therefore reduces the acid secretion of parieta l cells. Lansoprazole is converted to active metabolites in the acid e nvironment of these cells, It is rapidly absorbed from a gastric acid- resistant formulation and is approximately 97% bound in human plasma. Single dose pharmacokinetics of lansoprazole appear to be linear over the range from 15 to 60mg. Food and time of dose influence absorption after single doses, but do not modify the antisecretory effect of mult iple doses. Lansoprazole is extensively metabolised following oral adm inistration into sulphone and 5-hydroxylated metabolites by the cytoch rome P450 enzymes CYP3A4 and CYP2C18. Two other metabolites have been identified in plasma: sulphide and hydroxylated sulphone. Mean plasma elimination half-life (t1/2) is between 1.3 and 2.1 hours in healthy v olunteers. 15 to 23% of the total dose is found in urine as free and c onjugated hydroxylated metabolites, while unchanged lansoprazole is no t detected. The pharmacokinetic profile of the drug is not modified by multiple administration. In healthy elderly volunteers, area under th e plasma concentration-time curve (AUG) and t1/2 are significantly gre ater after single administration than that in young volunteers; accumu lation from repeated daily administration occurs to the same extent as in young volunteers. Renal failure has no influence on the pharmacoki netics of lansoprazole, but severe hepatic failure causes a significan t decrease in clearance and an increase in the AUC and t1/2 of lansopr azole. This is accompanied by modifications in the AUC of metabolites, but severe hepatic failure has minimal effect on accumulation of the drug after multiple administration: The pharmacokinetics of lansoprazo le in patients with acid-related disorders do not differ from those in healthy volunteers. Studies of interactions of lansoprazole with warf arin, prednisone, theophylline, phenazone (antipyrine), diazepam, phen ytoin and oral contraceptives suggest minimal risk of any clinically s ignificant interaction.