THE EFFECT OF CHOLESTYRAMINE ON THE PHARMACOKINETICS OF MELOXICAM, A NEW NONSTEROIDAL ANTIINFLAMMATORY DRUG (NSAID), IN MAN

The influence of multiple oral doses of cholestyramine on the single d ose pharmacokinetics of meloxicam has been studied in 12 healthy male volunteers. Each subject received on two occasions a single IV injecti on of meloxicam 30 mg. The cholestyramine group received the material suspended in water 3 times a day. Compared to controls, cholestyramine accelerated the elimination of meloxicam. The mean terminal phase eli mination half-life was reduced from 19.5 h to 12.7 h due to an increas e in clearance of the drug (0.426 vs 0.636 1 . h(-1)). Also, as a cons equence of increased clearance in the presence of cholestyramine, the mean residence time of the drug in the body was significantly decrease d (39%) P < 0.01. However, the volume of distribution for meloxicam wa s largely unaffected by cholestyramine which suggests that meloxicam u ndergoes gut recirculation. These changes RTP of the same magnitude as those previously reported for the structurally related piroxicam and are much smaller than those observed for tenoxicam.