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Benefit/risk considerations with respect to OTC-descheduling of loperamide.

The main criteria to be considered for releasing an antidiarrhoeal from a prescription to an OTC-drug are guaranteed quality control, established efficacy and safety and the evaluation of the drug experience on major markets. Besides the considerable benefits from a socio-economic point of view, the risk for potential inappropriate use of loperamide (CAS 53179-11-6) as self-medication can be minimized by its use being avoided in children of 5 years of age or less (e.g. by making available a solid formulation only), by limiting the treatment duration to 48 h, and by contraindicating the use of the drug in cases of fever (> 38 degrees C) and/or blood in the stools. On the basis of a broad review loperamide can be considered to be efficacious in acute non-specific, acute functional and traveller's diarrhoea. The agent has a good safety profile if the mentioned restrictions are born in mind. Loperamide thus satisfies the OTC criteria.

Adult↗

Loperamide: a new antidiarrheal agent in the treatment of chronic diarrhea.

Twenty-seven patients with chronic diarrhea due to Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, short bowel syndrome, and idiopathic (functional) causes participated in a multiphase study (open, double blind, and long term open) of loperamide HCl, a new single entity, oral antidiarrheal agent. In the open phase of the study, loperamide effectively relieved symptoms of diarrhea in 21 of 27 patients. The average number of stools dropped from eight in the initial relapse period to two stools after 1 month of treatment (P = 0.0001). Efficacy was confirmed in the double blind and long term open phases of the study. Four patients who were not relieved while on therapy had discontinued the drug because of abdominal cramping. No other side effects attributable to the drug were observed. Loperamide has been found to be a safe and effective agent for the treatment of chronic diarrhea.

Adult↗

Bioequivalence evaluation of two different oral formulations of loperamide (Diarex Lactab vs Imodium capsules).

Twenty-four healthy male volunteers were treated with two different oral formulations of loperamide according to a randomized two-way cross-over design. The test preparation was Diarex Lactab (Mepha), the reference preparation Imodium 2 mg capsules. Divided in two periods the volunteers received single 8 x 2 mg (= 16mg) doses of the test and reference formulation, respectively. Blood samples were taken immediately prior to each administration and at 14 points within 60 h after the dose. A wash-out period of 1 week was interpaused between successive drug doses. The plasma concentration of the pharmacologically active compound, loperamide, was determined by HPLC with electrochemical detection. The calibration function was linear in the range 0-10.0 ng/ml. A lower limit of quantification of 0.2 ng/ml was established. The pharmacokinetic parameters Cmax and tmax were obtained directly from plasma data. The elimination constant was estimated by log-linear regression of the measured concentrations in the terminal phase. AUC was calculated by the trapezoidal rule and extrapolated to infinity. The following mean values were obtained after intake of 16 mg loperamide as film coated tablets: AUC0 infinity 62.04 ngh/ml, Cmax 3.35 ng/ml, tmax 4.08 h, t1/2 19.66 h and after administration of the capsules: AUC0 infinity 66.56 ngh/ml, Cmax 3.98 ng/ml, tmax 4.38 h, t1/2 18.43 h. The pharmacokinetic parameters AUC0 infinity and Cmax were tested for bioequivalence parametrically (two one-sided t-tests) after logarithmic transformation of data. Differences of tmax were evaluated non-parametrically. The preparations were found to be bioequivalent and, therefore, interchangeable.

Administration, Oral↗

Metabolites of loperamide in rats.

Following intraperitoneal administration to rats of [14C]loperamide, [carbonyl-14] 4-(p-chlorophenyl)-4-hydroxy-N,N-dimethyl-alpha, alpha-diphenyl-1-piperidine butyramide, metabolites in feces and urine were separated, and identified by means of mass spectrometry. In feces, six metabolites were identified in addition to the unchanged drug. The main metabolic pathways involved are dealkylation in the dimethyl amide moiety to give desmethyl- and didesmethylloperamide, both of which were in turn monohydroxylated either in the alpha-phenyl ring or possibly in the alpha-carbon in the piperidine ring. It is noteworthy that metabolites hydroxylated in the piperidine ring were isolated as pyridinium derivatives, possibly due to spontaneous aromatization of its 2,4-dihydroxy-4-(p-chlorophenyl)piperidine ring. In urine, only two metabolites were found and identified to be desmethyl- and didesmethylloperamide, since [14C]loperamide was excreted into urine only in a small amount.

Animals↗

Effect of metoclopramide, bethanechol, and loperamide on gastric residence time, gastric emptying, and mouth-to-cecum transit time.

The effects of metoclopramide, bethanechol, and loperamide on the gastric residence time (GRT), gastric emptying (GE), and mouth-to-cecum transit time (MCTT) of a solution were investigated in three separate studies of five healthy male volunteers each. Metoclopramide in doses of 5, 10, and 15 mg prolonged GRT by 33, 88, and 162%, respectively, almost reaching statistical significance (p 0.058). A relationship was observed between GRT prolongation, and metoclopramide area under the plasma-time curve (p 0.01) and metoclopramide observed time to maximum concentration (p 0.01). Metoclopramide had an inconsistent effect on MCTT. Bethanechol 50 mg prolonged GRT by 64% (p 0.031) and had no effect on MCTT. Loperamide at doses of 2 and 8 mg prolonged GRT by 18 and 115% (p 0.043) and MCTT by 30 and 130% (p 0.0001), respectively. None of these motility-altering agents affected GE.

Adolescent↗

Loperamide reduces the intestinal secretion but not the mucosal cAMP accumulation induced by choleratoxin.

The effect of loperamide on net fluid transport and epithelial cAMP accumulation was tested in choleratoxin-exposed ligated colon loops of the rat in vivo. Purified choleratoxin (50 micrograms/ml saline, for 5 h) induced net secretion and doubled cAMP levels in comparison with saline-treated controls. Loperamide (4 mg/kg intragastrically) reduced this secretion by 75%, without diminishing cAMP accumulation; it had no effect on basal fluid transport or cAMP. The data suggest that the opiate analogue interferes with the secretory process at a point beyond the cAMP increase caused by activation of adenylate cyclase.

Animals↗

High-dose loperamide in the treatment of 5-fluorouracil-induced diarrhea in colorectal cancer patients.

Thirty-seven colorectal cancer patients with grade 1-4 diarrhea (NCICTC) caused by chemotherapy with 5-FU-containing regimens, received oral loperamide at the initial dose of 4 mg followed by 4 mg every 8 h (total dose 16 mg/24 h). Twenty-five patients (69%) were diarrhea-free and were considered to be treatment responders. Eight-four percent of the patients with grade 1 or 2 diarrhea achieved a response, but only 52% of those with grade 3-4 diarrhea. These data seem to suggest that high-dose loperamide is effective in patients with moderate diarrhea and can be regarded as the treatment of choice. The patients with more severe diarrhea did not respond so well, and should, perhaps, be given first-line treatment with more effective drugs, such as somatostatin analogues (e.g., octreotide).

Administration, Oral↗

The effect of loperamide on the thermal behavior of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine large unilamellar vesicles.

The effect of loperamide, a drug belonging to the opiate family, on dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine large unilamellar vesicles (DMPC LUV) was investigated by quasielastic light scattering (QLS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Both techniques show that, in the presence of loperamide, DMPC LUV undergoes a two step transition in cooling: one step around the transition point of pure lipid vesicles, the other at a lower temperature. The temperature of the latter step transition is different for the head and tail regions of the drug-containing vesicles: FT-IR spectra demonstrate that the hydrophobic acyl chains transition starts at a temperature well above that of the interfacial region whereas the transition of the entire vesicle, explored by QLS, is broad and covers both temperature ranges. These transitions are thermally reversible in the FT-IR which measures local order but aggregation effects prevent the thermal reversibility of the QLS results. The nature of the drug-lipid interaction is also discussed.

Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine↗

The effect of loperamide on prostaglandin induced diarrhoea in rat and man.

Loperamide, a new antidiarrhoeal compound, effectively antagonised prostaglandin induced diarrhoea in adult healthy male volunteers and in patients undergoing pregnancy termination with prostaglandins. This compound is effective in inhibiting prostaglandin induced fluid accumulation in the small intestine in rats. Loperamide also blocked smooth muscle stimulating action of prostaglandins, acetylcholine and histamine on gastrointestinal smooth muscle preparations from several laboratory animals.

Abortion, Induced↗

Physical stability of the amorphous state of loperamide and two fragment molecules in solid dispersions with the polymers PVP-K30 and PVP-VA64.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the impact of intermolecular forces on the stability of the amorphous state of loperamide and two of its fragment molecules (4-dimethylamino-N,N-dimethyl-2,2-diphenyl-butyramide (F1) and 4-(4-chlorophenyl)-4-piperidinol (F2)) in solid dispersions with PVP-K30 and PVP-VA64. The stability of originally homogeneous and amorphous dispersions was investigated under different storage conditions. The chemical stability of the compounds was evaluated with HPLC. TGA-analysis was used in order to assess the amount of water in the samples, whereas MT-DSC-measurements were performed to investigate changes in the physical state of the compounds caused by the storage procedure. TGA-analysis reveals a higher uptake of water in humid conditions of the dispersions with PVP-K30 in comparison to those with PVP-VA64, hereby reflecting the more hydrophilic nature of the former polymer. This water acts as a plasticizing agent resulting in an increased mobility and decreased glass transition temperature. Since the degree of supersaturation and the molecular mobility have an influence on the stability of the amourphous state, both parameters were assessed. With respect to the degree of supersaturation of the compounds in the dispersions, the materials seem to be very much alike. Therefore it was postulated that the induction of crystallization in the F1/polymer dispersions stored at high RH (52%) is due to higher molecular mobility of this compound in the dispersions in comparison to F2. The hydrogen bonds that are being formed between F2 and the polymers reduce its mobility and secure this compound from crystallization upon storage, thus indicating the importance of specific interactions with respect to stability issues of solid dispersions. No hydrogen bonds are formed between F1 and the polymers. As a result, the stability of the amorphous state of the compound is being compromised and crystallization takes place. Loperamide, that also does not form hydrogen bonds with the polymers, is less susceptible to crystallization due to its intrinsic good glass forming properties.

Calorimetry, Differential Scanning↗

Analgesic effects of loperamide in bone cancer pain in mice.

The intratibial inoculation of NCTC 2472 cells induces an osteosarcoma in C3H/HeJ mice. These mice show thermal hyperalgesic responses which may be blocked by the local administration of opiates over the tibial tumoral mass (Menéndez L, Lastra A, Hidalgo A, Meana A, Garcia E, Baamonde A. Peripheral opioids act as analgesics in bone cancer pain in mice. NeuroReport 2003b; 14:867-9). The aim of this report was to characterize the analgesic responses obtained by activating peripheral opioid receptors in bone cancer pain. Here, we initially describe that this osteosarcoma induces mechanical as well as thermal hyperalgesia. Loperamide, an opioid agonist unable to cross the blood-brain barrier, inhibits both thermal and mechanical hyperalgesia when s.c. injected, locally over the tibial tumoral mass (7.5-75 microg) or distantly, under the fur of the neck (4 mg/kg). These analgesic effects seem peripherally mediated since they are reverted by the administration of naloxone methiodide (10 mg/kg) and because the withdrawal latencies of the contralateral, non-affected, paws remain unaltered. Furthermore, only cyprodime (1 mg/kg) but not naltrindole (0.1 mg/kg) or nor-binaltorphimine (10 mg/kg) blocked these effects, showing the involvement of gamma-opioid receptors in the peripheral analgesia induced by loperamide on thermal and mechanical hyperalgesia. The advantages of using peripheral acting opiates -- devoid of central colateral effects -- for the treatment of cancer related pain are suggested.

Analgesics↗

Spectrophotometric determination of loperamide hydrochloride by acid-dye and charge-transfer complexation methods in the presence of its degradation products.

Two simple, sensitive and accurate spectrophotometric methods for the determination of loperamide hydrochloride (lop. HCl) are described. The first method is based on the formation of ion-pair association complex (1:1) with bromothymol blue (BTB), bromophenol blue (BPB) and naphthol blue black B (NBB). The coloured products are extracted into chloroform, and measured spectrophotometrically at 414 (BTB), 415 (BPB) and 627 nm (NBB). Beer's law was obeyed in the ranges of 5-35, 5-30 and 0.8-11.2 microg ml(-1) for BTB, BPB and NBB methods, respectively. The method was found to be specific for the analysis of the drug in presence of its degradation products which can be detected by HPLC procedure. The second method is based on the reaction of the basic loperamide with iodine in chloroform to give molecular charge-transfer complex with intense bands at 295 and 363 nm. Beer's law was obeyed in the ranges 2.5-17.5 and 2.5-22.5 microg ml(-1) for the method at 295 and 363 nm, respectively. Optimization of the different experimental conditions are described for both methods. The proposed methods have been applied successfully for the analysis of the drug in pure form and in its dosage forms. The methods have the advantage of being highly sensitive and simple for the determination of a small dose drug, which is also a weak UV-absorbing compound.

Acids↗

Racecadotril versus loperamide: antidiarrheal research revisited.

Racecadotril is an enkephalinase inhibitor, presented as a purely antisecretory agent with advantages over the opiate-receptor agonist loperamide in the treatment of diarrhea. A critical review of the literature and the models used was performed. Although pretreatment with high doses of racecadotril reduced cholera toxin-induced secretion and although clinical efficacy was demonstrated in young infants--a population characterized by 10-fold higher plasma enkephalin concentrations compared with adults, the analysis calls into question the peripheral antisecretory selectivity and relative clinical efficacy. Conversely, loperamide can be proposed as an antisecretory agent at therapeutic concentrations. Its efficacy is well established in acute and chronic diarrhea. Current experimental and clinical comparative studies of both drugs have problems with regard to the selection of the doses, the validity of models, and/or the trial design. The conclusion is that more research is needed before reliable conclusions can be drawn on the place of racecadotril in diarrhea treatment.

Adolescent↗

Use of loperamide as a phenotypic probe of mdr1a status in CF-1 mice.

PURPOSE: A subpopulation of the CF-1 mouse strain (approximately 25%) lacks P-gp expression, and consequently, increased brain penetration of many substrates is observed in these animals. Mice lacking the mdr1a gene represent an important research tool to study the potential effects of P-gp on CNS substrate disposition. METHODS: Adult CF-1 mice were used in all experiments. Loperamide-induced antinociception was determined by the hotplate latency test at 0.25, 2, and 4 h post-dose. At the conclusion of the pharmacodynamic experiment(s), trunk blood and brain tissue were collected and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Mice were also genotyped for their mdrla status via RT-PCR. RESULTS: All mice with three consecutive effects of maximum hotplate latency (60 s) showed considerable opioid-like behavior in addition to antinociception. Mice without three consecutive effects of maximum hotplate latency (< or = 30 s) showed no opioid-like behavior. The loperamide brain-to-serum ratio in mice identified as P-gp-deficient was 65-fold higher compared to the P-gp-competent animals (10.1 +/- 1.0 vs. 0.155 +/- 0.018). All animals identified as phenotypically P-gp-competent based on the hotplate assay evidenced the mdrla(+/+) genotype. CONCLUSION: This assay appears to offer a rapid and unambiguous measure via a relatively non-invasive, simple technique to identify P-gp status in the CF-1 subpopulation of mice.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B↗

Loperamide as a symptomatic treatment in pediatric surgery: a double-blind cross-over study.

The effects of oral loperamide, in doses of 2-6 mg per day, on the stool consistency, daily number of bowel movements and general inconvenience was investigated in seven children and juveniles suffering from incontinence and abnormal bowel habits due to congenital abnormalities. The study was conducted as a double-blind, cross-over analysis. According to the data collected loperamide essentially improves the quality of life of these patients.

Adolescent↗

Prostaglandin-induced diarrhoea treated with loperamide or diphenoxylate. A double-blind study.

Loperamide was compared double-blind with diphenoxylate and a placebo in 59 women with diarrhoea due to prostaglandin administration for mid-trimester abortion. Treatment was started with the intake of two capsules two hours before the first intramuscular injection of 15(S-)15 methyl prostaglandin F2alpha and was then adapted individually, i.e. one capsule after each unformed stool, with a maximum of ten per 24 hours. Both antidiarrhoeals were significantly more effective than the placebo in preventing diarrhoea, and loperamide was found to be more active than diphenoxylate. The course of abortion, BP and vital signs, or prostaglandin side-effects other than diarrhoea were not affected by either antidiarrhoeal, nor could any adverse experience be specifically attributed to them.

Abortion, Induced↗

High dose loperamide suppositories: a novel approach for improving clinical function after restorative proctocolectomy.

The effect of loperamide suppositories on patients following restorative proctocolectomy was studied by means of a randomized, double-blind, crossover trial comparing active suppositories (20 mg b.d. x 1 week) with placebo. Ten patients (8 male, 2 female; 7 J pouch, 3 W pouch; 8 ulcerative colitis, 2 familial adenomatous polyposis) were studied 3-60 months (median, 31.5) after ileostomy closure. Ages ranged from 24 to 63 years (medium, 41.5). All patients kept a diary of their bowel habits and eight underwent a standardized test of pouch compliance. Urgency volume (UV) and maximum tolerable volumes (MTV) and the volume at onset of large isolated pouch contractions (LIC) were recorded. Statistical analysis was by the Wilcoxon test for paired data. Mean daily stool frequency during the placebo phase ranged from 3.7 to 7.8. It was reduced during the active phase in only seven patients (P > 0.1) but was reduced in all six patients whose placebo phase stool frequency was five or more. Urgency volume was increased by use of active suppositories in six of the eight patients tested (P > 0.01). There was no consistent effect on MTV. Large isolated pouch contractions were not seen in either test in one patient. In all of the remaining seven patients LIC were recorded after the placebo phase. After the active phase LIC first appeared at higher volumes in three but were not seen at all in four patients. High dose loperamide suppositories suppress pouch contractions and tend to lower stool frequency especially when high initially. They represent a novel therapeutic approach to high stool frequency in pouch patients.

Adult↗