Carisoprodol (Page 3 of 5)

11 DESCRIPTION

Carisoprodol tablets are available as 350 mg round, white tablets. Carisoprodol is a white, crystalline powder, having a mild, characteristic odor and a bitter taste. It is slightly soluble in water; freely soluble in alcohol, in chloroform, and in acetone; and its solubility is practically independent of pH. Carisoprodol is present as a racemic mixture.
Chemically, carisoprodol is (±)-2-Methyl-2-propyl-1,3-propanediol carbamate isopropylcarbamate and the molecular formula is C12 H24 N2 O4 , with a molecular weight of 260.33. The structural formula is:

Structural Formula

Other ingredients in the carisoprodol drug product include hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, lactose monohydrate, microcrystalline cellulose, sodium starch glycolate, stearic acid and talc.

12 CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY

12.1 Mechanism of Action

The mechanism of action of carisoprodol in relieving discomfort associated with acute painful musculoskeletal conditions has not been clearly identified.

In animal studies, muscle relaxation induced by carisoprodol is associated with altered interneuronal activity in the spinal cord and in the descending reticular formation of the brain.

12.2 Pharmacodynamics

Carisoprodol is a centrally acting skeletal muscle relaxant that does not directly relax skeletal muscles.

A metabolite of carisoprodol, meprobamate, has anxiolytic and sedative properties. The degree to which these properties of meprobamate contribute to the safety and efficacy of carisoprodol is unknown.

12.3 Pharmacokinetics

AbsorptionThe pharmacokinetics of carisoprodol and its metabolite meprobamate were studied in a crossover study of 24 healthy subjects (12 male and 12 female) who received single doses of 250 mg and 350 mg carisoprodol (see Table 2). The exposure of carisoprodol and meprobamate was dose proportional between the 250 mg and 350 mg doses. The Cmax of meprobamate was 2.5 ± 0.5 μg/mL (mean ± SD) after administration of a single 350 mg dose of carisoprodol, which is approximately 30% of the Cmax of meprobamate (approximately 8 μg/mL) after administration of a single 400 mg dose of meprobamate.

Table 2. Pharmacokinetic Parameters of Carisoprodol and Meprobamate (Mean ± SD, n=24)
250 mg Carisoprodol 350 mg Carisoprodol
Carisoprodol
Cmax (μg/mL)

1.2 ± 0.5

1.8 ± 1.0
AUCinf (μg* hr/mL)

4.5 ± 3.1

7.0 ± 5.0
Tmax (hr)

1.5 ± 0.8

1.7 ± 0.8
T½ (hr)

1.7 ± 0.5

2.0 ± 0.5
Meprobamate
Cmax (μg/mL)

1.8 ± 0.3

2.5 ± 0.5
AUCinf (μg* hr/mL)

32 ± 6.2

46 ± 9.0
Tmax (hr) 3.6 ± 1.7 4.5 ± 1.9
T½ (hr)

9.7 ± 1.7

9.6 ± 1.5

Absolute bioavailability of carisoprodol has not been determined. The mean time to peak plasma concentrations (Tmax ) of carisoprodol was approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.

Food Effect: Co-administration of a high-fat meal with carisoprodol (350 mg tablet) had no effect on the pharmacokinetics of carisoprodol. Therefore, carisoprodol may be administered with or without food.

Elimination
Metabolism: The major pathway of carisoprodol metabolism is via the liver by cytochrome enzyme CYP2C19 to form meprobamate. This enzyme exhibits genetic polymorphism (see Patients with Reduced CYP2C19 Activity below).

Excretion: Carisoprodol is eliminated by both renal and non-renal routes with a terminal elimination half-life of approximately 2 hours. The half-life of meprobamate is approximately 10 hours.

Specific Populations
Sex: Exposure of carisoprodol is higher in female than in male subjects (approximately 30-50% on a weight adjusted basis). Overall exposure of meprobamate is comparable between female and male subjects.

Patients with Reduced CYP2C19 Activity: carisoprodol should be used with caution in patients with reduced CYP2C19 activity. Published studies indicate that patients who are poor CYP2C19 metabolizers have a 4-fold increase in exposure to carisoprodol, and concomitant 50% reduced exposure to meprobamate compared to normal CYP2C19 metabolizers. The prevalence of poor metabolizers in Caucasians and African Americans is approximately 3-5% and in Asians is approximately 15-20%.

13 NONCLINICAL TOXICOLOGY

13.1 Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, Impairment of Fertility

Carcinogenesis
Long term studies in animals have not been performed to evaluate the carcinogenic potential of carisoprodol.

Mutagenesis
Carisoprodol was not formally evaluated for genotoxicity. In published studies, carisoprodol was mutagenic in the in vitro mouse lymphoma cell assay in the absence of metabolizing enzymes, but was not mutagenic in the presence of metabolizing enzymes. Carisoprodol was clastogenic in the in vitro chromosomal aberration assay using Chinese hamster ovary cells with or without the presence of metabolizing enzymes. Other types of genotoxic tests resulted in negative findings. Carisoprodol was not mutagenic in the Ames reverse mutation assay using S. typhimurium strains with or without metabolizing enzymes, and was not clastogenic in an in vivo mouse micronucleus assay of circulating blood cells.

Impairment of Fertility
Carisoprodol was not formally evaluated for effects on fertility. A published reproductive study in which female mice received carisoprodol orally at doses of 300, 750, or 1200 mg/kg/day (approximately 1, 2.6, and 4.1 times the MRHD of 1400 mg per day [350 mg QID] based on body surface area [BSA] comparison) from 1-week prior to mating, to 27-weeks post-mating found no alteration in fertility although an alteration in reproductive cycles characterized by a greater time spent in estrus was observed at a carisoprodol dose of 1200 mg/kg/day. In a 13­week toxicology study that did not determine fertility, mouse testes weight and sperm motility were reduced at a dose of 1200 mg/kg/day (maternal doses equivalent to 4.2-times the MRHD based on BSA comparison). In both studies, the no effect level was 750 mg/kg/day, corresponding to approximately 2.6-times the MRHD based on a BSA comparison. The significance of these findings for human fertility is not known.

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