Carvedilol is a β
1-, β
1-, and α
1-adrenoreceptor blocker indicated for treatment of hypertension and mild-tosevere congestive heart failure. The objective
of this study was to develop and evaluate a single population model that describes
S(−)-carvedilol pharmacokinetics from both the immediate-release (IR) and the new controlled-release dosage forms of the racemate.
Carvedilol IR data (1270 measurements) were obtained from 2 open-label studies (50 mg/25 mg Q12 hours for 2 doses). Carvedilol
CR data (2058 measurements) were obtained from an open-label, nonrandomized, dose-rising (10, 20, 40, and 80 mg), 4-period
balanced crossover study. All data were simultaneously analyzed using NONMEM V. Leverage analysis and internal evaluations
were conducted for the final model. A 2-compartment model with first-order absorption and elimination provided the best fit.
The model included different absorption rates (KAs) for the CR and IR morning (IR
AM) and evening (IR
PM) doses; incorporating change-points at certain times. Estimates of KAs indicated that the absorption was slower at equivalent
times and extended for CR relative to IR carvedilol. Oral clearance of
S(−)-carvedilol was 149 L/h. The IR
PM and the CR doses had bioavailability (F
rel) of 0.80 and 0.76, respectively, relative to the IR
AM dose. The inter-subject variability in KAs was lower for the CR dosage form than the original IR dosage form. Estimation
of interoccasion variability on KAs and F
rel for the CR dosage form improved the fit. The model performed well in simulation and leverage analysis indicated its robustness.
The model will be a useful tool for future simulation studies.
Keywords Carvedilol - controlled-release - NONMEM - relative bioavailability - population analysis
Published: June 15, 2007
An erratum to this article is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02826252.