Isosorbide Mononitrate 30 mg, Metoprolol Tartrate 25 mg (SR) Tablets

Metoprolol is a beta 1-selective (cardioselective) adrenergic receptor blocking agent. This preferential effect is not absolute, however, and at higher plasma concentrations, metoprolol also inhibits beta 2-adrenoreceptors, chiefly located in the bronchial and vascular musculature.

Metoprolol has no intrinsic sympathomimetic activity, and membrane-stabilizing activity is detectable only at plasma concentrations much greater than required for beta-blockade. Animal and human experiments indicate that metoprolol slows the sinus rate and decreases AV nodal conduction.

The relative beta 1-selectivity of metoprolol has been confirmed by the following: (1) In normal subjects, metoprolol is unable to reverse the beta 2-mediated vasodilating effects of epinephrine. This contrasts with the effect of nonselective beta-blockers, which completely reverse the vasodilating effects of epinephrine. (2) In asthmatic patients, metoprolol reduces FEV 1and FVC significantly less than a nonselective beta-blocker, propranolol, at equivalent beta 1-receptor blocking doses.

Hypertension:The mechanism of the antihypertensive effects of beta-blocking agents has not been elucidated. However, several possible mechanisms have been proposed: (1) competitive antagonism of catecholamines at peripheral (especially cardiac) adrenergic neuron sites, leading to decreased cardiac output; (2) a central effect leading to reduced sympathetic outflow to the periphery; and (3) suppression of renin activity.

Angina Pectoris:By blocking catecholamine-induced increases in heart rate, in velocity and extent of myocardial contraction, and in blood pressure, metoprolol reduces the oxygen requirements of the heart at any given level of effort, thus making it useful in the long-term management of angina pectoris.

Heart Failure:The precise mechanism for the beneficial effects of beta-blockers in heart failure has not been elucidated.

Absorption — The peak plasma levels following once-daily administration of metoprolol succinate extended-release tablets average one-fourth to one-half the peak plasma levels obtained following a corresponding dose of conventional metoprolol, administered once daily or in divided doses. At steady state the average bioavailability of metoprolol following administration of metoprolol succinate extended-release tablets, across the dosage range of 50 to 400 mg once daily, was 77% relative to the corresponding single or divided doses of conventional metoprolol.

The bioavailability of metoprolol shows a dose-related, although not directly proportional, increase with dose and is not significantly affected by food following metoprolol succinate extended-release tablets administration.

The peak plasma levels following oral administration of conventional metoprolol tablets, however, approximate 50% of levels following intravenous administration, indicating about 50% first-pass metabolism.

Distribution — Metoprolol crosses the blood-brain barrier and has been reported in the CSF in a concentration 78% of the simultaneous plasma concentration. Only a small fraction of the drug (about 12%) is bound to human serum albumin.

Metabolism — Metoprolol is a racemic mixture of R- and S- enantiomers and is primarily metabolized by CYP2D6. When administered orally, it exhibits stereoselective metabolism that is dependent on oxidation phenotype.

Elimination — Elimination is mainly by biotransformation in the liver, and the plasma half-life ranges from approximately 3 to 7 hours. Less than 5% of an oral dose of metoprolol is recovered unchanged in the urine; the rest is excreted by the kidneys as metabolites that appear to have no beta-blocking activity.

Following intravenous administration of metoprolol, the urinary recovery of unchanged drug is approximately 10%.

Patients with Renal Impairment — The systemic availability and half-life of metoprolol in patients with renal failure do not differ to a clinically significant degree from those in normal subjects.

Pediatric Patients — The pharmacokinetic profile of metoprolol succinate extended-release tablets was studied in 120 pediatric hypertensive patients (6 to 17 years of age) receiving doses ranging from 12.5 to 200 mg once daily. The pharmacokinetics of metoprolol were similar to those described previously in adults. Metoprolol pharmacokinetics have not been investigated in patients < 6 years of age.

Body Weight, Age, and Race — Metoprolol apparent oral clearance (CL/F) increased linearly with body weight. Age, gender, and race had no significant effects on metoprolol pharmacokinetics.

CYP2D6 — Metoprolol is metabolized predominantly by CYP2D6. In healthy subjects with CYP2D6 extensive metabolizer phenotype, coadministration of quinidine 100 mg, a potent CYP2D6 inhibitor, and immediate-release metoprolol 200 mg tripled the concentration of S-metoprolol and doubled the metoprolol elimination half-life. In four patients with cardiovascular disease, coadministration of propafenone 150 mg t.i.d. with immediaterelease metoprolol 50 mg t.i.d. resulted in steady-state concentration of metoprolol 2- to 5-fold what is seen with metoprolol alone. Extensive metabolizers who concomitantly use CYP2D6 inhibiting drugs will have increased (several-fold) metoprolol blood levels, decreasing metoprolol's cardioselectivity [ see Drug Interactions (7.2)] .

Isosorbide mononitrate is the major active metabolite of isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN), and most of the clinical activity of the dinitrate is attributable to the mononitrate.

The principal pharmacological action of isosorbide mononitrate is relaxation of vascular smooth muscle and consequent dilatation of peripheral arteries and veins, especially the latter. Dilation of the veins promotes peripheral pooling of blood and decreases venous return to the heart, thereby reducing left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (preload). Arteriolar relaxation reduces systemic vascular resistance, systolic arterial pressure, and mean arterial pressure (afterload). Dilation of the coronary arteries also occurs. The relative importance of preload reduction, afterload reduction and coronary dilatation remains undefined.

Dosing regimens for most chronically used drugs are designed to provide plasma concentrations that are continuously greater than a minimally effective concentration. This strategy is inappropriate for organic nitrates. Several well-controlled clinical trials have used exercise testing to assess the antianginal efficacy of continuously-delivered nitrates. In the large majority of these trials, active agents were indistinguishable from placebo after 24 hours (or less) of continuous therapy. Attempts to overcome tolerance by dose escalation, even to doses far in excess of those used acutely, have consistently failed. Only after nitrates have been absent from the body for several hours has their antianginal efficacy been restored.

The drug-free interval sufficient to avoid tolerance to isosorbide mononitrate has not been completely defined. In the only regimen of twice-daily isosorbide mononitrate that has been shown to avoid development of tolerance, the two doses of isosorbide mononitrate tablets are given 7 hours apart, so there is a gap of 17 hours between the second dose of each day and the first dose of the next day. Taking account of the relatively long half-life of isosorbide mononitrate this result is consistent with those obtained for other organic nitrates.

The asymmetric twice-daily regimen of isosorbide mononitrate tablets successfully avoided significant rebound/withdrawal effects. The incidence and magnitude of such phenomena have appeared, in studies of other nitrates, to be highly dependent upon the schedule of nitrate administration.

Isosorbide mononitrate is rapidly and completely absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. In humans, isosorbide mononitrate is not subject to first pass metabolism in the liver. The absolute bioavailability of isosorbide mononitrate from isosorbide mononitrate tablets is nearly 100%. Peak plasma concentrations usually occur in about 30 to 60 minutes. Isosorbide mononitrate exhibits dose proportionality over the recommended dose range. Food does not significantly affect the absorption or bioavailability of isosorbide mononitrate. Metoprolol coadministration did not change the pharmacokinetics of isosorbide mononitrate. The volume of distribution is approximately 0.6 L/kg. Plasma protein binding of isosorbide mononitrate was found to be less than 5%.

When radiolabelled isosorbide mononitrate was administered to humans in order to elucidate the metabolic fate, about half of the dose was found denitrated and renally excreted as isosorbide and sorbitol. One quarter of the dose was accounted for as conjugates of the parent drug in the urine. None of these metabolites is vasoactive. Only 2% of the dose was excreted as unchanged drug.

The overall elimination half-life of isosorbide mononitrate is about 5 hours. The rate of clearance is the same in healthy young adults, in patients with various degrees of renal, hepatic or cardiac dysfunction and in the elderly. When radiolabelled isosorbide mononitrate was administered to humans, 93% of the dose was excreted within 48 hours into the urine. Renal excretion was virtually complete after 5 days; fecal excretion amounted to only 1% of the dose.

Isosorbide mononitrate has no known effect on renal and hepatic function. In patients with varying degrees of renal failure, dosage adjustment does not appear necessary. In patients with liver cirrhosis, the pharmacokinetic parameters after a single dose of isosorbide mononitrate were similar to the values found in healthy volunteers.

Isosorbide mononitrate is significantly removed from the blood during hemodialysis; however, an additional dose to compensate for drug lost is not necessary. In patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, blood levels are similar to patients not on dialysis.

The acute and chronic antianginal efficacy of isosorbide mononitrate has been confirmed in clinical trials. The clinical efficacy of isosorbide mononitrate was studied in 21 stable angina pectoris patients. After single dose administration of isosorbide mononitrate, 20 mg, the exercise capacity was increased by 42.7% after one hour, 29.6% after 6 hours, and by 25% after eight hours when compared to placebo. Controlled trials of single doses of isosorbide mononitrate tablets have demonstrated that antianginal activity is present about 1 hour after dosing, with peak effect seen from 1 to 4 hours after dosing.

In one multicenter placebo-controlled trial, isosorbide mononitrate was found to be safe and effective during acute and chronic (3 weeks) treatment of angina pectoris. Two hundred fourteen (214) patients were enrolled in the trial; 54 patients were randomized to receive placebo and 106 patients were randomized to receive 10 or 20 mg of isosorbide mononitrate twice daily seven hours apart. The largest effect of isosorbide mononitrate, compared to placebo, was on day one - dose one. Although 14 hours after the first dose of day 14, the increase in exercise tolerance due to isosorbide mononitrate was statistically significant, the increase was about half of that seen 2 hours after the first dose of day one. On day 21, two hours after the first dose the effect of isosorbide mononitrate was 60 to 70% of that seen on day one.