General
Nebivolol is a β-adrenergic receptor blocking agent. In extensive metabolizers
(most of the population) and at doses less than or equal to 10 mg, nebivolol
is preferentially β1 selective. In poor metabolizers and at higher doses, nebivolol
inhibits both β1 and β2 - adrenergic receptors. Nebivolol lacks intrinsic sympathomimetic
and membrane stabilizing activity at therapeutically relevant concentrations.
At clinically relevant doses, BYSTOLIC does not demonstrate &alpha1- adrenergic receptor
blockade activity. Various metabolites, including glucuronides, contribute to
(β-blocking activity.
Pharmacodynamics
The mechanism of action of the antihypertensive response of BYSTOLIC has not been definitively established. Possible factors that may be involved include: (1) decreased heart rate, (2) decreased myocardial contractility, (3) diminution of tonic sympathetic outflow to the periphery from cerebral vasomotor centers, (4) suppression of renin activity and (5) vasodilation and decreased peripheral vascular resistance.
Pharmacokinetics
Nebivolol is metabolized by a number of routes, including glucuronidation and hydroxylation by CYP2D6. The active isomer (d-nebivolol) has an effective half- life of about 12 hours in CYP2D6 extensive metabolizers (most people), and 19 hours in poor metabolizers and exposure to d-nebivolol is substantially increased in poor metabolizers. This has less importance than usual, however, because the metabolites, including the hydroxyl metabolite and glucuronides (the predominant circulating metabolites), contribute to (β-blocking activity.
Plasma levels of d-nebivolol increase in proportion to dose in EMs and PMs for doses up to 20mg. Exposure to l-nebivolol is higher than to d-nebivolol but I- nebivolol contributes little to the drug's activity as d-nebivolol's beta receptor affinity is > 1000-fold higher than l-nebivolol. For the same dose, PMs attain a 5- fold higher Cmax and 10-fold higher AUC of d-nebivolol than do EMs. d-Nebivolol accumulates about 1.5-fold with repeated once-daily dosing in EMs.
Absorption and Distribution
Absorption of BYSTOLIC is similar to an oral solution. The absolute bioavailability has not been determined.
Mean peak plasma nebivolol concentrations occur approximately 1.5 to 4 hours post-dosing in EMs and PMs.
Food does not alter the pharmacokinetics of nebivolol. Under fed conditions, nebivolol glucuronides are slightly reduced. BYSTOLIC may be administered without regard to meals.
The in vitro human plasma protein binding of nebivolol is approximately 98%, mostly to albumin, and is independent of nebivolol concentrations.
Metabolism and Excretion
Nebivolol is predominantly metabolized via direct glucuronidation of parent
and to a lesser extent via N-dealkylation and oxidation via cytochrome P450
2D6. Its stereospecific metabolites contribute to the pharmacologic activity
(see Drug Interactions).
After a single oral administration of 14C-nebivolol, 38% of the dose was recovered in urine and 44% in feces for EMs and 67% in urine and 13% in feces for PMs. Essentially all nebivolol was excreted as multiple oxidative metabolites or their corresponding glucuronide conjugates.
Drug-Interactions
Drugs that inhibit CYP2D6 can be expected to increase plasma levels of nebivolol. When BYSTOLIC is co-administered with an inhibitor or an inducer of this enzyme, patients should be closely monitored and the nebivolol dose adjusted according to blood pressure response. In vitro studies have demonstrated that at therapeutically relevant concentrations, d- and l-nebivolol do not inhibit any cytochrome P450 pathways.
Digoxin: Concomitant administration of BYSTOLIC (10 mg once daily)
and digoxin (0.25 mg once daily) for 10 days in 14 healthy adult individuals
resulted in no significant changes in the pharmacokinetics of digoxin or nebivolol
(see PRECAUTION: DRUG INTERACTIONS).
Warfarin: Administration of BYSTOLIC (10 mg once daily for 10
days) led to no significant changes in the pharmacokinetics of nebivolol or
R- or S-warfarin following a single 10 mg dose of warfarin. Similarly, nebivolol
has no significant effects on the anticoagulant activity of warfarin, as assessed
by Prothrombin time and INR profiles from 0 to 144 hours after a single 10 mg
warfarin dose in 12 healthy adult volunteers.
Diuretics: No pharmacokinetic interactions were observed in healthy
adults between nebivolol (10 mg daily for 10 days) and furosemide (40 mg single
dose), hydrochlorothiazide (25 mg once daily for 10 days), or spironolactone
(25 mg once daily for 10 days).
Ramipril: Concomitant administration of BYSTOLIC (10 mg once
daily) and ramipril (5 mg once daily) for 10 days in 15 healthy adult volunteers
produced no pharmacokinetic interactions.
Losartan: Concomitant administration of BYSTOLIC (10 mg single
dose) and losartan (50 mg single dose) in 20 healthy adult volunteers did not
result in pharmacokinetic interactions.
Fluoxetine: Fluoxetine, a CYP2D6 inhibitor, administered at 20
mg per day for 21 days prior to a single 10 mg dose of nebivolol to 10 healthy
adults, led to an 8- fold increase in the AUC and 3-fold increase in Cmax for
d-nebivolol (see PRECAUTIONS: DRUG INTERACTIONS).
Histamine-2 Receptor Antagonists: The pharmacokinetics of nebivolol
(5 mg single dose) were not affected by the co-administration of ranitidine
(150 mg twice daily). Cimetidine (400 mg twice daily) causes a 23% increase
in the plasma levels of d-nebivolol.
Charcoal: The pharmacokinetics of nebivolol (10 mg single dose)
were not affected by repeated co-administration (4, 8, 12, 16, 22, 28, 36, and
48 hours after nebivolol administration) of activated charcoal (Actidose-Aqua®).
Sildenafil: The co-administration of nebivolol and sildenafil
decreased AUC and Cmax of sildenafil by 21 and 23% respectively. The effect
on the Cmax and AUC for d -nebivolol was also small (< 20%). The effect on
vital signs (e.g., pulse and blood pressure) was approximately the sum of the
effects of sildenafil and nebivolol.
Other Concomitant Medications: Utilizing population pharmacokinetic
analyses, derived from hypertensive patients, the following drugs were observed
not to have an effect on the pharmacokinetics of nebivolol: acetaminophen, acetylsalicylic
acid, atorvastatin, esomeprazole, ibuprofen, levothyroxine sodium, metformin,
sildenafil, simvastatin, or tocopherol.
Protein Binding: No meaningful changes in the extent of in
vitro binding of nebivolol to human plasma proteins were noted in the presence
of high concentrations of diazepam, digoxin, diphenylhydantoin, enalapril, hydrochlorothiazide,
imipramine, indomethacin, propranolol, sulfamethazine, tolbutamide, or warfarin.
Additionally, nebivolol did not significantly alter the protein binding of the
following drugs: diazepam, digoxin, diphenylhydantoin, hydrochlorothiazide,
imipramine, or warfarin at their therapeutic concentrations.
Special Populations
Renal Disease: The apparent clearance of nebivolol was unchanged
following a single 5 mg dose of BYSTOLIC in patients with mild renal impairment
(CICr 50 to 80 mL/min, n=7), and it was reduced negligibly in patients with
moderate (CICr 30 to 50 mL/min, n=9), but by 53% in patients with severe renal
impairment (CICr <30 mL/min, n=5). The dose of BYSTOLIC should be adjusted
in patients with severe renal impairment. BYSTOLIC should be used with caution
in patients receiving dialysis, since no formal studies have been conducted
in this population (See DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION).
Hepatic Disease: d-Nebivolol peak plasma concentration increased
3-fold, exposure (AUC) increased 10-fold, and the apparent clearance decreased
by 86% in patients with moderate hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh Class B). The
starting dose should be reduced in patients with moderate hepatic impairment.
No formal studies have been performed in patients with severe hepatic impairment
and nebivolol should be contraindicated for these patients (See DOSAGE
AND ADMINISTRATION).
Clinical Studies
The antihypertensive effectiveness of BYSTOLIC as monotherapy has been demonstrated in three randomized, double-blind, multi-center, placebo-controlled trials at doses ranging from 1.25 to 40 mg for 12 weeks (Studies 1, 2, and 3). A fourth placebo-controlled trial demonstrated additional antihypertensive effects of BYSTOLIC at doses ranging from 5 to 20 mg when administered concomitantly with up to two other antihypertensive agents (ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor antagonists, and thiazide diuretics) in patients with inadequate blood pressure control.
The three monotherapy trials included a total of 2016 patients (1811 BYSTOLIC,
205 placebo) with mild to moderate hypertension who had baseline diastolic blood
pressures (DBP) of 95 to 109 mmHg. Patients received either BYSTOLIC or placebo
once daily for twelve weeks. Two of these monotherapy trials (Studies 1 and
2) studied 1716 patients in the general hypertensive population with a mean
age of 54 years, 55% males, 26% non-Caucasians, 7% diabetics and 6% genotyped
as PMs. The third monotherapy trial (Study 3) studied 300 Black patients with
a mean age of 51 years, 45% males, 14% diabetics, and 3% as PMs.
Placebo-subtracted blood pressure reductions by dose for each study are presented in Table 1. Most studies showed increasing response to doses above 5mg.
Table 1. Placebo-Subtracted Least-Square Mean Reductions
in Trough Sitting Systolic/Diastolic Blood Pressure (SiSBP/SiDBP mmHg) by Dose
in Studies with Once Daily BYSTOLIC
| |
Nebivolol dose (mg) |
| 1.25 |
2.5 |
5.0 |
10 |
20 |
30-40 |
| Study 1 |
-6.6*/-5.1* |
-8.5*/-5.6* |
-8.1/-5.5* |
-9.2/-6.3* |
-8.7/-6.9* |
-11.7/-8.3* |
| Study 2 |
|
|
-3.8/-3.2* |
-3.1/-3.9* |
-6.3/-4.5* |
|
| Study 3¶ |
|
-1.5/-2.9 |
-2.6/-4.9* |
-6.0/-6.1* |
-7.2/-6.1* |
-6.8/-5.5* |
| Study 4^ |
|
|
-5.7/-3.3* |
-3.7/-3.5* |
-6.2/-4.6* |
|
* p<0.05 based on pair-wise comparison vs placebo
¶ Study enrolled only African Americans.
^ Study on top of one or two other antihypertensive medications. |
Study 4 enrolled 669 patients with a mean age of 54 years, 55% males, 54% Caucasians, 29% Blacks, 15% Hispanics, 1% Asians, 14% diabetics, and 5% PMs. BYSTOLIC, 5 mg to 20 mg, administered once daily concomitantly with stable doses of up to two other antihypertensive agents (ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor antagonists, and thiazide diuretics) resulted in significant additional antihypertensive effects over placebo compared to baseline blood pressure.
Effectiveness was similar in subgroups analyzed by age and sex. Effectiveness was established in Blacks, but as monotherapy the magnitude of effect was somewhat less than in Caucasians.
The blood pressure lowering effect of BYSTOLIC was seen within two weeks of treatment and was maintained over the 24-hour dosing interval.
Last updated on RxList: 12/28/2007