Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 8, 2026

Microsurgical Skills of Establishing Permanent Jugular Vein Cannulation in Rats for Serial Blood Sampling of Orally Administered Drug
Published on: December 14, 2021
Enhanced plasma concentration by selective deuteration of rofecoxib in rats
Frank Schneider1, Moritz Hillgenberg, Rossen Koytchev
1BiRDS Pharma GmbH, Berlin, Germany. fschneider@birdspharma.com
Abstract:
The plasma concentrations of BDD-11602 (4-[4- (methanesulfonyl)phenyl]-3-(pentadeuterophenyl)-5H-furan-2-one), a rofecoxib derivative in which the positions 2',3;4',5' and 6' of the phenyl ring were deuterated, and rofecoxib (4-(4-methylsulfonylphenyl)-3-phenyl-5H-furan-2-one, CAS 162011-90-7) were compared in order to explore the effects of selective deuteration on the systemic availability. The COX-2 selectivity in vitro was also compared. Following oral gavage administration of 0.1, 1 or 10 mg/kg BDD-11602 to Sprague Dawley rats, AUCo-t, (area under the curve) and Cmax (maximum concentration) values were statistically significant higher than those of rofecoxib at the same doses. The overall increase in AUC0-t and Cmax for BDD-11602 over rofecoxib was 1.53-fold and 1.60-fold, respectively. BDD-11602 and rofecoxib inhibited COX-2-derived PGE(2) synthesis with IC50 values of 173 nmol/l and 169 nmol/l, respectively. IC50 values for inhibition of human platelet COX-1 were estimated to be above 1 micromol/l for both compounds. The substitution of hydrogen by deuterium on the positions 2: 3',4',5' and 6' in BDD-11602 leads to superior oral availability compared to the non-deuterated compound, whereas the COX-2 selectivity is not affected.
Related Concept Videos
Hepatic Drug Clearance: Effect of Protein Binding
For low-extraction-ratio drugs that are less than 80% protein-bound, minor changes in protein binding...
Drug Distribution: Tissue Binding
For...
Enhanced Elimination of Poison
Antidotes serve a crucial role in counteracting the effects of poison by inhibiting enzymes responsible for producing harmful drug metabolites. In some cases, these toxic metabolites can be neutralized by endogenous cosubstrates, which are maintained at specific concentrations to prevent interaction with cellular macromolecules and subsequent cell death.
Renal excretion is the...
Renal Drug Excretion: Overview
A nephron consists of two primary structures: the renal corpuscle and the renal tubule. The renal corpuscle contains the glomerulus, a network of capillaries where the first step of renal excretion, glomerular filtration, occurs. Blood pressure forces water, ions, and small molecules out...
Quantitative Aspects of Drug-Receptor Interaction