Pharmacokinetics of epanolol in elderly patients with stable angina pectoris

The pharmacokinetic profile of a single dose of 100 mg of (+/-)-N-[2-[[3-(o-cyanophenoxy)-2-hydroxypropyl]amino]ethyl]- 2-(p-hydroxyphenyl) acetamide (epanolol, Visacor), has been determined in an open study of 15 elderly patients with stable angina pectoris. Haematological, biochemical and physiological measurements demonstrated that epanolol was well tolerated in this group of patients. A mean peak epanolol concentration of 18.4 ng/ml was observed at a mean time of 1.08 h. In about one third of patients, an analytically significant secondary peak was observed. Peak concentrations showed an interindividual variability of 16-fold. Following the peak, plasma concentrations declined biphasically. Epanolol was eliminated from plasma with a mean terminal half-life of 22 h. There was some evidence of a linear relationship between heart rate and logarithmic plasma concentration but this was not statistically significant. These data are consistent with the results of pharmacokinetic studies in healthy young volunteers.