Clinical pharmacokinetics of ibuprofen arginine

Currently, several ibuprofen compounds are available on the market, mainly differing in terms of pharmaceutical composition that influence the pharmacokinetic profile and eventually the onset of drug action. This review will mainly deal with the clinical pharmacokinetics of ibuprofen arginine, an alternative formulation specifically designed to improve the absorption of ibuprofen. Indeed, available data from studies in healthy volunteers have consistently shown that the formulation of ibuprofen arginine is characterized by prompt absorption of ibuprofen as compared to the conventional formulation at all tested doses with higher peak plasma concentration and lower Tmax values. This trend has been confirmed also in studies dealing with chiral ibuprofen pharmacokinetics. Most importantly, the shortening in the absorption time observed either with racemic mixture or with the S(+)-enantiomer of ibuprofen arginine did not imply a faster drug elimination eventually leading to inadequate daily drug exposure, as documented by T1/2 and AUC values being comparable to those measured with the free acid form. Taken together, the pharmacokinetic/dynamic characteristics of ibuprofen arginine can be considered particularly favorable for several clinical conditions, such as moderate/severe pain, in which a rapid pharmacologic effect is required.