Development and full validation of a sensitive quantitative assay for the determination of clemastine in human plasma by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

A sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the determination of clemastine in human plasma. After having been extracted from plasma samples by ethyl acetate, clemastine and internal standard, diphenhydramine, were separated on a C(18) column. Detection was performed on Thermo Finnigan TSQ Quantum triple quadrupole mass spectrometer by selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode via electrospray ionization (ESI) source. The method was linear in the concentration range of 5.0-1000.0 pg/ml for clemastine. The intra- and inter-day precisions were within 13.4% and the deviations were between -1.1% and 5.6%. The fully validated LC/ESI-MS/MS method has been successfully applied to the preliminary pharmacokinetic study in healthy male Chinese volunteers.

High-performance liquid chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric method for the determination of clemastine in human plasma.

A highly sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric method (HPLC-MS-MS) has been developed to quantitate clemastine in human plasma for the purpose of pharmacokinetic studies. Sample preparation was carried out by liquid-liquid extraction using deuterated clemastine as an internal standard. Chromatographic separation used a C18 reversed phase polymer column giving an extremely fast total run time of 2 min. The method was validated and used for the bioequivalence study of clemastine tablets in healthy male volunteers (n=28). The lower limit of detection proved to be 0.01 ng/ml for clemastine.

Clinical pharmacology of clemastine in healthy dogs.

The pharmacokinetic properties of clemastine were investigated in six healthy dogs and compared with the effect of the drug recorded as inhibition of wheal formation induced by intradermal injections of histamine. Clemastine clearance was high (median: 2.1 L h(-1) kg(-1)) and the volume of distribution large (13.4 L kg(-1)). The half-life after intravenous administration was 3.8 h and the plasma protein binding level in vitro was 98%. After oral administration, the bioavailability was only 3%. Given intravenously, clemastine (0.1 mg kg(-1)) inhibited wheal formation completely for 7 h, whereas the effect after oral administration (0.5 mg kg(-1)) was minor. The data show that most dosage regimens suggested in the literature for the oral administration of clemastine to dogs are likely to give too low a systemic exposure of the drug to allow effective therapy.

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of clemastine in healthy horses.

Clemastine is an H1 antagonist used in certain allergic disorders in humans and tentatively also in horses, although the pharmacology of the drug in this species has not yet been investigated. In the present study we determined basic pharmacokinetic parameters and compared the effect of the drug measured as inhibition of histamine-induced cutaneous wheal formation in six horses. The most prominent feature of drug disposition after intravenous dose of 50 microg/kg bw was a very rapid initial decline in plasma concentration, followed by a terminal phase with a half-life of 5.4 h. The volume of distribution was large, Vss = 3.8 L/kg, and the total body clearance 0.79 L/h kg. Notably, oral bioavailability was only 3.4%. There was a strong relationship between plasma concentrations and effect. The effect maximum (measured as reduction in histamine-induced cutaneous wheal formation) was 65% (compared with controls where saline was injected) and the effect duration after i.v. dose was approximately 5 h. The effect after oral dose of 200 microg/kg was minor. The results indicate that clemastine is not appropriate for oral administration to horses because of low bioavailability. When using repeated i.v. administration, the drug has to be administered at least three to four times daily to maintain therapeutic plasma concentrations because of the short half-life. However, if sufficient plasma concentrations are maintained the drug is efficacious in reducing histamine-induced wheal formations.

The pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of clemastine and phenylpropanolamine in single-component and combination formulations.

Studies were conducted in healthy male volunteers (n = 171; age range, 19-49 years; 22-27 subjects per study) to examine the following: pharmacokinetics and dose proportionality of the antihistamine clemastine; the effect of coadministration of phenylpropanolamine and clemastine on the pharmacokinetics of the two drugs; and the bioavailability of clemastine tablets and combination tablets of clemastine and sustained-release phenyl-propanolamine under fasted and fed conditions after single-dose administration and at steady state. All studies used crossover designs, with randomized drug treatments separated by a 7-day washout period for the single-dose studies, and with administration every 6 or 12 hours for 7 days per treatment for the steady-state studies. After single oral doses of clemastine solution (1,2, and 4 mg), the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) and maximum concentration (Cmax) were dose proportional. Clemastine showed a first-pass reduction in the extent of absorption, with oral bioavailability calculated as 39.2 +/- 12.4%. Extravascular distribution of drug was suggested by the high volume of distribution (799 +/- 315 L) and low Cmax (0.577 +/- 0.252 ng/mL/mg) observed at 4.77 +/- 2.26 hours after administration, and by the biphasic decline in plasma concentration. The terminal elimination half-life (t1/2) of clemastine was 21.3 +/- 11.6 hours. Steady-state concentrations of clemastine were consistent with linear pharmacokinetic processes, and clearance was unaffected by age in the range studied, or by race. Clemastine solution and tablets were bioequivalent, and food had no significant effect on rate and extent of absorption of clemastine. The 1- and 2-mg clemastine tablets showed proportional bioavailability. Coadministration of clemastine with phenylpropanolamine did not significantly influence the pharmacokinetics of clemastine or the AUC and elimination t1/2 of phenylpropanolamine, but reduced the rate of absorption of phenylpropanolamine. Combination tablets containing 1 mg or 2 mg of immediate-release clemastine plus 75 mg of sustained-release phenylpropanolamine for twice daily administration were bioequivalent to the separate components and showed no significant interaction with food.

[Biomimetic oxidation of clemastine hydrogen fumarate]. / Untersuchungen zur biomimetischen Oxidation von Clemastinhydrogenfumarat.

The reaction of clemastine fumarate (1) with the biomimetic system manganese(III)-5,10,15,20-tetrakis(pentafluoro-water. The reaction of 1 in aqueous solution with manganese(III)-5,10,15,20-tetrakis (pentafluorophenyl)-beta-tetrasulfonatoporphyrin chloride (MnTPFPS4PCl) as catalyst additional generates products of aromatic hydroxylation. Products were identified by TLC, UV, and MS. Thereby we found a close conformity with rat metabolism.

H1-receptor antagonist treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis.

H1-receptor antagonists are usually first-line treatment given for seasonal allergic rhinitis. However, many patients suffer with symptoms of allergic rhinitis rather than tolerate the sedative and anticholinergic side effects of the first-generation H1-receptor antagonists. Researchers have sought to replace these older H1-receptor antagonists with a new generation of H1-receptor antagonists that approach the optimal therapy: clinically effective, safe, free of side effects, and convenient for the patient. Among the new second-generation H1-receptor antagonists are terfenadine and astemizole (already marketed) and loratadine and cetirizine, which are expected to be approved soon. All four demonstrate efficacy, convenience, and minimal side effects on the central nervous system. In this review of the current treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis, the clinical studies that compare these four new second-generation H1-receptor antagonists are discussed.