Source: Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (GB) Revision Year: 2024 Publisher: Mylan Products Ltd., 20 Station Close, Potters Bar, Herts, EN6 1TL, United Kingdom
Pharmacotherapeutic group: Selective calcium channel blockers with direct cardiac effects, phenylalkylamine derivatives
ATC-Code: C08DA01
Verapamil is a calcium antagonist which blocks the inward movement of calcium ions in cardiac muscle cells, in smooth muscle cells of the coronary and systemic arteries and in cells of the intracardiac conduction system. Because of its effect on the movement of calcium in the intracardiac conduction system, verapamil reduces automaticity, decreases conduction velocity and increases the refractory period.
Verapamil hydrochloride is a racemic mixture consisting of equal portions of the R-enantiomer and the S-enantiomer. Verapamil is extensively metabolised. Norverapamil is one of 12 metabolites identified in urine, has 10 to 20% of the pharmacologic activity of verapamil and accounts for 6% of excreted drug. The steady-state plasma concentrations of norverapamil and verapamil are similar.
Steady state after multiple once daily dosing is reached after three to four days.
Verapamil is widely distributed throughout the body tissues, the volume of distribution ranging from 1.8–6.8 L/kg in healthy subjects. Plasma protein binding of verapamil is approximately 90%.
Verapamil is extensively metabolized. In vitro metabolic studies indicate that verapamil is metabolized by cytochrome P450 CYP3A4, CYP1A2, CYP2C8, CYP2C9 and CYP2C18. In healthy men, orally administered verapamil hydrochloride undergoes extensive metabolism in the liver, with 12 metabolites having been identified, most in only trace amounts. The major metabolites have been identified as various N and O-dealkylated products of verapamil. Of these metabolites, only norverapamil has any appreciable pharmacological effect (approximately 20% that of the parent compound), which was observed in a study with dogs.
Following intravenous infusion, verapamil is eliminated bi-exponentially, with a rapid early distribution phase (half-life about four minutes) and a slower terminal elimination phase (half-life two to five hours).
Limited information on the pharmacokinetics in the paediatric population is available. After intravenous dosing, the mean half-life of verapamil was 9.17 hours and the mean clearance was 30 L/h, whereas it is around 70 L/h for a 70-kg adult.
Aging may affect the pharmacokinetics of verapamil given to hypertensive patients. Elimination half-life may be prolonged in the elderly. The antihypertensive effect of verapamil was found not to be age-related.
Impaired renal function has no effect on verapamil pharmacokinetics, as shown by comparative studies in patients with end-stage renal failure and subjects with healthy kidneys. Verapamil and norverapamil are not significantly removed by hemodialysis.
Verapamil hydrochloride, administered intravenously, has been shown to be rapidly metabolized.
Reproduction studies have been performed in rabbits and rats at oral verapamil doses up to 0.6 (180 mg/m²/day) and 1.2 times (360 mg/m²/day) respectively the equivalent maximum recommended human oral daily dose (300 mg/m²/day) and have revealed no evidence of teratogenicity. In the rat the highest dose was embryocidal and retarded fetal growth and development. These effects occurred in the presence of maternal toxicity (reflected by reduced food consumption and weight gain of dams). This oral dose has also been shown to cause hypotension in rats.
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