PHARMACOLOGICAL STUDIES ON FURPROFEN - ITS PHARMACOKINETIC PROFILE AND ANTIINFLAMMATORY ACTION FOLLOWING ORAL-ADMINISTRATION

Furprofen is a new non-steroidal antiinflammatory and analgesic drug of the arylpropionic acid class, and therefore closely related to ketoprofene. Following a single oral administration the pharmacokinetic profile of furprofen was evaluated in rabbits with an open two compartment model with an absorption phase. Serum concentrations of the drug were measured by high performance liquid chromatography. The mean +/- S.E.M. values of the parameters were as follows: maximal concentration 253 +/- 20.27-mu-g/ml; tmax 1.6 +/- 0.16 h; elimination half-life = 12.1 +/- 1.14 h; volume of distribution = 4.0 +/- 0.73 1/h; plasma clearance = 0.22 +/- 0.02 1/h and AUC = 1377 +/- 111.34 mg/1h. In the acute carrageenin induced inflammatory oedema rat model, furprofen was at least as effective as indomethacin. Furprofen, in common with other non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs, is an inhibitor of prostaglandin synthesis. It may also produce its antiinflammatory effect by inhibiting the production of active oxygen radicals.