This article reviews the pharmacokinetics of esomeprazole, the (S)-isomer of the proton pump inhibitor (PPI) omeprazole. Esomeprazole is the first single isomer PPI developed for the treatment of patients with acid-related diseases. In vitro experiments in human liver microsomes demonstrated that the formation of the hydroxy and 5-O-desmethyl metabolites of esomeprazole is via cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C19, whereas that of the sulphone metabolite is via CYP3A4. The formation rate of the hydroxy metabolite from esomeprazole is lower than for (R)-omeprazole, but that of the 2 other metabolites is higher, demonstrating stereoselective metabolism. The sum of the intrinsic clearances of all 3 metabo- lites for esomeprazole was one-third of that for (R)-omeprazole, suggesting lower clearance of esomeprazole in vivo. In vivo investigations demonstrated that esomeprazole is chirally stable after administration. Esomeprazole is 97% bound to plasma proteins. In normal (extensive) metabolisers with regard to CYP2C19, esomeprazole is metabolised more slowly than omeprazole, resulting in a higher area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) after administration of the same dose. This is more pronounced after repeated administration rather than after a single dose. In poor metabolisers, the AUC is lower for esomeprazole than for omeprazole, contributing to less overall interindividual variability for esomeprazole than for omeprazole. In general, esomeprazole and omeprazole are subject to the same metabolic transformations. Almost complete recoveries were reported and the ratio between urinary and faecal excretion is about 4:1 for both compounds. The dose-dependent increase in AUC of esomeprazole with repeated administration results from a combination of decreased first-pass elimination and decreased systemic clearance. Patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease exhibit a pharmacokinetic pattern similar to that in healthy individuals, whereas elderly individuals exhibited a slightly lower metabolism rate. Patients with a severe deficit in their liver function had a lower rate of metabolism, as would be expected, whereas those with mild to moderate liver disease did not exhibit any alteration in the pharmacokinetics. The pharmacokinetics of esomeprazole in individuals with impaired renal function is unlikely to differ from that in healthy individuals. A slight sex difference in the pharmacokinetics of esomeprazole was demonstrated in that the AUC and peak plasma drug concentration were slightly, but not statistically significantly, higher in females than in males.

INTRODUCTIONOmeprazole, the ®rst proton pump (H + , K + -ATPase) inhibitor, has been used for over a decade in the treatment of acid-related diseases. Like subsequent proton pump inhibitors, omeprazole is metabolized primarily by a polymorphically expressed enzyme within cytochrome P450 (CYP), CYP2C19.1 Omeprazole is a racemic composition of its two optical isomers, S-omeprazole (esomeprazole) and R-omeprazole, which have demonstrated stereoselective metabolisms. 2±4Esomeprazole is metabolized to a lesser degree than R-omeprazole by CYP2C19. Esomeprazole has also been shown to be metabolized at a lower rate, resulting in higher plasma levels, 4 which, because the area under the curve (AUC) directly correlates to the antisecretory effect, 5 promotes more effective acid control. Thus, esomeprazole's inhibitory effect on gastric acid secretion is greater than that of both omeprazole and its R-isomer. We investigated the relations between dose/concentration and response for esomeprazole and omeprazole after single and repeated doses. MATERIALS AND METHODS SubjectsTwelve healthy males, mean age 24 years (range, 20±30 years) and mean weight 75 kg (range, SUMMARY Background: Esomeprazole, the S-isomer of omeprazole, is the ®rst proton pump inhibitor developed as a single isomer for the treatment of acid-related diseases. Aim: To examine the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of esomeprazole. Methods: In a crossover study, 12 healthy males received 5, 10 or 20 mg of esomeprazole, or 20 mg of omeprazole, once daily over 5 days. The pharmacokinetics and effects on pentagastrin-stimulated peak acid output of esomeprazole and omeprazole were studied on days 1 and 5. Results: The area under the curve (AUC) of both esomeprazole and omeprazole increased from day 1 to

Treatment with S-omeprazole (esomeprazole; 20 mg and 40 mg) resulted in higher AUC values than with either R-omeprazole or racemic omeprazole after both single and repeated doses due to a lower metabolic rate of S-omeprazole than R-omeprazole and, consequently, racemic omeprazole. S-Omeprazole, R-omeprazole and the racemate were well tolerated.

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Esomeprazole, the (S)-isomer of omeprazole, is the first proton pump inhibitor (PPI) developed as a single isomer for the treatment of patients with acid related diseases. Because of the extensive use of PPIs, the documentation of the potential for drug interactions with esomeprazole is of great importance. Altered absorption or metabolism are 2 of the major mechanisms for drug-drug interactions. Since intragastric pH will increase with esomeprazole treatment, it can be hypothesised that the absorption of drugs with pH-sensitive absorption (e.g. digoxin and ketoconazole) may be affected. Esomeprazole does not seem to have any potential to interact with drugs that are metabolised by cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1 A2, 2A6, 2C9, 2D6 or 2E1. In drug interaction studies with diazepam, phenytoin and (R)-warfarin, it was shown that esomeprazole has the potential to interact with CYP2C19. The slightly altered metabolism of cisapride was also suggested to be the result of inhibition of a minor metabolic pathway for cisapride mediated by CYP2C19. Esomeprazole did not interact with the CYP3A4 substrates clarithromycin (2 studies) or quinidine. Since the slightly increased area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) of cisapride could be explained as an inhibition of CYP2C19, the data on these 3 CYP3A4 substrates indicate that esomeprazole does not have the potential to inhibit this enzyme. The minor effects reported for diazepam, phenytoin, (R)-warfarin, and cisapride are unlikely to be of clinical relevance. Clarithromycin interacts with the metabolism of esomeprazole resulting in a doubling of the AUC of esomeprazole. The increased plasma concentrations of esomeprazole are unlikely to have any safety implications. It can be concluded that the potential for drug-drug interactions with esomeprazole is low, and similar to that reported for omeprazole.