Example of some 200 mg ibuprofen tabletsA 150 ml bottle (100 mg/5 ml dosage) of ibuprofen, sold in Greece
Ibuprofen is used primarily to treatfever (including post-vaccination fever), mild to moderatepain (including pain relief aftersurgery),painful menstruation,osteoarthritis, dental pain,headaches, andpain from kidney stones. About 60% of people respond to any NSAID; those who do not respond well to a particular one may respond to another.[16] A Cochrane medical review of 51 trials of NSAIDs for the treatment oflower back pain found that "NSAIDs are effective for short-term symptomatic relief in patients with acute low back pain".[17]
In some countries, ibuprofenlysine (the lysine salt of ibuprofen, sometimes called "ibuprofen lysinate") is licensed for treatment of the same conditions as ibuprofen; the lysine salt is used because it is more water-soluble.[23] However, subsequent studies have shown no statistical differences between the lysine salt and standalone ibuprofen.[24][25]
In 2006, ibuprofen lysine was approved in the United States by theFood and Drug Administration (FDA) for closure of patent ductus arteriosus in premature infants weighing between 500 and 1,500 g (1 and 3 lb), who are no more than 32 weeks gestational age when usual medical management (such as fluid restriction, diuretics, and respiratory support) is not effective.[26]
Allergic reactions, includinganaphylaxis, may occur.[29] Ibuprofen may be quantified in blood, plasma, or serum to demonstrate the presence of the drug in a person having experienced an anaphylactic reaction, confirm a diagnosis of poisoning in people who are hospitalized, or assist in a medicolegal death investigation. Amonograph relating ibuprofen plasma concentration, time since ingestion, and risk of developing renal toxicity in people who have overdosed has been published.[30]
Along with several other NSAIDs, chronic ibuprofen use is correlated with the risk of progression tohypertension in women, though less than forparacetamol (acetaminophen),[33] andmyocardial infarction (heart attack),[34] particularly among those chronically using higher doses. On 9 July 2015, the FDA toughened warnings of increasedheart attack andstroke risk associated with ibuprofen and related NSAIDs; the NSAIDaspirin is not included in this warning.[35] TheEuropean Medicines Agency (EMA) issued similar warnings in 2015.[36][37]
TheNational Health Service recommends against the use of ibuprofen for more than 3 days in pregnancy as it can affect the fetus' kidneys and circulatory system. Paracetamol is considered a safer alternative.[43]
A 2012 Canadian study of pregnant women suggested that those taking any type or amount of NSAIDs (including ibuprofen,diclofenac, andnaproxen) were 2.4 times more likely tomiscarry than those not taking the medications.[44] However, a 2014 Israeli study found no increased risk of miscarriage in the group of mothers using NSAIDs and noted that two previous studies, including the 2012 Canadian study, "did not adjust for important known risk factors" which may have exposed those results to residualconfounding.[45]
According to the FDA, "ibuprofen can interfere with theantiplatelet effect of low-doseaspirin, potentially rendering aspirin less effective when used forcardioprotection andstroke prevention". Allowing sufficient time between doses of ibuprofen and immediate-release (IR) aspirin can avoid this problem. The recommended elapsed time between a dose of ibuprofen and a dose of aspirin depends on which is taken first. It would be 30 minutes or more for ibuprofen taken after IR aspirin, and 8 hours or more for ibuprofen taken before IR aspirin. However, this timing cannot be recommended forenteric-coated aspirin. If ibuprofen is taken only occasionally without the recommended timing, though, the reduction of the cardioprotection and stroke prevention of a daily aspirin regimen is minimal.[47]
Ibuprofen overdose has become common since it was licensed forover-the-counter (OTC) use. Many overdose experiences are reported in themedical literature, although the frequency of life-threatening complications from ibuprofen overdose is low.[49] Human responses in cases of overdose range from an absence of symptoms to a fatal outcome despite intensive-care treatment. Most symptoms are an excess of the pharmacological action of ibuprofen and include abdominal pain, nausea,vomiting, drowsiness, dizziness, headache,ear ringing, andnystagmus. Rarely, more severe symptoms such asgastrointestinal bleeding,seizures,metabolic acidosis,hyperkalemia,low blood pressure,slow heart rate,fast heart rate,atrial fibrillation,coma, liver dysfunction,acute kidney failure,cyanosis,respiratory depression, andcardiac arrest have been reported.[50] The severity of symptoms varies with the ingested dose and the time elapsed; however, individual sensitivity also plays an important role. Generally, the symptoms observed with an overdose of ibuprofen are similar to the symptoms caused by overdoses of other NSAIDs.
The correlation between the severity of symptoms and measured ibuprofen plasma levels is weak. Toxic effects are unlikely at doses below 100mg/kg, but can be severe above 400mg/kg (around 150 tablets of 200mg units for an average adult male);[51] however, large doses do not indicate the clinical course is likely to be lethal.[52] A preciselethal dose is difficult to determine, as it may vary with age, weight, and concomitant conditions of the person.
Treatment to address an ibuprofen overdose is based on how the symptoms present. In cases presenting early, decontamination of the stomach is recommended. This is achieved usingactivated charcoal; charcoal absorbs the drug before it can enter thebloodstream.Gastric lavage is now rarely used, but can be considered if the amount ingested is potentially life-threatening, and it can be performed within 60 minutes of ingestion. Purposeful vomiting is not recommended.[53] Most ibuprofen ingestions produce only mild effects, and the management of overdose is straightforward. Standard measures to maintain normal urine output should be instituted andkidney function monitored.[51] Since ibuprofen has acidic properties and is also excreted in the urine,forced alkaline diuresis is theoretically beneficial. However, because ibuprofen is highly protein-bound in the blood, the kidneys' excretion of the unchanged drug is minimal. Forced alkaline diuresis is, therefore, of limited benefit.[54]
Like aspirin andindomethacin, ibuprofen is a nonselective COX inhibitor, in that it inhibits twoisoforms of cyclooxygenase,COX-1 andCOX-2. Theanalgesic,antipyretic, and anti-inflammatory activity of NSAIDs appears to operate mainly through inhibition of COX-2, which decreases the synthesis of prostaglandins involved in mediating inflammation, pain, fever, and swelling. Antipyretic effects may be due to action on the hypothalamus, resulting in an increased peripheral blood flow, vasodilation, and subsequent heat dissipation. Inhibition of COX-1 instead would be responsible for unwanted effects on the gastrointestinal tract.[55] However, the role of the individual COX isoforms in the analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and gastric damage effects of NSAIDs is uncertain, and different compounds cause different degrees of analgesia and gastric damage.[56]
Ibuprofen is administered as aracemic mixture. TheR-enantiomer undergoes extensive interconversion to theS-enantiomerin vivo. TheS-enantiomer is believed to be the more pharmacologically active enantiomer.[58] TheR-enantiomer is converted through a series of three main enzymes. These enzymes includeacyl-CoA-synthetase, which converts theR-enantiomer to (−)-R-ibuprofen I-CoA; 2-arylpropionyl-CoA epimerase, which converts (−)-R-ibuprofen I-CoA to (+)-S-ibuprofen I-CoA; and hydrolase, which converts (+)-S-ibuprofen I-CoA to theS-enantiomer.[42] In addition to the conversion of ibuprofen to theS-enantiomer, the body can metabolize ibuprofen to several other compounds, including numerous hydroxyl, carboxyl and glucuronyl metabolites. Virtually all of these have no pharmacological effects.[42]
Unlike most other NSAIDs, ibuprofen also acts as an inhibitor ofRho kinase and may be useful in recovery from spinal cord injury.[59][60] Another unusual activity is inhibition of the sweet taste receptor.[61]
After oral administration,peak serum concentration is reached after 1–2 hours, and up to 99% of the drug isbound to plasma proteins.[62] The majority of ibuprofen is metabolized and eliminated within 24 hours in the urine; however, 1% of the unchanged drug is removed throughbiliary excretion.[58]
Ibuprofen mainly undergoeshepatic metabolism. The following table shows potential pathways of ibuprofen metabolism. Both hydroxymetabolites and carboxyl-ibuprofen are inactive.[63]
Ibuprofen is practically insoluble in water, but very soluble in most organic solvents likeethanol (66.18g/100mL at 40°C for 90% EtOH),methanol,acetone anddichloromethane.[67]
A modern,greener technique with fewer waste byproducts (23% of total product mass vs. 60% theoretical value) for the synthesis involves only three steps and was developed in the 1980s by theCelanese Chemical Company.[69][70] The synthesis is initiated with the acylation of isobutylbenzene using the recyclableLewis acid catalysthydrogen fluoride.[71][72] The followingcatalytic hydrogenation of isobutylacetophenone is performed with eitherRaney nickel orpalladium on carbon to lead into the key-step, thecarbonylation of 1-(4-isobutylphenyl)ethanol. This is achieved by aPdCl2(PPh3)2 catalyst, at around 50 bar of CO pressure, in the presence of HCl (10%).[73] The reaction presumably proceeds through the intermediacy of thestyrene derivative (acidic elimination of the alcohol) and (1-chloroethyl)benzene derivative (Markovnikow addition of HCl to the double bond).[74]
(S)-ibuprofen, theeutomer, harbors the desired therapeutic activity. The inactive (R)-enantiomer, thedistomer, undergoes a unidirectionalchiral inversion to offer the active (S)-enantiomer. That is, when the ibuprofen is administered as a racemate the distomer is convertedin vivo into the eutomer while the latter is unaffected.[78][79][80]
Ibuprofen was derived frompropionic acid by theresearch arm ofBoots Group during the 1960s.[81] The name is derived from the 3 functional groups: isobutyl (ibu) propionic acid (pro) phenyl (fen).[82] Its discovery was the result of research during the 1950s and 1960s to find a safer alternative toaspirin.[11][83] The molecule was discovered and synthesized by a team led byStewart Adams, with a patent application filed in 1961.[11] Adams initially tested the drug as treatment for hishangover.[84] In 1985, Boots's worldwide patent for ibuprofen expired and generic products were launched.[85]
The medication was launched as a treatment forrheumatoid arthritis in the United Kingdom in 1969, and in the United States in 1974. Later, in 1983 and 1984, it became the first NSAID (other than aspirin) to be availableover-the-counter (OTC) in these two countries.[11][83] Boots was awarded theQueen's Award for Technical Achievement in 1985 for the development of the drug.[86]
In November 2013, work on ibuprofen was recognized by the erection of aRoyal Society of Chemistry blue plaque at Boots' Beeston Factory site in Nottingham,[87] which reads:
In recognition of the work during the 1980s by The Boots Company PLC on the development of ibuprofen which resulted in its move from prescription-only status to over-the-counter sale, therefore expanding its use to millions of people worldwide
In recognition of the pioneering research work, here on Pennyfoot Street, by Dr Stewart Adams and Dr John Nicholson in the Research Department of Boots which led to the discovery of ibuprofen used by millions worldwide for the relief of pain.
Ibuprofen is sometimes used for the treatment ofacne because of itsanti-inflammatory properties, and has been sold in Japan in topical form for adult acne.[93][94] As with other NSAIDs, ibuprofen may be useful in the treatment of severeorthostatic hypotension (low blood pressure when standing up).[95] NSAIDs are of unclear utility in the prevention and treatment ofAlzheimer's disease.[96][97]
Ibuprofen has been associated with a lower risk ofParkinson's disease and may delay or prevent it.Aspirin, other NSAIDs, andparacetamol (acetaminophen) had no effect on the risk for Parkinson's.[98] In March 2011, researchers atHarvard Medical School announced that ibuprofen had aneuroprotective effect against the risk of developingParkinson's disease.[99][100][101] People regularly consuming ibuprofen were reported to have a 38% lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease, but no such effect was found for other pain relievers, such as aspirin and paracetamol. Use of ibuprofen to lower the risk of Parkinson's disease in the general population would not be problem-free, given the possibility of adverse effects on the urinary and digestive systems.[102]
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GB patent 971700, Stewart Sanders Adams & John Stuart Nicholson, "Anti-Inflammatory Agents", published 30 September 1964, assigned to Boots Pure Drug Co Ltd