Mobic (meloxicam)
Last reviewed · Source: First Databank (FDB) drug data
Overview
Meloxicam is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent (NSAIA) exhibiting analgesic, antipyretic, and anti-inflammatory actions the drug has been referred to as a ''preferential'' rather than ''selective'' COX-2 inhibitor.
Meloxicam, an oxicam derivative that is structurally related to piroxicam, is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent (NSAIA) exhibiting analgesic, antipyretic, and anti-inflammatory actions. In vitro and in vivo studies indicate that meloxicam inhibits the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) isoform of prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase (prostaglandin G/H synthase (PGHS)) to a greater extent than the COX-1 isoform. However, meloxicam's COX-2 selectivity is dose-dependent and is diminished at higher dosages.
Therefore meloxicam sometimes has been referred to as a ''preferential'' rather than ''selective'' COX-2 inhibitor.
The absolute bioavailability of meloxicam (as capsules) is 89% following a single oral dose compared to IV bolus injection. Meloxicam capsules, tablets, and oral suspension are not bioequivalent. Following administration under fasting conditions, the 33% lower dose of meloxicam in the 10-mg capsules resulted in 33% lower overall systemic exposure to the drug compared with the 15-mg tablets; peak plasma concentrations were comparable with the 10-mg capsules and the 15-mg tablets, and the median time to peak plasma concentration was 2 hours for meloxicam 5- or 10-mg capsules but 4 hours for the 15-mg tablets.
Under fasting condition, maximum plasma concentrations are reached within 2 hours for meloxicam capsules and 4-5 hours after a 7.5-mg tablet, indicating prolonged drug absorption. A second meloxicam peak concentration occurs around 8 hours post-dose for capsules and 12-14 hours after a single tablet dose, suggesting biliary recycling. Administration of meloxicam capsules with a high fat (75 g) meal increased mean peak plasma concentrations by 22% with no change in the extent of absorption.
Meloxicam pharmacokinetics are dose-proportional over the range of 7.5-15 mg (as tablets) and 5-10 mg (as capsules) and after multiple oral doses and single IV doses of 5-60 mg.
At clinically relevant concentrations, meloxicam is extensively (approximately 99.4%) bound to plasma proteins, mainly to albumin. Protein binding decreases to approximately 99% in patients with renal disease. Following a single oral dose of meloxicam, concentrations of the drug in synovial fluid are 40-50% of plasma concentrations, but the free fraction is 2.5 times higher in synovial fluid than in plasma because of the lower albumin content of synovial fluid.
Meloxicam is extensively metabolized to inactive metabolites in the liver, principally via the cytochrome P-450 (CYP) 2C9 isoenzyme, with minor contribution by CYP3A4. The drug and its metabolites are excreted in urine and feces, and meloxicam undergoes substantial biliary secretion and enterohepatic recirculation. Only trace amounts of an administered dose of meloxicam are excreted unchanged in urine (0.2%) or feces (1.6%).
The elimination half-life of meloxicam reportedly ranges from approximately 15-24 hours. Limited data indicate that meloxicam exposure is increased substantially in individuals with reduced CYP2C9 activity (e.g., CYP2C9*2 and CYP2C9*3 polymorphisms), particularly in poor metabolizers (e.g., individuals with the *3/*3 diplotype), compared with normal metabolizers.
In pediatric patients, there is a general trend of approximately 30% lower exposure and slightly prolonged half-life (approximately 2 hours) in younger patients (2-6 years of age) compared to older patients (7-16 years of age); older pediatric patients have meloxicam exposures similar to or slightly reduced compared to adults. Geriatric male patients have similar meloxicam plasma concentration and steady-state pharmacokinetics compared to younger male patients; geriatric females (>=65 years of age) have an increased maximum plasma concentration (by 32%) and higher exposure (by 47%) compared to younger (<=55 years of age) female patients. In younger adult patients, the pharmacokinetic differences between sexes is not likely to be clinically important.
In patients with mild and moderate renal impairment, total plasma concentration of meloxicam is decreased and total clearance is increased with the degree of renal impairment; the increase in clearance may be due to an increased fraction of unbound meloxicam available for hepatic metabolism. Meloxicam is not dialyzable. In patients with mild (Child-Pugh class A) or moderate (Child-Pugh class B) hepatic impairment, there is no marked difference in plasma concentration or plasma protein binding.
Age, sex, and race do not have a clinically important impact on the pharmacokinetics of parenteral meloxicam.
Meloxicam is used orally for anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects in the symptomatic treatment of osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis in adults and for the management of the signs and symptoms of pauciarticular or polyarticular course juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Meloxicam also is used parenterally for the relief of moderate to severe pain.
Generic name: meloxicam
Pronunciation: (mel-OX-i-kam)
Reference product & biosimilars
No reference, biosimilar or interchangeable associated with this drug.
Today’s intelligence on Mobic
Indications
The following indications are listed for Mobic:
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
- Osteoarthritis
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
Also known as: Arthritis Deformans, Arthrosis Deformans, Degenerative Arthritis, Degenerative Joint Disease, Degenerative Polyarthritis, Hypertrophic Arthritis, Juvenile Ra, Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, Nodose Rheumatism, Osteoarthrosis, Rheumatic Arthritis, Rheumatic Gout.
Dosing
The lowest possible effective dosage and shortest duration of therapy consistent with the treatment goals of the patient should be employed.
Meloxicam is administered orally and by IV injection.
Meloxicam is also commercially available in fixed combination with bupivacaine or rizatriptan. For additional information, consult the prescribing information for these combination products.
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No dosing information is available for this tab.
Drug interactions
Meloxicam is extensively metabolized by cytochrome P-450 (CYP) isoenzyme 2C9, with minor contribution by CYP3A4.
There are no contraindication interactions for this drug.
There are no severe interactions for this drug.
There are no moderate interactions for this drug.
Contraindications
*Known hypersensitivity (e.g., anaphylaxis, serious dermatologic reactions) to meloxicam or any ingredient in the formulation.
*History of asthma, urticaria, or other allergic-type reaction precipitated by aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIAs).
*In the setting of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.
*Parenteral meloxicam is contraindicated in patients with moderate to severe renal impairment who are at risk for renal failure because of hypovolemia.
There are no contraindication contraindications for this drug.
There are no severe contraindications for this drug.
There are no moderate contraindications for this drug.
Adverse reactions
The most common adverse effects of meloxicam tablets and oral suspension (>=5% of adult patients and greater than placebo) include diarrhea, upper respiratory tract infections, dyspepsia, and influenza-like symptoms. Adverse effects in pediatric studies were similar to adults.
The most common adverse effects of meloxicam capsules (>=2% of patients) reported in clinical trials include diarrhea, nausea, and abdominal discomfort.
The most common adverse effects of IV meloxicam (>=2% of patients and greater than placebo) reported in clinical trials include constipation, increased gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT, gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase, GGTP) concentrations, and anemia.
There are no severe adverse reactions for this drug.
There are no less severe adverse reactions for this drug.
Precautions
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Safety and efficacy of oral meloxicam have not been established in pediatric patients younger than 2 years of age. Safety and efficacy of oral meloxicam tablets and suspension have been established in pediatric patients 2-17 years of age with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. After a single dose and at steady state, exposure was lower (by approximately 30%) in pediatric patients 2-6 years of age compared to patients 7-16 years of age. Older pediatric patients had similar (after a single dose) or lower (at steady state) exposures compared to adult patients. The mean elimination half-life of meloxicam is 15.2 hours and 13 hours in patients 2-6 and 7-16 years of age, respectively. Body weight, not age, was the single predictive variable for differences in clearance and is predictive of exposure in pediatric patients.
The manufacturers state that the safety and efficacy of meloxicam capsules and parenteral meloxicam have not been established in pediatric patients.
Use of NSAIAs during pregnancy at about 30 weeks of gestation or later can cause premature closure of the fetal ductus arteriosus, and use at about 20 weeks of gestation or later has been associated with fetal renal dysfunction resulting in oligohydramnios and, in some cases, neonatal renal impairment. Because of these risks, use of NSAIAs should be avoided in pregnant women at about 30 weeks of gestation or later; if NSAIA therapy is necessary between about 20 and 30 weeks of gestation, the lowest effective dosage and shortest possible duration of treatment should be used. Monitoring of amniotic fluid volume via ultrasound examination should be considered if the duration of NSAIA treatment exceeds 48 hours; if oligohydramnios occurs, the drug should be discontinued and follow-up instituted according to clinical practice. Pregnant women should be advised to avoid use of NSAIAs beginning at 20 weeks' gestation unless otherwise advised by a clinician.
Fetal renal dysfunction resulting in oligohydramnios and, in some cases, neonatal renal impairment has been observed, on average, following days to weeks of maternal NSAIA use, although oligohydramnios has been observed infrequently as early as 48 hours after initiation of NSAIA therapy. Oligohydramnios is often, but not always, reversible (generally within 3-6 days) following discontinuance of NSAIA therapy. Complications of prolonged oligohydramnios may include limb contracture and delayed lung maturation. A limited number of case reports have described maternal NSAIA use and neonatal renal dysfunction, in some cases irreversible, without oligohydramnios. Some cases of neonatal renal dysfunction have required treatment with invasive procedures such as exchange transfusion or dialysis. Deaths associated with neonatal renal failure have been reported. Available data on neonatal outcomes generally involved preterm infants, and the extent to which certain reported risks can be generalized to full-term infants is uncertain.
Animal data indicate that prostaglandins have an important role in endometrial vascular permeability, blastocyst implantation, and decidualization. In animal studies, inhibitors of prostaglandin synthesis, such as meloxicam, were associated with increased pre- and post-implantation losses. Prostaglandins also have an important role in fetal kidney development. In animal studies, inhibitors of prostaglandin synthesis impaired kidney development at clinically relevant doses.
Embryofetal deaths and an increased incidence of septal heart defects have been observed with meloxicam in animal reproduction studies.
The effects of meloxicam on labor and delivery are unknown. In studies in rats, drugs that inhibit prostaglandin synthesis, including NSAIAs, increased the incidence of dystocia, delayed parturition, and decreased pup survival.
Meloxicam is distributed into milk in rats. It is not known whether meloxicam distributes into human milk, affects milk production, or affects breast-fed infants.
The developmental and health benefits of breast-feeding should be considered along with the mother's clinical need for meloxicam and any potential adverse effects on the breast-fed infant from the drug or from the underlying maternal condition.
If anticipated benefits of meloxicam outweigh the potential risks, the manufacturers of oral meloxicam state that the drug should be initiated in geriatric patients at the low end of the dosage range and patients should be monitored for adverse effects.
Of the total number of patients in clinical trials of meloxicam capsules, 291 patients were >=65 years of age. Of the total number of patients in clinical trials of parenteral meloxicam, 197 patients were >=65 years of age. In pharmacokinetic studies with oral meloxicam, geriatric males exhibited similar pharmacokinetics to younger males. Female patients >=65 years of age had higher exposure (by 47%) and higher maximum plasma concentrations (by 32%) compared to younger females (<=55 years of age). Although results from clinical studies of meloxicam revealed no overall differences in efficacy or safety of the drug between geriatric patients and younger individuals, most of the spontaneous reports of fatal adverse GI effects with NSAIAs have been in geriatric or debilitated individuals.
Geriatric patients receiving NSAIAs are at increased risk for serious adverse cardiovascular, GI, and renal effects. If anticipated benefits of meloxicam outweigh the potential risks, the drug should be initiated at the low end of the dosing range and the patient should be monitored for adverse effects.
ICD codes
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Last reviewed · Source: First Databank (FDB) drug data
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