EFFECT OF FOOD AND DOSAGE ON CIMICOXIB PHARMACOKINETICS IN DOGS

Cimicoxib (CX) is a new non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug from the "coxib" family, designed for dogs. In the available literature there is little information on the pharmacokinetics of CX. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of food intake on the pharmacokinetic characteristics of cimicoxib. Additionally, the pharmacokinetic profile after the administration of precise doses of CX (2 mg/kg b.w.) and an approximate dose (i.e. 80 mg tablet for animals of about 40 kg) were estimated. CX concentrations were determined by a HPLC validated method. The results of pharmacokinetic analysis were similar in both studies, regardless of the dose and the degree of filling of the gastrointestinal tract (fasted, fed). In addition, we estimated the duration of the minimum effective concentration (MEC), which turned out to be similar for all the concentrations tested. The results show that neither small variations in dosage nor the presence of food in the gastrointestinal tract change the therapeutic efficacy of the analgesic in terms of its blood concentration.