Cilostazol Pharmacokinetics After Single and Multiple Oral Doses in Healthy Males and Patients with Intermittent Claudication Resulting from Peripheral Arterial Disease

Objective: To study the pharmacokinetics of cilostazol following single oral administration of 50 to 200 mg in healthy young males, and after repeated oral administration of 100 mg every 12 hours to patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

Design: The healthy male single dose study was a single-centre, randomised sequence, open-label, incomplete block, 3-period, 4-treatment, crossover design. The patient study was a single-centre, multiple dose, open-label study.

Study Participants: 20 healthy nonsmoking male volunteers were enrolled and successfully completed the single dose study. 26 patients (21 males, 5 females) with intermittent claudication resulting from PAD were enrolled and completed the single/multiple dose study.

Main Outcome Measures: Noncompartmental pharmacokinetic parameters, the area under the plasma concentration-time curve from zero to the time of last measurable plasma concentration, and maximum plasma concentration.

Results: Peak plasma concentrations of cilostazol occurred about 3 hours after drug administration and then declined biexponentially with concentrations detectable (> 20 micrograms/L) in the plasma for at least 36 hours postdose. The apparent elimination half-life of cilostazol (approximately 11 hours) was similar after a single dose or after multiple doses, with steady state being reached within 4 days. Cilostazol accumulated 1.7-fold following multiple dose administration. The apparent volume of distribution (Vz/F; 2.76 L/kg) suggested extensive distribution of cilostazol in the tissues. The oral clearance of cilostazol (CL/F; 0.18 L/h/kg) was much lower than liver blood flow, indicating a low extraction ratio drug, and hence low probability of a significant first-pass effect. None of the administered doses were recovered in the urine as unchanged cilostazol, suggesting that metabolism, rather than urinary excretion, is the major elimination route. Following single oral doses of 50 to 200 mg, the plasma concentrations of cilostazol and its metabolites increased less than proportionally to the dose. The pharmacokinetics of cilostazol in normal healthy volunteers are predictive of those in patients with PAD. Single oral doses of 50 to 200 mg cilostazol as well as 100 mg cilostazol every 12 hours were well tolerated.

Conclusion: The plasma concentration of cilostazol and its metabolites increased less than proportionally with increasing doses. The relatively low plasma clearance and high volume of distribution of cilostazol suggest a low first-pass effect and extensive distribution. The pharmacokinetics of cilostazol in normal volunteers is predictive of that in patients with PAD. Cilostazol was well tolerated in healthy volunteers and patients with intermittent claudication resulting from PAD.