Clinical Pharmacology of Vinpocetine: Properties Revisited and Introduction of a Population Pharmacokinetic Model for Its Metabolite, Apovincaminic Acid (AVA)
Zvonimir Petric,
Paulo Paixão,
Augusto Filipe,
José Guimarães Morais
Affiliations
Zvonimir Petric
Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon, 1649-004 Lisboa, Portugal
Paulo Paixão
Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon, 1649-004 Lisboa, Portugal
Augusto Filipe
Medical Department, Tecnimede, Sociedade Técnico-Medicinal, S.A., Zona Industrial da Abrunheira, Rua da Tapada Grande, No. 2 Abrunheira, 2710-089 Sintra, Portugal
José Guimarães Morais
Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon, 1649-004 Lisboa, Portugal
This paper examines the use of vinpocetine in the context of clinical pharmacology. The main and active metabolite of vinpocetine is apovincaminic acid (AVA). Due to the scarce information in the literature on AVA pharmacokinetics, we propose a population pharmacokinetic (PopPK) model for AVA based on a study in healthy volunteers with three different formulations of vinpocetine. The suggested PopPK model (and simulations) could be helpful in ensuring the more effective and safer use of the vinpocetine in the future given the increasing range of suggested indications for its use.
