Pharmacokinetics of droxicam in rat and dog.

A study was made of the oral absorption of droxicam in the rat. Five minutes after administration of 1 mg/kg droxicam, only piroxicam levels (its active metabolite) were detected at the portal vein and caudal vena cava. The transformation of droxicam into piroxicam takes place in the gastrointestional tract. A pharmacokinetic test to compare the plasma levels of piroxicam obtained in rat and dog was then made after oral administration of droxicam and piroxicam. In both animal species the oral absorption of droxicam was not dose-related. However, droxicam given at therapeutic doses (0.2-0.3 mg/kg) was bioequivalent to piroxicam. The elimination half-life of piroxicam after oral administration of droxicam and piroxicam was 8 +/- 2 h in the male rat, 27 +/- 12 h in the female rat and 38 +/- 18 h in the male dog, whilst the half-life of oral absorption of piroxicam did not vary from one animal species to another. In the case of droxicam, however, this value was higher than that after oral administration of piroxicam, as a consequence of the process of transformation of droxicam into piroxicam. It is concluded that droxicam is a prodrug of piroxicam with a slower rate of absorption, but with the same bioavailability within the range of therapeutic doses.