Comparative Pharmacology
Head-to-head clinical analysis: CARDENE versus LEXXEL.
Peer-Reviewed Evidence
Head-to-head clinical analysis: CARDENE versus LEXXEL.
CARDENE vs LEXXEL
Comparing the clinical profiles, pharmacokinetic behaviors, and safety indices of these two therapeutic agents.
Cardene (nicardipine) is a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker that inhibits the transmembrane influx of calcium ions into vascular smooth muscle and cardiac muscle. It dilates peripheral arterioles, reducing systemic vascular resistance and blood pressure, and also has coronary vasodilatory effects.
LEXXEL is a combination of felodipine, a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker that inhibits calcium influx into vascular smooth muscle and cardiac muscle, causing vasodilation and reduced myocardial contractility, and enalapril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor that prevents conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II, reducing vasoconstriction, aldosterone secretion, and sodium reabsorption.
20-40 mg orally three times daily.
1 tablet (felodipine 5 mg / enalapril 5 mg) orally once daily, may increase to 2 tablets once daily after 2-4 weeks if needed.
None Documented
None Documented
1.5-2 hours (terminal); prolonged in hepatic impairment (up to 6-8 hours)
Enalapril: ~1.3 hours; Enalaprilat: terminal half-life ~35-38 hours, with multiple-dose accumulation half-life ~11 hours; effective half-life for ACE inhibition ~24 hours.
Renal: 60% as metabolites, 10% unchanged; Fecal: 35%
Renal: ~35-50% as unchanged drug (enalaprilat), biliary/fecal: ~15-30% as metabolites and unchanged drug; total renal elimination of enalaprilat accounts for ~60-80% of dose.
Category C
Category C
Calcium Channel Blocker
ACE Inhibitor + Calcium Channel Blocker