Comparative Pharmacology
Head-to-head clinical analysis: NUMORPHAN versus VICOPRIN.
Peer-Reviewed Evidence
Head-to-head clinical analysis: NUMORPHAN versus VICOPRIN.
NUMORPHAN vs VICOPRIN
Comparing the clinical profiles, pharmacokinetic behaviors, and safety indices of these two therapeutic agents.
Opioid agonist; binds to mu-opioid receptors in the CNS, inhibiting ascending pain pathways and altering pain perception.
VICOPRIN (hydrocodone/acetaminophen) combines a mu-opioid receptor agonist (hydrocodone) that inhibits ascending pain pathways and alters pain perception, with an analgesic and antipyretic (acetaminophen) that inhibits cyclooxygenase (COX) and central prostaglandin synthesis.
Intravenous or subcutaneous: 0.5-2 mg (0.1-0.2 mg/kg for severe pain) every 2-3 hours as needed; not to exceed 20 mg/day.
1 to 2 tablets (each containing 7.5 mg hydrocodone bitartrate and 200 mg ibuprofen) orally every 4 to 6 hours as needed for pain; maximum 5 tablets per day.
None Documented
None Documented
Terminal elimination half-life is 2–3 hours in adults; prolonged to 3–4 hours in elderly and up to 15 hours in patients with severe hepatic impairment.
Hydrocodone: 3.8-6.0 hours in adults; acetaminophen: 2.0-4.0 hours. Clinically, Vicoprofen (hydrocodone/ibuprofen) has an effective half-life of ~4-6 hours for hydrocodone; ibuprofen half-life is 2-4 hours.
Primarily renal (approximately 70% as unchanged drug, <5% as noroxymorphone and other conjugates); biliary/fecal excretion accounts for ~20%.
Renal excretion of metabolites (hydrocodone: ~60% as conjugates; acetaminophen: ~85-90% as glucuronide and sulfate conjugates). Biliary/fecal elimination accounts for <5%.
Category C
Category C
Opioid Analgesic
Opioid Analgesic