Comparative Pharmacology
Head-to-head clinical analysis: OPANA ER versus XARTEMIS XR.
Peer-Reviewed Evidence
Head-to-head clinical analysis: OPANA ER versus XARTEMIS XR.
OPANA ER vs XARTEMIS XR
Comparing the clinical profiles, pharmacokinetic behaviors, and safety indices of these two therapeutic agents.
Opana ER (oxymorphone hydrochloride) is a full opioid agonist with relative selectivity for the mu-opioid receptor, although it can interact with other opioid receptors at higher doses. The principal therapeutic action is analgesia via activation of mu-opioid receptors in the central nervous system, leading to altered perception and response to pain.
XARTEMIS XR is a combination of oxycodone (a full mu-opioid receptor agonist) and acetaminophen (a centrally acting analgesic with antipyretic properties via cyclooxygenase inhibition).
Initial: 5 mg orally every 12 hours; titrate by 5-10 mg every 12 hours every 3-7 days; maximum 40 mg every 12 hours.
1 tablet (oxycodone 7.5 mg / acetaminophen 325 mg) orally every 12 hours; maximum 2 tablets per day.
None Documented
None Documented
Terminal elimination half-life: 11.1–13.8 hours; clinically relevant as steady-state achieved in 2–3 days
Oxycodone: 5.3-6.6 hours (immediate-release), extended-release formulation shows prolonged absorption with apparent half-life ~7.2-9.6 hours; naloxone: 2-3 hours.
Renal (primarily as glucuronide conjugates and unchanged drug): 85-90%; Fecal: <10%
Renal: oxycodone and metabolites ~8.8% free oxycodone, ~8.8% noroxycodone, ~33% conjugated metabolites; naloxone: extensive hepatic metabolism, <1% excreted unchanged in urine. Fecal: naloxone metabolites ~17%.
Category C
Category C
Opioid Analgesic
Opioid Analgesic