Currently, several
ibuprofen compounds are available on the market, mainly differing in terms of
pharmaceutical composition that influence the pharmacokinetic profile and eventually the onset of
drug action. This review will mainly deal with the clinical pharmacokinetics of
ibuprofen arginine, an alternative formulation specifically designed to improve the absorption of
ibuprofen. Indeed, available data from studies in healthy volunteers have consistently shown that the formulation of
ibuprofen arginine is characterized by prompt absorption of
ibuprofen as compared to the conventional formulation at all tested doses with higher peak plasma concentration and lower Tmax values. This trend has been confirmed also in studies dealing with chiral
ibuprofen pharmacokinetics. Most importantly, the shortening in the absorption time observed either with racemic mixture or with the S(+)-enantiomer of
ibuprofen arginine did not imply a faster drug elimination eventually leading to inadequate daily
drug exposure, as documented by T1/2 and AUC values being comparable to those measured with the free
acid form. Taken together, the pharmacokinetic/dynamic characteristics of
ibuprofen arginine can be considered particularly favorable for several clinical conditions, such as moderate/severe
pain, in which a rapid pharmacologic effect is required.