Dofetilide

White to off-white powder

Crystals from ethyl acetate/methanol (10:1); ... ; from hexane/ethyl acetate, mp 151-152 °C ... also reported as white crystalline solid

Soluble in 0.1M NaOH, acetone, 0.1M HCl; very slightly soluble in propan-2-ol

Very slightly soluble in water

1.98e-02 g/L

FDA approved drugs -> Active ingredient

FDA approved drugs -> Active ingredient

Danger

H302 (95.8%): Harmful if swallowed [Warning Acute toxicity, oral]

P203, P260, P264, P270, P273, P280, P301+P317, P318, P319, P330, P391, P405, and P501 (click each P-code to see the statement)

Aggregated GHS information provided per 72 reports by companies from 5 notifications to the ECHA C&L Inventory. Each notification may be associated with multiple companies.

The Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations identifies currently marketed prescription drug products, including dofetilide, approved on the basis of safety and effectiveness by FDA under sections 505 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

As with all fires, evacuate personnel to a safe area. Firefighters should use self-contained breathing equipment and protective clothing.

Water spray, dry chemical, carbon dioxide, or foam as appropriate for surrounding fire and materials.

Wear approved respiratory protection, chemically compatible gloves, and protective clothing. Wipe up spillage or collect spillage using a high- efficiency vacuum cleaner. Avoid breathing dust. Place spillage in appropriately labeled container for disposal. Wash spill site.

SRP: Expired or waste pharmaceuticals shall carefully take into consideration applicable DEA, EPA, and FDA regulations. It is not appropriate to dispose by flushing the pharmaceutical down the toilet or discarding to trash. If possible return the pharmaceutical to the manufacturer for proper disposal being careful to properly label and securely package the material. Alternatively, the waste pharmaceutical shall be labeled, securely packaged and transported by a state licensed medical waste contractor to dispose by burial in a licensed hazardous or toxic waste landfill or incinerator.

As a general rule, when handling USP Reference Standards, avoid all contact and inhalation of dust, mists, and/or vapors associated with the material. Clean equipment and work surfaces with suitable detergent or solvent after use. After removing gloves, wash hands and other exposed skin thoroughly.

As with all dry powders, it is advisable to ground mechanical equipment in contact with dry material to dissipate the potential buildup of static electricity.

SRP: Local exhaust ventilation should be applied wherever there is an incidence of point source emissions or dispersion of regulated contaminants in the work area. Ventilation control of the contaminant as close to its point of generation is both the most economical and safest method to minimize personnel exposure to airborne contaminants. Ensure that the local ventilation moves the contaminant away from the worker.

For handling of laboratory scale quantities, a cloth lab coat is recommended. Where significant quantities are handled, work clothing may be necessary to prevent take-home contamination.

Safety glasses with sideshields are recommended. Face shields or goggles may be required if splash potential exists or if corrosive materials are present. Approved eye protection (e.g., bearing the ANSI Z87 or CSA stamp) is preferred. Maintain eyewash facilities in the work area.

Chemically compatible. For handling solutions, ensure that the glove material is protective against the solvent being used. Use handling practices that minimize direct hand contact. Employees who are sensitive to natural rubber (latex) should use nitrile or other synthetic nonlatex gloves. Use of powdered latex gloves should be avoided due to the risk of latex allergy. This material is extremely potent. To reduce the risk of contamination of skin and surfaces, wear two pairs of gloves. Remove the outer gloves after handling and cleanup of the material, and remove the inner gloves only after removing other personal protective equipment.

Where respirators are deemed necessary to reduce or control occupational exposures, use NIOSH-approved respiratory protection and have an effective respirator program in place.

Airborne exposure should be controlled primarily by engineering controls such as general dilution ventilation, local exhaust ventilation, or process enclosure. Local exhaust ventilation is generally preferred to general exhaust because it can control the contaminant at its source, preventing dispersion into the work area. An industrial hygiene survey involving air monitoring may be used to determine the effectiveness of engineering controls. Effectiveness of engineering controls intended for use with highly potent materials should be assessed by use of nontoxic surrogate materials. Avoid any open handling of this material, particularly for grinding, crushing, weighing, or other dust-generating or aerosol-generating procedures. Use a laboratory fume hood, vented enclosure, glovebox, or other effective containment.

Concomitant use of verapamil is contraindicated. Co-administration of Tikosyn with verapamil resulted in increases in dofetilide peak plasma levels of 42%, although overall exposure to dofetilide was not significantly increased. In an analysis of the supraventricular arrhythmia and The Danish Investigations of Arrhythmia and Mortality on Dofetilide (DIAMOND) patient populations, the concomitant administration of verapamil with dofetilide was associated with a higher occurrence of torsade de pointes.

Concomitant use of cimetidine is contraindicated. Cimetidine at 400 mg BID (the usual prescription dose) co-administered with Tikosyn (500 mcg BID) for 7 days has been shown to increase dofetilide plasma levels by 58%. Cimetidine at doses of 100 mg BID (OTC dose) resulted in a 13% increase in dofetilide plasma levels (500 mcg single dose). No studies have been conducted at intermediate doses of cimetidine. If a patient requires Tikosyn and anti-ulcer therapy, it is suggested that omeprazole, ranitidine, or antacids (aluminum and magnesium hydroxides) be used as alternatives to cimetidine, as these agents have no effect on the pharmacokinetic profile of Tikosyn.

The use of Tikosyn in conjunction with other drugs that prolong the QT interval has not been studied and is not recommended. Such drugs include phenothiazines, cisapride, bepridil, tricyclic antidepressants, certain oral macrolides, and certain fluoroquinolones. Class I or Class III antiarrhythmic agents should be withheld for at least three half-lives prior to dosing with Tikosyn. In clinical trials, Tikosyn was administered to patients previously treated with oral amiodarone only if serum amiodarone levels were below 0.3 mg/L or amiodarone had been withdrawn for at least three months.

Hypokalemia or hypomagnesemia may occur with administration of potassium-depleting diuretics, increasing the potential for torsade de pointes. Potassium levels should be within the normal range prior to administration of Tikosyn and maintained in the normal range during administration of Tikosyn.

For more Interactions (Complete) data for Dofetilide (15 total), please visit the HSDB record page.

In clinical trials, serum aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase elevations were no more common during dofetilide than placebo therapy. Some degree of ALT elevation was reported in 15% of dofetilide but a similar proportion of placebo recipients; these elevations were above 3 times the upper limit of normal in 1.5% vs 2.0%. Thus, the background rate of serum ALT elevations in patients with atrial fibrillation eligible for dofetilide treatment appears to be high. Despite this, dofetilide has not been linked to instances of clinically apparent liver injury with symptoms or jaundice. The product label for dofetilide does not mention hepatotoxicity and does not specifically recommend monitoring of liver tests.

/SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS/ Tikosyn (dofetilide) can cause serious ventricular arrhythmias, primarily torsade de pointes (TdP) type ventricular tachycardia, a polymorphic ventricular tachycardia associated with QT interval prolongation. QT interval prolongation is directly related to dofetilide plasma concentration. Factors such as reduced creatinine clearance or certain dofetilide drug interactions will increase dofetilide plasma concentration. The risk of TdP can be reduced by controlling the plasma concentration through adjustment of the initial dofetilide dose according to creatinine clearance and by monitoring the ECG for excessive increases in the QT interval. Treatment with dofetilide must therefore be started only in patients placed for a minimum of three days in a facility that can provide electrocardiographic monitoring and in the presence of personnel trained in the management of serious ventricular arrhythmias. Calculation of the creatinine clearance for all patients must precede administration of the first dose of dofetilide.

/SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS/ The following adverse events have been reported with a frequency of < or = 2% and numerically more frequently with Tikosyn than placebo in patients with supraventricular arrhythmias: angioedema, bradycardia, cerebral ischemia, cerebrovascular accident, edema, facial paralysis, flaccid paralysis, heart arrest, increased cough, liver damage, migraine, myocardial infarct, paralysis, paresthesia, sudden death, and syncope.

/CASE REPORTS/ Proarrhythmia with dofetilide has most typically taken the form of torsade de pointes and generally occurs early with therapy, such that in-hospital initiation of dofetilide with 3 days of continuous electrocardiogram monitoring is recommended. This article reports two unusual variants of ventricular pro-arrhythmia with dofetilide: (1) nonsustained runs of monomorphic ventricular tachycardia shortly after taking the first dose of dofetilide, confirmed by rechallenge; and (2) torsade de pointes that followed the development of isolated ventricular premature beats during an exercise test in a patient with neither excessive QT prolongation on dofetilide nor any ectopy whatsoever during in-hospital telemetric monitoring but with significant QT interval prolongation after the post-ectopic pause. These cases demonstrate that clinicians must be alert to the appearance of proarrhythmia with dofetilide at times other than early during drug initiation if the electrophysiological milieu is altered during nonhospital activity and/or of a pattern other than torsade de pointes.

/CASE REPORTS/ This report is about a 62-year old male patient with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) for patient activated termination of atrial fibrillation who experienced dofetilide-associated ventricular tachyarrhythmias and ICD-induced ventricular fibrillation six months after the initiation of the antiarrhythmic drug therapy.

For more Human Toxicity Excerpts (Complete) data for Dofetilide (6 total), please visit the HSDB record page.

Drug Induced Liver Injury Rank (DILIrank 2.0)

Dofetilide

vLess-DILI-concern

0

No match

DOI:10.1016/j.drudis.2016.02.015

/LABORATORY ANIMALS: Developmental or Reproductive Toxicity/ Drugs with class III anti-arrhythmic activity are potential human teratogens because of their ability to cause bradycardia in the embryo during the organogenic period. Three drugs with class III antiarrhythmic activity, almokalant, dofetilide and d-sotalol, were compared in vitro using rat embryo culture. Each of these drugs caused a concentration-dependent bradycardia in 11- or 13-day rat embryos. For each drug the effective concentration was considerably greater than the human therapeutic plasma concentration. The reproductive outcome was also compared in vivo in Sprague-Dawley rats by oral administration of almokalant or dofetilide on single days during the organogenic period. Both drugs caused increased resorptions and the same stage-dependent malformations. Dosing on gestational day (GD) 11 was associated with right-sided oblique cleft lip and short tail, while dosing on day 13 caused digital hypoplasia and/or amputation. Susceptibility to these drugs started on GD 9 when the embryonic heart starts beating and ended on GD 15. The malformations were preceded by hemorrhage; which is consistent with the proposed pathogenesis that the drug-induced bradycardia caused embryonic hypoxia/ischemia. This study indicates that the induction of malformations/embryonic death by class III anti-arrhythmic drugs which inhibit Ikr is a class effect secondary to a common pharmacological action on the embryonic heart.

/LABORATORY ANIMALS: Developmental or Reproductive Toxicity/ Gestation day 11 (GD11) and 14 (GD14) embryos were cultured for up to 4 hours in the presence of Dofetilide (0.01-0.50 ug/mL), a potent Class III Antiarrhythmic which selectively inhibits the rapid component of the time dependent outward potassium current (IKr). Significant (P < or = 0.05) reductions in heart rate as measured over a 4 hour period were dose dependent and reversible. The sensitivity of the GD11 embryos was greater than GD14 embryos (14-64% decrease in heart rate vs. an 11-43% decrease in HR, respectively) at the same concentrations tested. These in vitro results support the hypothesis that the embryo-lethality of Class III Anti-arrhythmics observed in vivo may be a class effect of the IKr subtype potassium channel blockers. The data suggest a possible mechanism of embryotoxicity is to lower embryonic HR resulting in subsequent hypoxia and death. Dofetilide's effects on GD11 heart rate were partially reversible by the sequential addition of Isoproterenol or Theophylline.

Tikosyn is contraindicated in patients with congenital or acquired long QT syndromes. Tikosyn should not be used in patients with a baseline QT interval or QTc >440 msec (500 msec in patients with ventricular conduction abnormalities).

In patients with mild to moderate renal failure, decreases in dosage based on creatinine clearance are required to minimize the risk of torsades de pointes. The drug should not be used in patients with advanced renal failure or with inhibitors of renal cation transport.

Female patients constituted 32% of the patients in the placebo-controlled trials of Tikosyn. As with other drugs that cause torsade de pointes, Tikosyn was associated with a greater risk of torsade de pointes in female patients than in male patients. During the Tikosyn clinical development program the risk of torsade de pointes in females was approximately 3 times the risk in males. Unlike torsade de pointes, the incidence of other ventricular arrhythmias was similar in female patients receiving Tikosyn and patients receiving placebo. Although no study specifically investigated this risk, in post-hoc analyses, no increased mortality was observed in females on Tikosyn compared to females on placebo.

The case of a 33-year-old man who was treated for ingestion of approximately 5 mg of dofetilide as a suicide attempt /is reported/. In addition, he had a known history of cocaine abuse. He came to the emergency department approximately 45 minutes after the ingestion; examination revealed a QTc interval of approximately 570 msec. He was treated with activated charcoal and sorbitol by nasogastric tube and received aggressive supplementation with potassium and magnesium. The patient was monitored by telemetry for several days and responded well. Cardiac toxicity is the utmost concern when treating dofetilide overdose. The mainstay of treatment focuses on supportive care and prevention of drug absorption. Ventricular dysrhythmias or torsade de pointes should be treated according to advanced cardiac life support guidelines.

There is no known antidote to Tikosyn; treatment of overdose should therefore be symptomatic and supportive. The most prominent manifestation of overdosage is likely to be excessive prolongation of the QT interval. In cases of overdose cardiac monitoring should be initiated. Charcoal slurry may be given soon after overdosing but has been useful only when given within 15 minutes of Tikosyn administration. Treatment of torsade de pointes or overdose may include administration of isoproterenol infusion, with or without cardiac pacing. Administration of intravenous magnesium sulfate may be effective in the management of torsade de pointes. Close medical monitoring and supervision should continue until the QT interval returns to normal levels.

/SRP:/ Immediate first aid: Ensure that adequate decontamination has been carried out. If patient is not breathing, start artificial respiration, preferably with a demand valve resuscitator, bag-valve-mask device, or pocket mask, as trained. Perform CPR if necessary. Immediately flush contaminated eyes with gently flowing water. Do not induce vomiting. If vomiting occurs, lean patient forward or place on the left side (head-down position, if possible) to maintain an open airway and prevent aspiration. Keep patient quiet and maintain normal body temperature. Obtain medical attention. /Poisons A and B/

/SRP:/ Basic treatment: Establish a patent airway (oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal airway, if needed). Suction if necessary. Watch for signs of respiratory insufficiency and assist ventilations if needed. Administer oxygen by nonrebreather mask at 10 to 15 L/min. Monitor for pulmonary edema and treat if necessary ... . Monitor for shock and treat if necessary ... . Anticipate seizures and treat if necessary ... . For eye contamination, flush eyes immediately with water. Irrigate each eye continuously with 0.9% saline (NS) during transport ... . Do not use emetics. For ingestion, rinse mouth and administer 5 mL/kg up to 200 mL of water for dilution if the patient can swallow, has a strong gag reflex, and does not drool ... . Cover skin burns with dry sterile dressings after decontamination ... . /Poisons A and B/

/SRP:/ Advanced treatment: Consider orotracheal or nasotracheal intubation for airway control in the patient who is unconscious, has severe pulmonary edema, or is in severe respiratory distress. Positive-pressure ventilation techniques with a bag valve mask device may be beneficial. Consider drug therapy for pulmonary edema ... . Consider administering a beta agonist such as albuterol for severe bronchospasm ... . Monitor cardiac rhythm and treat arrhythmias as necessary ... . Start IV administration of D5W /SRP: "To keep open", minimal flow rate/. Use 0.9% saline (NS) or lactated Ringer's if signs of hypovolemia are present. For hypotension with signs of hypovolemia, administer fluid cautiously. Watch for signs of fluid overload ... . Treat seizures with diazepam or lorazepam ... . Use proparacaine hydrochloride to assist eye irrigation ... . /Poisons A and B/

The Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations identifies currently marketed prescription drug products, including dofetilide, approved on the basis of safety and effectiveness by FDA under sections 505 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

C - Cardiovascular system

QC - Cardiovascular system

Dofetilide is an antiarrhythmic drug with Class III (cardiac action potential duration prolonging) properties and is indicated for the maintenance of normal sinus rhythm. Dofetilide increases the monophasic action potential duration in a predictable, concentration-dependent manner, primarily due to delayed repolarization. At concentrations covering several orders of magnitude, Dofetilide blocks only IKr with no relevant block of the other repolarizing potassium currents (e.g., IKs, IK1). At clinically relevant concentrations, Dofetilide has no effect on sodium channels (associated with Class I effect), adrenergic alpha-receptors, or adrenergic beta-receptors.

The mechanism of action of Dofetilide is a blockade of the cardiac ion channel carrying the rapid component of the delayed rectifier potassium current, IKr. This inhibition of potassium channels results in a prolongation of action potential duration and the effective refractory period of accessory pathways (both anterograde and retrograde conduction in the accessory pathway).

Rapidly activating delayed rectifier current (IKr) is the key target of class III antiarrhythmic drugs including dofetilide. Due to its complex gating properties, the precise channel state or states that interact with these agents remain poorly defined. We have undertaken a careful analysis of the state dependence of HERG channel block by dofetilide in Xenopus oocytes and Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells by devising a protocol in which brief sampling pulses were superimposed over a wide range of test potentials. The rate of block onset, maximal steady-state block and IC50 were similar for all test potentials over the activation range, demonstrating that the drug probably interacts with open and/or inactivated but not resting HERG channels with high affinity. Reducing the fraction of inactivated channels at 0 mV by augmenting the external potassium concentration did not alter the sensitivity to dofetilide. In contrast, the S631A and S620T HERG mutations both eliminated inward rectification and reduced dofetilide affinity by approximately 10- and approximately 100-fold respectively. We have also found a novel ultra-slow activation process which occurs in wild type HERG channels at threshold potentials. Overall, ... data imply that dofetilide block occurs equally at all voltages positive to the activation threshold, and that the drug interacts with HERG channels in both the open and inactivated states.

Tikosyn (dofetilide) shows Vaughan Williams Class III antiarrhythmic activity. The mechanism of action is blockade of the cardiac ion channel carrying the rapid component of the delayed rectifier potassium current, IKr. At concentrations covering several orders of magnitude, dofetilide blocks only IKr with no relevant block of the other repolarizing potassium currents (e.g., IKs, IK1). At clinically relevant concentrations, dofetilide has no effect on sodium channels (associated with Class I effect), adrenergic alpha-receptors, or adrenergic beta-receptors.

The human ether-a-go-go-related gene (HERG) encodes a K+ channel with biophysical properties nearly identical to the rapid component of the cardiac delayed rectifier K+ current (IKr). HERG/IKr channels are a prime target for the pharmacological management of arrhythmias and are selectively blocked by class III antiarrhythmic methanesulfonanilide drugs, such as dofetilide, E4031, and MK-499, at submicromolar concentrations. By contrast, the closely related bovine ether-a-go-go channel (BEAG) is 100-fold less sensitive to dofetilide. To identify the molecular determinants for dofetilide block, we first engineered chimeras between HERG and BEAG and then used site-directed mutagenesis to localize single amino acid residues responsible for block. Using constructs heterologously expressed in Xenopus oocytes, we found that transplantation of the S5-S6 linker from BEAG into HERG removed high-affinity block by dofetilide. A point mutation in the S5-S6 linker region, HERG S620T, abolished high-affinity block and interfered with C-type inactivation. Thus, our results indicate that important determinants of dofetilide binding are localized to the pore region of HERG. Since the loss of high-affinity drug binding was always correlated with a loss of C-type inactivation, it is possible that the changes observed in drug binding are due to indirect allosteric modifications in the structure of the channel protein and not to the direct interaction of dofetilide with the respective mutated site chains. However, the chimeric approach was not able to identify domains outside the S5-S6 linker region of the HERG channel as putative candidates involved in drug binding. Moreover, the reverse mutation BEAG T432S increased the affinity of BEAG K+ channels for dofetilide, whereas C-type inactivation could not be recovered. Thus, the serine in position HERG 620 may participate directly in dofetilide binding; however, an intact C-type inactivation process seems to be crucial for high-affinity drug binding.

10 hours

Following IV administration, ... high plasma clearance in rodents resulted in short half-life values (mouse 0.32, male rat 0.5 and female rat 1.2 hr), while lower clearance in dog and man gave longer terminal elimination half-lives (4.6 and 7.6 hr respectively). ...

The terminal half life of Tikosyn is approximately 10 hours

Hepatic

Dofetilide, a class III antidysrhythmic agent, undergoes both renal and metabolic clearance. Characterization of the metabolism in vitro allows explanation of species differences, whereas identification of the human enzymes involved permits assessment of potential drug interaction. In liver microsomes, the rate of oxidative metabolism of dofetilide is in the order: male rat > female rat > dog > humans, which correlates with the metabolic clearance seen in vivo. In vitro products of oxidative metabolism, formed by N-dealkylation, are the same as those formed in vivo, with the N-desmethyl being the major product. This route of dofetilide metabolism is mediated by cytochrome P450 (CYP). In humans, N-demethylation has a high KM of 657 +/- 116 uM, indicating low affinity for the enzyme's active site. In a number of human liver microsomal preparations, this rate correlated (r = 0.903) with the activity of CYP3A4. There was no correlation with the activities of other isozymes. Specific isozyme inhibitors also indicated the involvement of CYP3A4, with partial inhibition being observed with ketoconazole and troleandeomycin, whereas the activator, alpha-naphthaflavone, caused increased turnover. No inhibition was observed with specific inhibitors or competing substrates for other isozymes. Dofetilide did not significantly inhibit CYP2C9, CYP2D6, or CYP3A4 at concentrations up to 100 microM in vitro. In contrast, amiodarone (IC50, 25 uM) and flecainide (49 microM) inhibited CYP2C9 and quinidine (0.26 uM), and flecainide (0.44 uM) inhibited CYP2D6. Many antidysrhythmic drugs have active, circulating metabolites, complicating the relationship of dose and clinical response. In vitro pharmacology studies allow assessment of the potential contribution to the pharmacological profile by metabolites. Potency of dofetilide and metabolites has been compared for class III (K+ channel blockade) and class I (Na+ channel blockade) antidysrhythmic activities. Three of the metabolites of dofetilide displayed class III activity but at concentrations at least 20-fold higher than dofetilide. Dofetilide N-oxide showed class I activity, but only at high concentration. Neither resting membrane potential or action potential amplitude were affected by any metabolite. This lack of biologically relevant activity is in accord with the close correlation between plasma concentrations of dofetilide and pharmacological response.

Approximately 80% of a single dose of dofetilide is excreted in urine, of which approximately 80% is excreted as unchanged dofetilide with the remaining 20% consisting of inactive or minimally active metabolites. ... In vitro studies with human liver microsomes show that dofetilide can be metabolized by CYP3A4, but it has a low affinity for this isoenzyme. Metabolites are formed by N-dealkylation and N-oxidation. There are no quantifiable metabolites circulating in plasma, but 5 metabolites have been identified in urine

R4Z9X1N2ND

DOFETILIDE

Established Pharmacologic Class [EPC] - Antiarrhythmic

Dofetilide is an Antiarrhythmic.

DOFETILIDE

Antiarrhythmic [EPC]

Agents used for the treatment or prevention of cardiac arrhythmias. They may affect the polarization-repolarization phase of the action potential, its excitability or refractoriness, or impulse conduction or membrane responsiveness within cardiac fibers. Anti-arrhythmia agents are often classed into four main groups according to their mechanism of action: sodium channel blockade, beta-adrenergic blockade, repolarization prolongation, or calcium channel blockade.

A class of drugs that act by inhibition of potassium efflux through cell membranes. Blockade of potassium channels prolongs the duration of ACTION POTENTIALS. They are used as ANTI-ARRHYTHMIA AGENTS and VASODILATOR AGENTS.

>90%

3 L/kg

Approximately 80% of a single dose of dofetilide is excreted in urine, of which approximately 80% is excreted as unchanged dofetilide with the remaining 20% consisting of inactive or minimally active metabolites. Renal elimination involves both glomerular filtration and active tubular secretion (via the cation transport system, a process that can be inhibited by cimetidine, trimethoprim, prochlorperazine, megestrol and ketoconazole). ...

The oral bioavailability of dofetilide is >90%, with maximal plasma concentrations occurring at about 2-3 hours in the fasted state. Oral bioavailability is unaffected by food or antacid. The terminal half life of Tikosyn is approximately 10 hours; steady state plasma concentrations are attained within 2-3 days, with an accumulation index of 1.5 to 2.0. Plasma concentrations are dose proportional. Plasma protein binding of dofetilide is 60-70%, is independent of plasma concentration, and is unaffected by renal impairment. Volume of distribution is 3 L/kg.

1. Pharmacokinetics of dofetilide were studied in man, dog, rat and mouse after single IV and oral doses of dofetilide or (14)C-dofetilide. 2. Dofetilide was absorbed completely in all species. Low metabolic clearance in man resulted in complete bioavailability following oral administration. Higher metabolic clearance in rodents, and to a lesser extent dogs, resulted in decreased bioavailability because of first-pass metabolism. 3. Following IV administration, the volume of distribution showed only moderate variation in all species (2.8-6.3 l/kg). High plasma clearance in rodents resulted in short half-life values (mouse 0.32, male rat 0.5 and female rat 1.2 hr), while lower clearance in dog and man gave longer terminal elimination half-lives (4.6 and 7.6 hr respectively). 4. After single IV doses of (14)C-dofetilide, unchanged drug was the major component excreted in urine of all species with several metabolites also present. 5. Metabolites identified in urine from all species were formed by N-oxidation or N-dealkylation of the tertiary nitrogen atom of dofetilide. 6. After oral and IV administration of (14)C-dofetilide to man, parent compound was the only detectable component present in plasma and represented 75% of plasma radioactivity. No single metabolite accounted for greater than 5% of plasma radioactivity.

By nucleophilic displacement of the halogen in 4-(2-bromoethoxy)methanesulfonanilide by N-methyl-p-nitrophenethylamine and potassium carbonate in acetonitrile, the tertiary amine precursor of the product is formed. The p-nitro group is catalytically reduced to the amine, which is then sulfonated with dimethyl sulfate in methylene chloride to afford the product.