Safety, Tolerance and Pharmacokinetics of Intravenous Doses of the Phosphate Ester of 3‐Hydroxymethyl‐5,5‐Diphenylhydantoin: A New Prodrug of Phenytoin

A new prodrug of phenytoin, the disodium phosphate ester of 3‐hydroxymethyl‐5,5‐diphenylhydantoin (ACC‐9653), was administered intravenously over 30 minutes to four different groups of volunteers at doses of 150, 300, 600, and 1200 mg. The prodrug and phenytoin were measured in plasma samples, collected at specified times, by specific high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assays. The prodrug, after achieving a maximum concentration at the end of the 30‐minute infusion (C max 20, 36, 75, 129 μg/mL) declined rapidly with a half‐life (t 1/2 ) of about 8 minutes. The area under the plasma concentration‐time curve (10, 19, 43, 77 mg ṁ hr/L) was proportional to dose whereas the total clearance, 14 L/hr, was independent of dose. The volume of distribution of the prodrug, a polar, water‐soluble molecule was about 2.6 L, indicating that most of the dose remained in the plasma. The concentration of phenytoin reached 90% of its maximum about 12 minutes after the end of the infusion of ACC‐9653. At the dose of 1200 mg of prodrug, the average peak concentration of phenytoin was about 17 μg/mL, near the upper limit of the therapeutic range. Adverse reactions (lightheadedness, nystagmus, incoordination) were minor and attributed to phenytoin. No significant abnormalities in ECG, Holter monitoring, or EEG were noted after the infusion of ACC‐9653.