Silodosin (known by the trade names Silosoft in India, Urief in Japan, Rapaflo in North America, and Silodyx or Niksol in the European Union
) is a medication for the symptomatic treatment of
benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). It acts as an
α1-adrenoceptor antagonist with high uroselectivity (selectivity for the
prostate).
Medical uses
Silodosin is used for the treatment of BPH in adult men.
Contraindications
According to European labels, silodosin has no contraindications apart from known
hypersensitivity.
Another source names recurring
urinary retention, recurring urinary infections, uncontrolled macro
hematuria,
bladder stones,
hydronephrosis, combination with other α
1-antagonists or
dopamine agonists, and severe
renal or
hepatic impairment as contraindications.
According to the FDA, silodosin is contraindicated with paxlovid, a drug used in treating COVID-19 ( https://www.fda.gov/media/155050/download ).
Side effects
The most common adverse effect is loss of
seminal emission. This seems to be caused by silodosin's high selectivity for
α1A receptors.
Other common adverse effects (in more than 1% of patients) are dizziness,
orthostatic hypotension, diarrhoea, and clogged nose. Less common (0.1–1%) are
tachycardia (fast heartbeat), dry mouth,
nausea, skin reactions, and
erectile dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction (ED), also called impotence, is the type of sexual dysfunction in which the penis fails to become or stay erect during sexual activity. It is the most common sexual problem in men.Cunningham GR, Rosen RC. Overview of male ...
. Hypersensitivity reactions occur in fewer than 0.01% of patients. There have been reports about
intraoperative floppy iris syndrome
Intraoperative floppy iris syndrome (IFIS) is a complication that may occur during cataract extraction in certain patients. This syndrome is characterized by a flaccid iris (anatomy), iris which billows in response to ordinary aqueous humor, intrao ...
during
cataract extractions.
These side effects are similar to those of other α
1 antagonists.
Interactions
Combining silodosin with strong inhibitors of the liver enzyme
CYP3A4
Cytochrome P450 3A4 (abbreviated CYP3A4) () is an important enzyme in the body, mainly found in the liver and in the intestine. It oxidizes small foreign organic molecules (xenobiotics), such as toxins or drugs, so that they can be removed from t ...
, such as
ketoconazole
Ketoconazole, sold under the brand name Nizoral among others, is an antiandrogen and antifungal medication used to treat a number of fungal infections. Applied to the skin it is used for fungal skin infections such as tinea, cutaneous candid ...
, significantly increases its concentrations in the
blood plasma and its area under the curve (
AUC). Less potent CYP3A4 inhibitors such as
diltiazem
Diltiazem, sold under the brand name Cardizem among others, is a calcium channel blocker medication used to treat high blood pressure, angina, and certain heart arrhythmias. It may also be used in hyperthyroidism if beta blockers cannot be used ...
have a less pronounced effect on this parameters, which is not considered clinically significant. Inhibitors and
inducers of the enzyme
UGT2B7,
alcohol dehydrogenases, and
aldehyde dehydrogenases, as well as the transporter
P-glycoprotein
P-glycoprotein 1 (permeability glycoprotein, abbreviated as P-gp or Pgp) also known as multidrug resistance protein 1 (MDR1) or ATP-binding cassette sub-family B member 1 (ABCB1) or cluster of differentiation 243 (CD243) is an important protein ...
(P-gp), may also influence silodosin concentrations in the body.
Digoxin
Digoxin (better known as Digitalis), sold under the brand name Lanoxin among others, is a medication used to treat various heart conditions. Most frequently it is used for atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, and heart failure. Digoxin is on ...
, which is transported by P-gp, is not affected by silodosin; this means that silodosin does not significantly inhibit or induce P-gp.
No relevant interactions with
antihypertensive
Antihypertensives are a class of drugs that are used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure). Antihypertensive therapy seeks to prevent the complications of high blood pressure, such as stroke and myocardial infarction. Evidence suggests that ...
drugs or with
PDE5 inhibitors have been found in studies; although combination with other α
1-antagonists is not well studied.
Pharmacology
Mechanism of action
Silodosin has high affinity for the α
1A adrenergic receptor in the prostate, the
bladder, and the
prostatic urethra
The prostatic urethra, the widest and most dilatable part of the urethra canal, is about 3 cm long.
It runs almost vertically through the prostate from its base to its apex, lying nearer its anterior than its posterior surface; the form of ...
. By this mechanism it relaxes the
smooth muscle
Smooth muscle is an involuntary non-striated muscle, so-called because it has no sarcomeres and therefore no striations (''bands'' or ''stripes''). It is divided into two subgroups, single-unit and multiunit smooth muscle. Within single-unit mus ...
in these organs, easing urinary flow and other symptoms of BPH.
[ on Rapaflo. Accessed 2020-01-03.]
Pharmacokinetics
The absolute
bioavailability after oral intake is 32%. Food has little effect on the AUC. When in the bloodstream, 96,6% of the substance are bound to blood
plasma proteins. Its main
metabolite
In biochemistry, a metabolite is an intermediate or end product of metabolism.
The term is usually used for small molecules. Metabolites have various functions, including fuel, structure, signaling, stimulatory and inhibitory effects on enzymes, c ...
is silodosin
glucuronide, which inhibits the α
1A receptor with 1/8 of the
affinity of the parent substance. 91% of the glucuronide are bound to plasma proteins. The enzyme mainly responsible for the formation of the glucuronide is UGT2B7. Other enzymes involved in the metabolism are alcohol dehydrogenases, aldehyde dehydrogenases and CYP3A4.
Silodosin is almost completely excreted in the form of metabolites; 33.5% via the urine and 54.9% via the feces. The
biological half-life of silodosin is 11 hours on average, and that of the glucuronide is 18 hours or 24 hours. (Sources are contradictory on this.)
File:Silodosin glucuronide.svg, Silodosin glucuronide
File:Silodosin acid.svg, KMD-3293, the other main metabolite
History
Silodosin received its first marketing approval in Japan in May 2006, under the brand name ''Urief'', which is jointly marketed by
Kissei Pharmaceutical and
Daiichi Sankyo.
Kissei licensed the US, Canadian, and Mexican rights for silodosin to
Watson Pharmaceuticals
Actavis Generics (formerly known as Watson Pharmaceuticals and Actavis plc, prior to the acquisition of Irish-based Allergan Inc) is a global pharmaceutical company focused on acquiring, developing, manufacturing and marketing branded pharmaceuti ...
(now
Allergan) in 2004.
AbbVie absorbed Allergan in 2019. The United States
Food and Drug Administration and
Health Canada
Health Canada (HC; french: Santé Canada, SC)Health Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of Health (). is the Structure of the Canadian federal government#Departments, with subsidiary unit ...
approved silodosin under the brand name ''Rapaflo'' on 9 October 2008 and 11 January 2011, respectively.
Society and culture
Brand names
Other brand names include ''Urorec'' (European Union,
Australia, Russia), ''Niksol'' (Croatia), ''Silorel'' (Jamaica),
SiloSoft 'Sildoo'', ''Silodal'' ''Silofast'' (India), ''Thrupas'' (South Korea), and ''Flopadex'' (Egypt).
Research
As α
1A adrenoceptor antagonists are being investigated as a means to male birth control due to their ability to inhibit ejaculation but not orgasm, a trial with 15 male volunteers was conducted. While silodosin was completely efficacious in preventing the release of semen in all subjects, 12 out of the 15 patients reported mild discomfort upon orgasm. The men also reported the psychosexual side effect of being strongly dissatisfied by their lack of ejaculation.
References
External links
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