Sodium N-(methylsulfonyl)-N-(4-nitro-2-phenoxyphenyl)sulfamate: a water-soluble nimesulide prodrug for parenteral use.

Several nimesulide preparations (i.e., tablet form, gels) have been marketed, but no parenteral solution has achieved the market because of their low wettability and unsatisfactory chemical-physical properties required for parenteral use. In this paper we describe the synthesis of the nimesulide prodrug 1 and its anti-inflammatory and antihyperalgesic properties. Pharmacological studies, carried out to evaluate the in vivo anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of compound 1 and nimesulide, showed that sodium sulfamate 1 is an effective nimesulide prodrug that can be administered by parenteral route, undergoing a satisfactory absorption and an extensive transformation into the active nimesulide compound. Moreover, the evaluation of the plasma concentrations of nimesulide after rat treatment with compound 1 showed an increased and dose-dependent release of nimesulide. In contrast, the plasma concentrations of nimesulide, after "native" drug administration, still remain substantially unchanged. These preliminary results prompt further investigations on this prodrug as a possible candidate for parenteral use.