[Propofol: new formulations].

Abstract

Few pharmacologically new anesthetics have appeared in recent years, but great progress has been made toward improving some existing ones. Such is the case with propofol. New formulations have been developed to reduce or avoid adverse side effects associated with the original drug produced by Astra-Zeneca. The unwanted effects for which solutions have been sought are pain upon intravenous injection of the drug, elevated serum concentrations of triglycerides, and the risk of bacterial contamination. Some new formulations contain excipients with bactericidal action, such as propofol with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid or metabisulfite, and others use lipuro rather than intralipid. Other more advanced products are propofol in cyclodextrin or IDD-D propofol, which makes use of nanoparticle technology. A grasp of the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the original formulation must be the basis for understanding the differences between these new products.