nimodipine
Nimodipine is a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker used to treat Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.
Dihydropyridine Calcium Channel Blocker · by Annora Pharma
Generic of Nymalize
Key facts
- Active ingredient
- Nimodipine
- Drug class
- Dihydropyridine Calcium Channel Blocker
- Form
- Capsule, Solution
- Strength
- Nimodipine 3MG/ML
- Type
- Prescription (Rx)
- Brand or generic
- Generic
- May treat
- subarachnoid hemorrhage
- Manufacturer
- Annora Pharma
- What the pharmacy pays
- ~$37.38 for 30 — not your price
- FDA application
- ANDA216937
What is Nimodipine?
From the FDA label:Nimodipine oral solution contains nimodipine, a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker. Nimodipine is isopropyl 2-methoxyethyl 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-4-( m -nitrophenyl)-3,5-pyridinedicarboxylate. It has a molecular weight of 418.45 and a molecular formula of C 21 H 26 N 2 O 7 . The structural formula is: Nimodipine USP is a light yellow or yellow, crystalline powder, freely soluble in ethyl acetate, sparingly soluble in ethanol, practically insoluble in water. Nimodipine oral solution contains 60 mg of nimodipine per 20 mL. In addition, the oral solution contains the following inactive ingredients: dibasic sodium phosphate anhydrous, ethanol 0.63% v/v, glycerin, methylparaben, monobasic sodium phosphate monohydrate, polyethylene glycol 400 and purified water. nimodipinestructure
How to use
Nimodipine is sold in more than one form (Capsule and Solution), and each is dosed differently. The instructions below come from the FDA label for application ANDA216937 — follow the label that came with the product you were actually prescribed.
Administer only enterally (e.g., oral, nasogastric tube, or gastric tube route). Do not administer intravenously or by other parenteral routes. (2.1) • Give one hour before a meal or two hours after a meal. (2.1) • Start dosing within 96 hours of the SAH. (2.1) • Recommended dose is 20 mL (60 mg) every 4 hours for 21 consecutive days. (2.2) • Nasogastric or Gastric Tube Administration: Administer 20 mL (60 mg) every 4 hours with an oral syringe. Refill syringe with 20 mL of 0.9% saline water solution; flush remaining contents from nasogastric or gastric tube into stomach. (2.3) • Patients with Cirrhosis: Reduce dosage to 10 mL (30 mg) every 4 hours. (2.4) 2.1 Administration Instructions Administer only enterally (e.g., oral, nasogastric tube, or gastric tube route). Do not administer intravenously or by other parenteral routes. For all routes of administration, begin nimodipine oral solution within 96 hours of the onset of SAH. Administer one hour before a meal or two hours after a meal for all routes of administration [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ]. 2.2 Administration by Oral Route The recommended oral dosage is 60 mg/20 mL (3 mg/mL) every 4 hours for 21 consecutive days. 2.3 Administration Via Nasogastric or Gastric Tube Using the oral syringe, administer 60 mg/20 mL (3 mg/mL) every 4 hours into a nasogastric or gastric tube for 21 consecutive days. For each dose,…
Side effects
The safety and efficacy of nimodipine oral solution in the treatment of patients with SAH is based on adequate and well-controlled studies of nimodipine oral capsules in patients with SAH. Nimodipine oral solution has comparable bioavailability to nimodipine oral capsules. The following clinically significant adverse reaction appears in other sections of the labeling: • Hypotension [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ]. Most common adverse reactions (incidence ≥1% and ≥1% placebo) were hypotension, headache, nausea, and bradycardia. (6.1) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Annora Pharma Private Limited at 1-866-495-1995 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in clinical practice. In clinical trials of nimodipine oral capsules in patients with SAH, eleven percent (92 of 823) of nimodipine-treated patients reported adverse events compared to six percent (29 of 479) of placebo-treated patients. The most common adverse event was decreased blood pressure in 4.4% of nimodipine-treated patients. The events reported with a frequency greater than 1% are displayed in Table 1 by dose.…
Warnings
Important safety information
Hypotension: Monitor blood pressure. (5.1) • Patients with Cirrhosis: Higher risk of adverse reactions. Monitor blood pressure and pulse. (5.2) • CYP3A4 Strong Inhibitors: May significantly increase risk of hypotension. Concomitant use with nimodipine should generally be avoided. (5.3) • CYP3A4 Strong Inducers: May significantly reduce efficacy of nimodipine. Concomitant use with nimodipine should generally be avoided. (5.4) 5.1 Hypotension Blood pressure should be carefully monitored during treatment with nimodipine. In clinical studies of patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage, about 5% of nimodipine-treated patients compared to 1% of placebo-treated patients had hypotension and about 1% of nimodipine-treated patients left the study because of this [see Adverse Reactions (6) ]. 5.2 Possible Increased Risk of Adverse Reactions in Patients with Cirrhosis Given that the plasma levels of nimodipine are increased in patients with cirrhosis, these patients are at higher risk of adverse reactions. Therefore, monitor blood pressure and pulse rate closely and administer a lower dosage [see Dosage and Administration (2.4) , Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ]. 5.3 Possible Increased Risk of Hypotension with Strong CYP3A4 Inhibitors Concomitant use of strong inhibitors of CYP3A4, such as some macrolide antibiotics (e.g., clarithromycin, telithromycin), some HIV protease inhibitors (e.g., indinavir, nelfinavir, ritonavir, saquinavir), some HCV protease inhibitors (e.g., boceprevir, telaprevir), some azole antimycotics (e.g., ketoconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole, voriconazole), conivaptan, delavirdine, and nefazodone with nimodipine should generally be avoided because of a risk of significant hypotension [see Drug Interactions (7.2) ]. 5.4 Possible Reduced Efficacy with Strong CYP3A4 Inducers Concomitant use of strong CYP3A4 inducers (e.g., carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin, rifampin, St. John’s wort) and nimodipine should generally be avoided, as nimodipine plasma concentration and efficacy may be significantly reduced [see Drug Interactions (7.3) ].
Who should not take Nimodipine
None. None (4)
Overdose — what happens if you take too much
There have been no reports of overdosage from the oral administration of nimodipine. Symptoms of overdosage would be expected to be related to cardiovascular effects such as excessive peripheral vasodilation with marked systemic hypotension. Clinically significant hypotension due to nimodipine overdosage may require active cardiovascular support with pressor agents and specific treatments for calcium channel blocker overdose. Since nimodipine is highly protein-bound, dialysis is not likely to be of benefit.
U.S. Poison Control: call or text 1-800-222-1222 (free, 24/7). In an emergency call 911. From the FDA label; not medical advice.
Interactions
Anti-Hypertensives : May increase risk of hypotension. Monitor blood pressure. (7.1) • CYP3A4 Moderate and Weak Inhibitors: May increase risk of hypotension. Monitor blood pressure. Dose reduction of nimodipine may be needed. Avoid grapefruit juice. (7.2) • CYP3A4 Moderate and Weak Inducers: May reduce efficacy of nimodipine. Dose increase may be needed. (7.3) 7.1 Blood Pressure Lowering Drugs Nimodipine may increase the blood pressure lowering effect of concomitantly administered anti-hypertensives such as diuretics, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, other calcium channel blockers, α-adrenergic blockers, PDE5 inhibitors, and α-methyldopa. In Europe, nimodipinewas observed to occasionally intensify the effect of antihypertensive drugs taken concomitantly by hypertensive patients; this phenomenon was not observed in North American clinical trials. Blood pressure should be carefully monitored, and dose adjustment of the blood pressure lowering drug(s) may be necessary. 7.2 CYP3A4 Inhibitors Nimodipine plasma concentration can be significantly increased when concomitantly administered with strong CYP3A4 inhibitors. As a consequence, the blood pressure lowering effect may be increased. Therefore, the concomitant administration of nimodipine and strong CYP3A4 inhibitors should generally be avoided [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3) ]. Strong CYP3A4 inhibitors include some members of the following classes: - macrolide antibiotics (e.g., clarithromycin, telithromycin), - HIV protease inhibitors (e.g., indinavir, nelfinavir, ritonavir, saquinavir), - HCV protease inhibitors (e.g., boceprevir, telaprevir), - azole antimycotics (e.g., ketoconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole, voriconazole), - conivaptan, delavirdine, nefazodone Nimodipine plasma concentration can also be increased in the presence of moderate and weak inhibitors of CYP3A4. If nimodipine is concomitantly administered with these drugs, blood pressure should be monitored, and a reduction of the nimodipine dose may be necessary. Moderate and weak CYP3A4 inhibitors include alprozalam, ameprenavir, amiodarone, aprepitant, atazanavir, cimetidine, cyclosporine, diltiazem, erythromycin, fluconazole, fluoxetine, isoniazid, oral contraceptives, quinuprestin/dalfopristin, valproic acid, and verapamil. A study in eight healthy volunteers has shown a 50% increase in mean peak nimodipine plasma concentrations and a 90% increase in mean area under the curve, after a one-week course of cimetidine at 1,000 mg/day and nimodipine at 90 mg/day. This effect may be mediated by the known inhibition of hepatic cytochrome P-450 (CYP) by cimetidine, which could decrease first-pass metabolism of nimodipine. Grapefruit juice inhibits CYP3A4. Ingestion of grapefruit/grapefruit juice is not recommended while taking nimodipine. 7.3 CYP3A4 Inducers Nimodipine plasma concentration and efficacy may be significantly reduced when concomitantly administered with strong CYP3A4 inducers. Therefore, concomitant use of nimodipine with strong CYP3A4 inducers (e.g., carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin, rifampin, St. John’s wort) should generally be avoided [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4) ]. Moderate and weak inducers of CYP3A4 may also reduce the efficacy of nimodipine. Patients on these should be closely monitored for lack of effectiveness, and a nimodipine dosage increase may be required. Moderate and weak CYP3A4 inducers include, for example: amprenavir, aprepitant, armodafinil, bosentan, efavirnenz, etravirine, Echinacea, modafinil, nafcillin, pioglitazone, prednisone, rufinamide, and vemurafenib.
Drug class
How this class works, per Calcium Channel Blockers - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf.
May treat (source: NIH RxClass)
See how Nimodipine ranks — best-rated dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker for:
Dosage forms
Capsule and Solution
The forms currently marketed in the U.S., per the FDA National Drug Code Directory.
Ways to save
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Frequently asked questions
- What does Nimodipine treat?
- Nimodipine (Nimodipine) may be used to treat subarachnoid hemorrhage, based on NIH RxClass drug-classification data (conditions a drug may treat — not a verbatim copy of the FDA-approved label). This is general reference, not medical advice.
- How does Nimodipine work?
- Nimodipine is a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker. Dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers stop calcium from entering the muscle cells in your blood vessel walls. With less calcium, those muscles relax and the vessels widen, which lowers blood pressure and eases the heart's workload.
- How much does Nimodipine cost?
- Nobody can tell you what you will pay — your price is set by your insurer's formulary, your deductible and the pharmacy's markup, and none of those are published. What IS published is what the pharmacy paid to acquire it: about $37.38 for 30, per the CMS NADAC survey. Treat that as the floor, not the quote — ask the pharmacist for the cash price as well as your copay, because for cheap generics the cash price often wins.
- Is there a coupon or discount for Nimodipine?
- pharmaranks is an independent ratings site, not a pharmacy — we don't issue coupons or sell Nimodipine. To pay less, Nimodipine is already a generic — usually the lowest-cost version — so the main levers are comparing cash prices between pharmacies and using a pharmacy discount-card service. Prices vary by pharmacy, insurance, and location, so always confirm at the counter. This is general reference, not medical or financial advice.
- Who makes Nimodipine?
- Nimodipine is marketed by Annora Pharma. You can see Annora Pharma's full profile, rating, and other products on pharmaranks.
- Is Nimodipine a brand-name or generic drug?
- Nimodipine is a generic medication; its active ingredient is Nimodipine. Generics contain the same active ingredient as the brand-name original and are usually lower cost.
- Is Nimodipine available over the counter?
- No. Nimodipine is a prescription (Rx) medication in the US — you need a prescription from a licensed clinician (in person or via telehealth); it isn't sold over the counter. For some conditions there are OTC alternatives — ask your pharmacist.
- What forms does Nimodipine come in?
- Nimodipine is currently marketed as capsule and solution, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory.
- What class of drug is Nimodipine?
- Nimodipine is classified as dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker, per the FDA's Established Pharmacologic Class.
- Is Nimodipine FDA-registered?
- Nimodipine is on record with the U.S. FDA under application number ANDA216937. You can verify this on its official FDA label.
- Is Nimodipine safe?
- There's no single safe-or-not verdict, and we don't yet have a composite recall-safety score for Nimodipine. Review its FDA-label side effects and warnings below, and always consult a licensed professional.
- What are the side effects of Nimodipine?
- Nimodipine's side effects are taken directly from its FDA label. From the label: The safety and efficacy of nimodipine oral solution in the treatment of patients with SAH is based on adequate and well-controlled studies of nimodipine oral capsules in patients with SAH. Nimodipine oral solution has comparable bioavailability to nimodipine oral capsules.… Both common and serious reactions are documented in full on this page. This is general reference from the FDA, not medical advice — always consult a professional.
Clinical content sourced from the FDA label via openFDA (U.S. FDA). View the FDA label on DailyMed → Provided for general reference only — not medical advice. Always consult a licensed professional and the current prescribing information.
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