Similar to propranolol with an extra contraindication for hyperthyroidism. In patients with thyrotoxicosis, possible deleterious effects from long-term use of pindolol have not been adequately appraised. Beta-blockade may mask the clinical signs of continuing hyperthyroidism or complications, and give a false impression of improvement. Therefore, abrupt withdrawal of pindolol may be followed by an exacerbation of the symptoms of hyperthyroidism, including thyroid storm.[8]
Pindolol is rapidly and well absorbed from the GI tract. It undergoes some first-pass-metabolization leading to an oral bioavailability of 50-95%. Patients with uremia may have a reduced bioavailability. Food does not alter the bioavailability, but may increase the resorption. Following an oral single dose of 20 mg peak plasma concentrations are reached within 1–2 hours. The effect of pindolol on pulse rate (lowering) is evident after 3 hours. Despite the rather short halflife of 3–4 hours, hemodynamic effects persist for 24 hours after administration. Plasma halflives are increased to 3–11.5 hours in patients with renal impairment, to 7–15 hours in elderly patients, and from 2.5 to 30 hours in patients with liver cirrhosis. Approximately 2/3 of pindolol is metabolized in the liver giving hydroxylates, which are found in the urine as gluconurides and ethereal sulfates. The remaining 1/3 of pindolol is excreted in urine in unchanged form.
History
Pindolol was patented by Sandoz in 1969 and was launched in the US in 1977.[31]
Towards end of February 2020 FDA added this product to their "DRUG SHORTAGE" list stating this is due to "Shortage of an active ingredient" and this is likely to be related to Coronavirus outbreak and related supply chain impacts.
Research
Depression
Pindolol has been investigated as an add-on drug to antidepressant therapy with SSRIs like fluoxetine in the treatment of depression since 1994.[32][5] The rationale behind this strategy has its basis in the fact that pindolol is an antagonist of the serotonin 5-HT1A receptor.[4]Presynaptic and somatodendritic 5-HT1A receptors act as inhibitoryautoreceptors, inhibit serotoninrelease, and are pro-depressive in their action.[4] This is in contrast to postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptors, which mediate antidepressant effects.[4] By blocking 5-HT1A autoreceptors at doses that are selective for them over postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptors, pindolol may be able to disinhibit serotonin release and thereby improve the antidepressant effects of SSRIs.[4] The results of augmentation therapy with pindolol have been encouraging in early studies of low quality.[3] A 2015 systematic review and meta-analysis of five randomized controlled trials found no overall significant benefit at 2.5 mg although, with regard to patients with SSRI-resistant depression, "once-daily high-dose pindolol (7.5 mg qd) appears to show a promising benefit in these patients".[5] On the other hand, a 2017 systematic review indicated that pindolol's efficacy has been demonstrated in high evidence studies.[33] Initiating pharmacotherapy with an SSRI plus pindolol might accelerate the SSRI's therapeutic impact.[4][33] Pindolol's antidepressive efficacy may predominantly result from its ability to desensitize 5-HT1A autoreceptors.[34]
Others
Pindolol is a potent scavenger of nitric oxide. This effect is potentiated by sodium bicarbonate. Inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis has an anxiolytic effect in animals.[35]
Augmentation therapy of premature ejaculation: According to a recent study, pindolol can be effectively added to a standard anti-premature-ejaculation therapy, which usually consists of daily doses of an SSRI antidepressant such as fluoxetine or paroxetine. Augmentation of pindolol results in substantial increase of ejaculatory latency, even in those who previously did not experience in an improvement with the SSRI monotherapy.[36]
^ abBlier P, Bergeron R (1998). "The use of pindolol to potentiate antidepressant medication". The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 59 (Suppl 5): 16–23, discussion 24–5. PMID9635544.
^ abcdefCelada P, Bortolozzi A, Artigas F (September 2013). "Serotonin 5-HT1A receptors as targets for agents to treat psychiatric disorders: rationale and current status of research". CNS Drugs. 27 (9): 703–716. doi:10.1007/s40263-013-0071-0. PMID23757185. S2CID31931009.
^ abcLiu Y, Zhou X, Zhu D, Chen J, Qin B, Zhang Y, et al. (May 2015). "Is pindolol augmentation effective in depressed patients resistant to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors? A systematic review and meta-analysis". Human Psychopharmacology. 30 (3): 132–142. doi:10.1002/hup.2465. PMID25689398. S2CID205925716.
^Mundo, Emanuela, Emanuela Guglielmo, and Laura Bellodi. "Effect of adjuvant pindolol on the antiobsessional response to fluvoxamine: a double blind, placedo-controlled study." International clinical psychopharmacology 13, no. 5 (1998): 219-224.
^Sassano-Higgins, S.A. and Pato, M.T., 2015. Pindolol augmentation of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and clomipramine for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder: A meta-analysis. Journal of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapeutics, 6(1), pp.36-38.
^ abRoth BL, Driscol J. "PDSP Ki Database". Psychoactive Drug Screening Program (PDSP). University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the United States National Institute of Mental Health. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
^Hamon M, Lanfumey L, el Mestikawy S, Boni C, Miquel MC, Bolaños F, et al. (1990). "The main features of central 5-HT1 receptors". Neuropsychopharmacology. 3 (5–6): 349–360. PMID2078271.
^Rojas-Corrales OM, Ortega-Alvaro A, Gibert-Rahola J, Roca-Vinardell A, Micó JA (November 2000). "Pindolol, a beta-adrenoceptor blocker/5-hydroxytryptamine(1A/1B) antagonist, enhances the analgesic effect of tramadol". Pain. 88 (2): 119–124. doi:10.1016/S0304-3959(00)00299-2. PMID11050366.
^Zgombick JM, Schechter LE, Macchi M, Hartig PR, Branchek TA, Weinshank RL (August 1992). "Human gene S31 encodes the pharmacologically defined serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine1E receptor". Molecular Pharmacology. 42 (2): 180–185. PMID1513320.
^ abcKnight AR, Misra A, Quirk K, Benwell K, Revell D, Kennett G, et al. (August 2004). "Pharmacological characterisation of the agonist radioligand binding site of 5-HT(2A), 5-HT(2B) and 5-HT(2C) receptors". Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology. 370 (2): 114–123. doi:10.1007/s00210-004-0951-4. PMID15322733. S2CID8938111.
^ abcdMos J, Van Hest A, Van Drimmelen M, Herremans AH, Olivier B (May 1997). "The putative 5-HT1A receptor antagonist DU125530 blocks the discriminative stimulus of the 5-HT1A receptor agonist flesinoxan in pigeons". European Journal of Pharmacology. 325 (2–3): 145–153. doi:10.1016/s0014-2999(97)00131-3. PMID9163561.
^Neijt HC, Karpf A, Schoeffter P, Engel G, Hoyer D (May 1988). "Characterisation of 5-HT3 recognition sites in membranes of NG 108-15 neuroblastoma-glioma cells with [3H]ICS 205-930". Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology. 337 (5): 493–499. doi:10.1007/bf00182721. PMID3412489. S2CID1594844.
^Hoyer D, Neijt HC (March 1988). "Identification of serotonin 5-HT3 recognition sites in membranes of N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells by radioligand binding". Molecular Pharmacology. 33 (3): 303–309. PMID3352595.
^Plassat JL, Amlaiky N, Hen R (August 1993). "Molecular cloning of a mammalian serotonin receptor that activates adenylate cyclase". Molecular Pharmacology. 44 (2): 229–236. PMID8394987.
^Artigas F, Adell A, Celada P (February 2006). "Pindolol augmentation of antidepressant response". Current Drug Targets. 7 (2): 139–147. doi:10.2174/138945006775515446. PMID16475955.
^"Discovery and Development of Major Drugs. Chapter 2 in Pharmaceutical Innovation: Revolutionizing Human Health. Volume 2 of Chemical Heritage Foundation series in innovation and entrepreneurship. Eds Ralph Landau, Basil Achilladelis, Alexander Scriabine. Chemical Heritage Foundation, 1999. ISBN9780941901215p 185
^Pérez, V., Gilaberte, I., Faries, D., Alvarez, E. and Artigas, F., 1997. Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of pindolol in combination with fluoxetine antidepressant treatment. The Lancet, 349(9065), pp.1594-1597.
^ abKleeblatt J, Betzler F, Kilarski LL, Bschor T, Köhler S (May 2017). "Efficacy of off-label augmentation in unipolar depression: A systematic review of the evidence". European Neuropsychopharmacology. 27 (5): 423–441. doi:10.1016/j.euroneuro.2017.03.003. PMID28318897. S2CID3740987.
^Fernandes E, Gomes A, Costa D, Lima JL (September 2005). "Pindolol is a potent scavenger of reactive nitrogen species". Life Sciences. 77 (16): 1983–1992. doi:10.1016/j.lfs.2005.02.018. PMID15916777.
^Safarinejad MR (February 2008). "Once-daily high-dose pindolol for paroxetine-refractory premature ejaculation: a double-blind, placebo-controlled and randomized study". Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology. 28 (1): 39–44. doi:10.1097/jcp.0b013e31816073a5. PMID18204339. S2CID9936458. (Retracted, see doi:10.1097/JCP.0000000000001540, PMID35230053. If this is an intentional citation to a retracted paper, please replace {{retracted|...}} with {{retracted|...|intentional=yes}}.)