Dose response studies in patients with diabetes insipidus have demonstrated that oral doses of 0.025 mg to 0.4 mg produced clinically significant antidiuretic effects. In most patients, doses of 0.1 mg to 0.2 mg produced optimal antidiuretic effects lasting up to eight hours. With doses of 0.4 mg, antidiuretic effects were observed for up to 12 hours; measurements beyond 12 hours were not recorded. Increasing oral doses produced dose dependent increases in the plasma levels of desmopressin acetate. 

The plasma half-life of desmopressin acetate followed a monoexponential time course with t1/2 values of 1.5 to 2.5 hours which was independent of dose.

The bioavailability of desmopressin acetate oral tablets is about 5% compared to intranasal desmopressin acetate, and about 0.16% compared to intravenous desmopressin acetate. The time to reach maximum plasma desmopressin acetate levels ranged from 0.9 to 1.5 hours following oral or intranasal administration, respectively. Following administration of desmopressin acetate tablets, the onset of antidiuretic effect occurs at around 1 hour, and it reaches a maximum at about 4 to 7 hours based on the measurement of increased urine osmolality.

The use of desmopressin acetate tablets in patients with an established diagnosis will result in a reduction in urinary output with an accompanying increase in urine osmolality. These effects usually will allow resumption of a more normal life style, with a decrease in urinary frequency and nocturia. 

There are reports of an occasional change in response to the intranasal formulations of desmopressin acetate (desmopressin acetate nasal spray and desmopressin acetate rhinal tube). Usually, the change occurred over a period of time greater than six months. This change may be due to decreased responsiveness, or to shortened duration of effect. There is no evidence that this effect is due to the development of binding antibodies, but may be due to a local inactivation of the peptide. No lessening of effect was observed in the 46 patients who were treated with desmopressin acetate tablets for 12 to 44 months and no serum antibodies to desmopressin were detected. 

The change in structure of arginine vasopressin to desmopressin acetate resulted in less vasopressor activity and decreased action on visceral smooth muscle relative to enhanced antidiuretic activity. Consequently, clinically effective antidiuretic doses are usually below the threshold for effects on vascular or visceral smooth muscle. In the four long-term studies of desmopressin acetate tablets, no increases in blood pressure in 46 patients receiving desmopressin acetate tablets for periods of 12 to 44 months were reported. 

In one study, the pharmacodynamic characteristics of desmopressin acetate tablets and intranasal formulation were compared during an 8 hour dosing interval at steady state. The doses administered to 36 hydrated (water loaded) healthy male adult volunteers every 8 hours were 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 mg orally and 0.01 mg intranasally by rhinal tube. The results are shown in the following table: 

With respect to the mean values of total urine volume decrease and maximum urine osmolality increase from baseline, the 90% confidence limits estimated that the 0.4 mg and 0.2 mg oral dose produced between 95% and 110% and 84% to 99% of pharmacodynamic activity, respectively, when compared to the 0.01 mg intranasal dose.

While both the 0.2 mg and 0.4 mg oral doses are considered pharmacodynamically similar to the 0.01 mg intranasal dose, the pharmacodynamic data on an inter-subject basis was highly variable and, therefore, individual dosing is recommended.

In another study in diabetes insipidus patients, the pharmacodynamic characteristics of desmopressin acetate tablets and intranasal formulations were compared over a 12 hour period. Ten fluid-controlled patients under age 18 were administered tablet doses of 0.2 mg and 0.4 mg, and intranasal doses of 0.01 mg and 0.02 mg.

All four dose formulations (0.01 mg IN, 0.02 mg IN, 0.2 mg PO and 0.4 mg PO) have a similar, pronounced pharmacodynamic effect on urine volume and urine osmolality. At two hours after study drug administration, mean urine volume was 4 mL/min and urine osmolality was > 500 mOsm/kg. Mean plasma osmolality remained relatively constant over the time course recorded (0 to 12 hours). A statistical separation from baseline did not occur at any dose or time point. In these patients, the 0.2 mg tablets and the 0.01 mg intranasal spray exhibited similar pharmacodynamic profiles as did the 0.4 mg tablets and the 0.02 mg intranasal spray formulation. In another study of adult diabetes insipidus patients previously controlled on desmopressin acetate intranasal spray, after one week of self-titration from spray to tablets, patients' diuresis was controlled with 0.1 mg desmopressin acetate tablets three times a day.