Eperisone
| Evidence Level: L3 | Predicted Indications: 10 |
Table of Contents
Eperisone: From Muscle Spasm Relief to Osteoarthritis
One-Sentence Summary
Eperisone is a centrally acting muscle relaxant that is registered and marketed in Singapore as a single-ingredient tablet. The TxGNN model predicts it may be useful for osteoarthritis. There are currently no registered clinical trials and 4 publications for this prediction, and only 2 of them (one RCT and one combination-therapy study) address osteoarthritis directly.
Quick Overview
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Original Indication | Not stated in the Singapore licence data compiled for this report (eperisone is generally known as a muscle relaxant) |
| Predicted New Indication | Osteoarthritis |
| TxGNN Prediction Score | 94.35% |
| Evidence Level | L3 |
| Singapore Market Status | ✓ Marketed |
| Number of Registrations | 1 |
| Recommended Decision | Hold (treat as a research question) |
Why is This Prediction Reasonable?
Detailed mechanism of action data is not available in the data compiled for this report. Based on known pharmacology, eperisone is a centrally acting muscle relaxant that relieves vascular and skeletal muscle spasm and has some analgesic effect.
In osteoarthritis, muscle spasm around the affected joint and spine can add to pain and stiffness. Eperisone could therefore help as an adjunct to NSAIDs by easing this secondary spasm. A direct effect on cartilage or joint pathology (disease modification) has not been established.
A 2026 study (PMID 41063709) reported changes in inflammatory markers with glucosamine plus eperisone and exercise, which hints at a possible anti-inflammatory contribution. However, the combination design cannot separate eperisone's own effect, and the study details need verification.
Clinical Trial Evidence
Currently no related clinical trials registered.
Literature Evidence
| PMID | Year | Type | Journal | Key Findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24194981 | 2013 | RCT (open label, 60 patients) | Pain Research and Treatment | Compared etodolac 600 mg once daily with etodolac plus eperisone 50 mg three times daily for 8 weeks in knee osteoarthritis. The abstract is truncated, so efficacy results could not be confirmed. |
| 41063709 | 2026 | Clinical study (design to be verified) | Journal of Drug Targeting | Glucosamine hydrochloride plus eperisone with exercise therapy, assessing inflammatory markers and knee function in knee osteoarthritis. Eperisone's individual contribution cannot be isolated. |
| 27989618 | 2017 | Pharmacokinetic study (randomized crossover) | Clinical Therapeutics | Pharmacokinetic interaction between pelubiprofen (an NSAID) and eperisone in healthy Korean men. Supports co-administration feasibility but not efficacy. |
| 35535532 | 2022 | Clinical observation | Zhongguo Gu Shang | Chiropractic manipulation for degenerative scoliosis. Relevance to eperisone is unclear. |
Singapore Market Information
| Authorization Number | Product Name | Dosage Form | Approved Indication |
|---|---|---|---|
| SIN06292P | MYONAL TABLET 50 mg (Bushu Pharmaceuticals Ltd.) | Tablet, sugar coated (oral) | Not stated in the data compiled |
Safety Considerations
Please refer to the package insert for safety information. No drug interaction records were found in the data compiled for this report. Eperisone has central actions, and somnolence is a possible adverse effect.
Other Predicted Indications
The model produced nine further predictions. None has any clinical trial or literature support, so all are rated L5 and Hold.
| Predicted Indication | Score | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Nephrogenic syndrome of inappropriate antidiuresis | 93.81% | No plausible mechanistic link (V2 receptor/GNAS gain-of-function). Likely a graph artifact. |
| Insomnia | 93.51% | Speculative only; somnolence as a side effect is not evidence of efficacy. |
| Headache disorder | 92.75% | Possible indirect relevance via muscle tension in tension-type headache; no evidence. |
| Pseudoachondroplasia | 92.74% | Genetic skeletal dysplasia (COMP variants); no known link. |
| Osteoarthritis susceptibility | 92.22% | Genetic susceptibility entity that largely duplicates osteoarthritis; evidence does not transfer. |
| Trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia | 91.85% | Different mechanism (trigeminal-autonomic/hypothalamic); no relevance evident. |
| Acromesomelic dysplasia, Hunter-Thompson type | 91.30% | Rare genetic dysplasia (GDF5); likely a graph artifact. |
| Brachyolmia | 90.89% | Genetic spinal skeletal dysplasia; no known link. |
| Myosclerosis | 90.68% | Fibrotic myopathy; a spasmolytic is unlikely to help. Speculative. |
Conclusion and Next Steps
Decision: Hold (treat as a research question)
Rationale: Osteoarthritis is the only prediction with literature support, and that support is limited to one open-label RCT of an add-on to an NSAID and one combination study with exercise. Neither shows an independent benefit of eperisone, and there are no registered trials. The mechanism is plausible only for symptom relief of secondary muscle spasm, not for disease modification.
To proceed, the following is needed:
- Full-text review of PMID 24194981 and PMID 41063709 to confirm outcomes, design and eperisone's isolated contribution
- Mechanism of action data
- Singapore package insert warnings and contraindications, and the approved indication text for SIN06292P
- A registered trial (ideally randomized, with an adjunct-to-NSAID design) in osteoarthritis, with pain and function endpoints
- Safety review for the target population, including sedation risk
Disclaimer
This content is for research purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Clinical validation is required before any clinical application.