This insightful work provides a useful introduction to the very large and important field of pharmacokinetics. The authors have selected the Time Constant Approach as a unifying view within which to present important application areas. In addition to providing consistency, their approach provides the novice with an intuitive time view that is meaningful from the outset. This approach allows one to get a "feel" for the data and to relate it to other data in a direct and accessible manner.
The Time Constant Approach provides a synthesis of the noncompartmental and compartmental methods, with the advantages of both. It starts by defining a physiologically meaningful model based on the pharmacokinetic processes involved. The Time Constant Approach recognizes pharmacokinetics as a number of processes that move drugs between physiological compartments, each process occurring at its own characteristic length of time, to correlate descriptive pharmacokinetic events with time constants of pharmacokinetic processes. While analogous to the three most common testing approaches for pharmacokinetics (the noncompartmental, compartmental and statistical moment approaches) the Time Constant Approach possesses many advantages.
Section I: Basics and Methods
• Introduction
Time Constant Approach
Evaluation of Time Constants by Visual Inspection of Concentration
Time Profiles
Scaling of Time Constants Among Different Animal Species
Section II: Formulation Factors Influence of Administration Route on Pharmacokinetics
Bioavailability
Influence of Formulation on Pharmacokinetics
Bioequivalence
Influence of Dosage on Pharmacokinetics
Dose Proportionality
Pharmacokinetics of Sustained Release and Immediate Release Formulations
Section III: Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Pharmacodynamics
• Absorption of Drugs in Gastrointestinal Tract
Drug Distribution into Tissue
Tissue Penetration
Pharmacokinetics of Metabolites
Relationship between Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics
Section IV: Interactions Influences of Food on Pharmacokinetics
Effects of Drug Interactions on Pharmacokinetics
Section V: Special Population Influence of Age on Pharmacokinetics
Difference in Pharmacokinetics between Genders
Special Pharmacokinetic Considerations in Renal Impairment
Special Pharmacokinetic Considerations in Hepatic Impairment
Special Pharmacokinetic Considerations in Other Diseases
Appendices:
Derivation of Mean Residence Time from Input and Output Times
Derivation of AUC and AUMC Using Laplace Transform
Derivation of AUC and AUMC in the Pharmacokinetic Models
Index
Overview
This insightful work provides a useful introduction to the very large and important field of pharmacokinetics. The authors have selected the Time Constant Approach as a unifying view within which to present important application areas. In addition to providing consistency, their approach provides the novice with an intuitive time view that is meaningful from the outset. This approach allows one to get a "feel" for the data and to relate it to other data in a direct and ...