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I haven't seen any response to this posting so I give it a try. To me whether a drug exerts a mono- or multi-exponential kinetics is of less importance. The real question would be how long you have the drug around in concentrations that have an effect and how the biological system is affected by the drug. You may have a drug showing a tri-exponential decline being eliminated from the body much faster than one showing a mono-exponential decline. At the same time, it may very well be that the biological system that is targeted does not really need to be under constant drug pressure. There are drugs with rather short half-lives that can be, and in cases should be, doses at a frequency much lower than a classic approch based on half-life predicts.
Knowing the kinetic profile of a drug (e.g., can it be better described by a 2- or 3-compartment model) is important as it provides a mean to take the next step and find out about the concentration-effect relationship between the drug and its effect.
Toufigh
Toufigh Gordi, PhD
Clinical Pharmacology, PK/PD analysis consultant
www.tgordi.com
E-mail: tg.-at-.tgordi.com
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