Pharmacokinetics of nicotine and cotinine after application of two different nicotine patches under steady state conditions.

Tobacco use has resulted in major health related problems world-wide. Transdermal nicotine replacement therapy is one of the most promising strategies in smoking cessation. In the present trial the pharmacokinetic properties of two matrix patches (A and B) were characterized and compared after daily application on day 4. Predose nicotine concentrations on day 4 with patch B were higher than with patch A (12.7 +/- 9.5 ng/ml vs. 8.3 +/- 5.3 ng/ml). With patch A there was a steeper increase up to the peak level, followed by a decline gradually up to 24 h. 24 h after application predose levels were reached again, demonstrating absence of significant accumulation of nicotine. The calculated elimination half-lives of nicotine (3.4 +/- 1.8 h after patch A and 3.3 +/- 2.0 h after patch B) were longer than after i.v. application (published values range from 40 to 120 min). Under steady state cotinine concentrations remained constant.