Pharmacokinetics of ethimizol in man.

The pharmacokinetics of ethimizol were studied in healthy volunteers given 1 mg/kg i.v. or 2 mg/kg orally. The serum concentrations of ethimizol were determined by HPLC. After i.v. infusion the kinetics of ethimizol could be described by a one-compartment model in 4 and by a two-compartment model in 1 subject. The elimination half-lives ranged from 34.1 to 79.2 min and the apparent volumes of distribution from 0.4 to 1.3 l/kg. After oral administration, the absorption half-lives ranged from 7.3 to 57.1 min. The absolute bioavailability varied between 3.6 and 22.2%. The binding of ethimizol to plasma proteins was less than 10%.