Influence of food on the bioavailability of penicillamine.

The relative bioavailability of D-penicillamine was determined after single 500 mg oral doses of commercial tablets to healthy male volunteers under fasting and nonfasting conditions. In fasted individuals the mean maximum penicillamine level in plasma of 3.05 mcg/ml occurred at 3.8 h, and the area under the 0-12 h plasma curve was 14.7 mcg/h/ml. In nonfasted individuals the mean maximum penicillamine level of 1.52 mcg/ml occurred at 2.3 h, and the area under the 0-12 h plasma curve was reduced to 7.16 mcg/h/ml. Thus under these conditions food reduced systemic penicillamine availability by 1/2, but did not reduce the apparent absorption rate.