Abstract
Six healthy subjects between the ages of 21 and 31 years received diazepam tablets orally at a dose of 5 mg t.i.d. atO, 5, and 10hr on days 1–13. On day 14, the dose was 5 mg at 0 and 5 hr and 15 mg at 10 hr. Subsequently, the dose was 15 mg once daily on days 15–24. Numerous plasma samples were obtained during the multiple-dose regimen, and appropriate equations were fitted to all the multiple-dose data. Diazepam absorption was satisfactorily described by a first-order process, with disposition characterized by a linear two-compartment open model. The harmonic mean absorption half-life was 32 min, and the harmonic mean terminal exponential half-life was 57hr. The mean apparent oral total drug plasma clearance was 22.7ml/hr/kg. Steady-state plasma levels of the primary metabolite, desmethyldiazepam, were reached after 5–8 days of dosing. Steady-state diazepam plasma concentration-time profiles suggested that once daily administration of the total daily dose at bedtime might be a satisfactory dosing regimen.
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Eatman, F.B., Colburn, W.A., Boxenbaum, H.G. et al. Pharmacokinetics of diazepam following multiple-dose oral administration to healthy human subjects. Journal of Pharmacokinetics and Biopharmaceutics 5, 481–494 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01061729
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01061729