title: The pharmacokinetics of azithromycin in human serum and tissues.
abstract: The pharmacokinetics of azithromycin, a new azalide antibiotic, were examined in man. Approximately 37% of a single oral dose of 500 mg was bioavailable and produced a peak serum concentration of 0.4 mg/l. Multiple dose regimens (two doses of 500 mg separated by 12 h and followed by 500 mg qds for five days, or two doses of 250 mg separated by 12 h and followed by 250 mg qds for nine days) produced only slight increases in peak serum concentrations. The serum protein binding of azithromycin declined from about 50% at 0.02 mg/l to 12% at 0.5 mg/l. Tissue concentrations of azithromycin were much higher than serum concentrations. After two 250 mg doses 12 h apart, peak azithromycin concentrations exceeded 3 mg/kg in prostate, tonsil and many other tissues. Concentrations in tissues declined with apparent half-lives of 2.3 days in prostate and 3.2 days in tonsil. The high tissue concentrations suggest that proposed standard dosage regimens of 500 mg qds on day 1 followed by 250 mg qds for four days, or three daily dosages of 500 mg, will produce tissue concentrations above 3 mg/kg in a variety of tissues. Since these tissue concentrations exceed the MICs of relevant pathogens, these dosage regimens should be effective against respiratory tract and soft-tissue infections. A single 1 g dose may be effective in the treatment of many sexually transmitted diseases.
authors.affiliation: Drug Metabolism Department, Pfizer Central Research, Groton, CT 06340.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Foulds
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Shepard
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017963:Azithromycin; D001682:Biological Availability; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D004917:Erythromycin; D017963:Azithromycin