title: Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of ranitidine and famotidine in healthy elderly subjects: a double-blind, placebo-controlled comparison.
abstract: The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of ranitidine and famotidine were studied in 13 healthy elderly volunteers. On 3 mornings separated by a 1-week wash-out period, each subject received a single oral dose of ranitidine 300 mg, famotidine 40 mg, and placebo in a crossover, randomized fashion with double-dummy administration. Plasma and urine concentrations of ranitidine and famotidine were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Intragastric pH was measured for 24-hours with an antimony probe. Famotidine's plasma half-life (4.42 hrs) was significantly longer than ranitidine's (3.14 hrs, p < 0.05, paired t test). The 24-hour, area under the curve of pH profiles of the two drugs were significantly different from placebo (p < 0.05, analysis of variance and Fisher PLSD test) but not from each other. The duration of effect (defined as median pH > 4) was similar for ranitidine and famotidine, 10.3 and 9.9 hours, respectively (p = 0.713, paired Student's t test). Thus both agents exhibited a similar duration of 24-hour antisecretory response under these study conditions.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Pharmacocinétique Clinique, Ecole de Pharmacie, Université Laval, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bisson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: St-Laurent
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Michaud
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: LeBel
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D015738:Famotidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005745:Gastric Acidity Determination; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011899:Ranitidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D015738:Famotidine; D011899:Ranitidine