Pharmacokinetics of 2',3'-dideoxyinosine in monkeys

Comparison of the pharmacokinetic parameters obtained for dideoxyinosine (ddI) in monkeys with those obtained for humans indicates that the monkey is an appropriate animal model for ddI pharmacokinetics in humans. Following intravenous administration of 20 mg of ddI per kg of body weight and measurement of ddI in plasma and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography, pharmacokinetic parameters were determined by noncompartmental analysis. Total systemic clearance was 0.74 liters/h/kg, volume of distribution was 0.92 liters/kg, and the elimination half-life of ddI was 1.22 h. The pharmacokinetics of ddI in five monkeys were determined following intravenous administration of 20 mg/kg and were found to be comparable to those obtained in patients with AIDS.