Intro to Pharmacokinetics

ADME

Absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion

Absorption

process of a drug travelling from site of administration to the site of action.

Distribution

The passage of a drug through the bloodstream to different tissues in the body.

Metabolism

The activity in which a drug is broken down, usually by the liver.

Excretion

The elimination of a drug from the body.

Pharmacokinetics

How the body processes a drug and how its concentration changes over time.

Pharmacodynamics

The effects of a drug on the body.

Concentration

The amount of drug present in the body, often measured by blood/plasma concentrations.

Equilibrium

Assumption of a balance between plasma and receptor concentration of a drug

PK profile

The pharmacokinetic profile of a drug, showing its concentration changes over time.

ED50

The dose required to achieve 50% of the desired response in 50% of the population.

TD50

The median toxic dose of a substance in which toxicity occurs in 50% of the cases.

Therapeutic index

The ratio between the effective and toxic dose of a drug.

Site of action

The anatomical, cellular or molecular location where a drug exerts its effects

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs)

Small molecules that target the central plasma compartment and inhibit the activity of FXa or thrombin.

Adenosine receptors

Receptors targeted by caffeine, with different subtypes found in various organs.

Temozolomide

Drug which targets the DNA of brain tumour cells.