Pharmacokinetics of the anticonvulsant drug clonazepam evaluated from single oral and intravenous doses and by repeated oral administration

Summary

Eight healthy volunteers were given single i.v. and oral doses of clonazepam (2 mg). The disposition curves after i.v. administration showed a biexponential decline and the data were applied to a two-compartment open model. The volume of distribution ((V_d)β) ranged between 1.5 and 4.4 l/kg and the plasma half-life (t_1/2) between 19 and 60 hours. Absorption after oral administration was fast, with peak plasma concentrations within 4 hours in all subjects. Five of the subjects received repeated oral doses of clonazepam 0.5 mg bid for 15 days. The plasma level during steady state (estimated as C_min within the dose interval) could be predicted from the constants A, B, α and β obtained in the single dose study with a coefficient of variation of 6%. The plasma half-lives after cessation of the subchronic dosing were of the same magnitude as after single doses.