Basic concepts and issues: a primer on distribution and sales representative agreements in the medical device and

Heiko E Burow1, Raymond C Kolls

  • 1Baker & McKenzie LLP, Dallas, Texas, USA.

Journal of Health Law
|September 28, 2006
PubMed

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Volume of Distribution01:20

Volume of Distribution

The apparent volume of distribution (Vd) is a crucial pharmacokinetic parameter representing the hypothetical body fluid volume into which a drug disperses. It is calculated based on the total amount of drug in the body (estimated from the administered dose and bioavailability) divided by the plasma drug concentration. The total amount of drug in the body does not directly refer to the dose given but is derived by accounting for absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion processes.
Drug Distribution: Volume of Distribution01:25

Drug Distribution: Volume of Distribution

The volume of distribution refers to the theoretical volume necessary to contain the entire amount of an administered drug at the same concentration observed in the blood plasma. The body's intracellular fluid compartment, which makes up two-thirds of the total body water, is contrasted with the extracellular fluid compartment—comprising plasma and interstitial fluid—that accounts for one-third. The volume of distribution can vary depending on the characteristics of the drug.
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Drug Distribution: Overview

Drug distribution within the body is a dynamic process involving the movement of a drug in two directions across various compartments: from the bloodstream into tissues (tissue uptake) and from tissues back into the bloodstream (tissue release or redistribution). This process is passive and primarily driven by two variables: the concentration gradient between the bloodstream and the extravascular tissues and the drug's ability to cross the cell membrane.
Initially, the free drug in the...
Drug Distribution: Tissue Binding01:21

Drug Distribution: Tissue Binding

Upon entering the systemic circulation, drugs can distribute into the interstitial and intracellular fluid of various tissue cells. This distribution is facilitated by the binding of drugs to different cellular components within tissues, which may lead to drug accumulation in specific areas. Drugs bound to tissue components serve as reservoirs that release free drugs back into the system, prolonging the drug's overall action. However, this accumulation can also result in local toxicity.
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