Clinical pharmacokinetics of albendazole in patients with brain cysticercosis

Albendazole pharmacokinetics were studied in eight patients who were receiving albendazole in doses of 15 mg/kg per day for 8 days as treatment of brain cysticercosis. Albendazole was not detected in plasma, but its main metabolite albendazole sulphoxide could be measured. Maximum plasma levels for albendazole sulphoxide ranged from 0.45 to 2.96 micrograms/mL. The half-life of albendazole sulphoxide was between 10 and 15 hours. A double peak was found in three patients. Mean residence time values were from 14 to 20 hours. Plasma levels of albendazole sulphoxide at the steady state showed great intraindividual variability. The results suggest that albendazole can be administered twice daily rather than three times as is currently done.