Pharmacokinetics of spiramycin in man

The pharmacokinetics of spiramycin were studied after single and repeated administration by iv and oral routes. Following iv administration of a 500-mg dose in a one-hour infusion, peak serum concentrations were 1.54-3.10 mg/l. These concentrations are higher than MICs of spiramycin for various infectious agents. Eight hours after the end of infusion, the mean serum concentration was close to 0.25 mg/l. Spiramycin is rapidly and widely distributed throughout the body and achieves high ratios of tissue to serum concentrations in bucco-dental, pulmonary and prostatic tissues and skin. The distribution half-life of spiramycin was 10 min. The steady-state volume of distribution (Vdss) and the tissue distribution volume were 5.6 and 4.5 l/kg. The absolute bioavailability of spiramycin was 36% (S.D. +/- 14). Oral doses of spiramycin between 1 and 2 g resulted in linear increase in the peak serum levels and areas under the serum concentration-time curve. Spiramycin does not appear to undergo important metabolic conversion and is mainly excreted via the biliary route. Indeed, in man, the urinary excretion of active compounds represents only 7.6 to 20% of the administered dose. Spiramycin had a terminal elimination half-life of approximately 5 h. Renal clearance (144 ml/min) was much lower than non-renal clearance (887 ml/min). The total body clearance of spiramycin in young adults was 1.42 l/min (S.D. +/- 0.5) but only 0.53 l/min (S.D. +/- 14) in elderly subjects. During repeated iv administration (500 mg tid), steady state was achieved after four doses. Cmax and Cmin were 3.0 and 0.5 mg/l in young adults and 4.5 and 1.75 mg/l in elderly patients. Spiramycin's kinetics differ in several important respects from erythromycin's, notably the larger volume of distribution of spiramycin which reflects the higher tissue concentration. The reduced spiramycin clearance in elderly subjects requires further investigation.