Oral pharmacokinetics of omeprazole

The pharmacokinetics of omeprazole were studied in a group of healthy male subjects after single and repeated oral doses of 30 and 60 mg. Absorption of omeprazole from its enteric-coated formulation was unpredictable. There was a highly significant increase in the area under the plasma concentration time curve (AUC) after repeated dosing. Omeprazole increases its own relative availability following repeated dosing. This may be due to inhibition of gastric acid secretion by omeprazole which is an acid-labile compound.