Toxicokinetics and Toxicodynamics of Anti-infective Agents

Abstract

Toxicokinetics (TK) is an essential component of preclinical toxicology assessment. The primary objective is to characterize systemic exposure (blood, plasma, or serum) to add relevance to toxicological findings. Parameters such as Cmax and AUC allow comparison of exposures between species and different studies to clarify the relationship between toxic effects and dosimetr y. Further information can be gained by considering toxicodynamics (TD) in conjunction with TK, and results can be summarized descriptively or with a model-based strategy. This chapter provides a description of TK/TD and provides examples of the application of TK/TD principles in the development of anti-infective agents.