A survey of the literature (1995-1999) on the kinetics of drugs in camels (Camelus dromedarius).

Recent publications dealing mainly with the kinetics of antiparasitic and antibacterial agents, NSAIDs, and other drugs in camels are briefly reviewed. The kinetic data for most of these drugs indicated that they have longer absorption and elimination half-lives and slower systemic clearance in the camel compared to other animals. This corroborates earlier reports that suggested that the activities of drug-metabolizing enzymes and the capacity to biotransform and eliminate xenobiotics is lower in camels than in other ruminants. There is a clear need to establish basic kinetic data for the camel in order to avoid extrapolation of drug dosage regimens and withdrawal times from data for other animals, as this may result in irrational use of drugs in camels.