Research in the Division of Pharmacology.

Within the Center for Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences pharmacological research has its emphasis on kinetics of drug disposition, and its interrelationship with pharmacodynamics. The benzodiazepines present a class of related compounds where comparative studies have been performed. Both in humans and in animal models the relationship between plasma levels and central effects has been studied. Also the factors that influence individual responses to the same dose of a drug have been investigated. One of the approaches is the predictive value of antipyrine metabolite formation. Nifedipine shows polymorphism in oxidation, but it is possible to obtain the desired pharmacodynamic effect while minimizing side effects even in slow metabolizers.