Pharmacokinetic studies on minocycline in man

Minocycline, a new member of the tetracycline series, has been reported to have a high level of activity against tetracycline‐sensitive organisms and significant activity against tetracycline‐resistant staphylococci. Results presented show that in man it has a biologic half‐life apprOXimately that of doxycycline but appreciably longer than that of other tetracyclines. It appears to be more rapidly absorbed than doxycycline, demethylchlortetracycline, and methacycline. Evidence indicates that with minocycline, like doxycycline, but unlike other tetracycline antibiotics, absorption following oral administration is essentially complete. Lower values for renal clearance are found for minocycline than for the other tetracyclines studied. Of the minocycline recovered, a higher percentage was excreted in the feces and biologic transformation was greater than with the other tetracyclines. Minocycline has greater lipophilic properties than other tetracyclines, which may account for the highly favorable ratios of tissue to serum concentrations.