Gender differences in pharmacokinetics

The is growing awareness that the underrepresentation of women in clinical trials and in particular in phase I studies may lead to incorrect handling of drugs. Despite the fact that investigations are not performed in a systematic way, there are a number of examples showing pharmacokinetic differences between gender. From the data actually presented, it can be concluded that the activity of CYP 3A4 activity as measured by elimination in vivo is higher in women compared to men. CYP isoenzymes other than CYP 3A4 seem to be more active in men than in woman, as are conjugation reactions, such as glucuronidation.