ADME

ADME is the four-letter abbreviation (acronym) for absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion, and is mainly used in fields such as pharmacokinetics and pharmacology.

For a compound to reach a tissue, it usually must be taken into the bloodstream – often via mucous surfaces like the digestive tract (intestinal absorption) – before being taken up by the target cells.

After entry into the systemic circulation, either by intravascular injection or by absorption from any of the various extracellular sites, the drug is subjected to numerous distribution processes that tend to lower its plasma concentration.

Some factors affecting drug distribution include regional blood flow rates, molecular size, polarity and binding to serum proteins, forming a complex.

When metabolites are pharmacologically inert, metabolism deactivates the administered dose of parent drug and this usually reduces the effects on the body.

Excretion of drugs by the kidney involves 3 main mechanisms: Sometimes, the potential or real toxicity of the compound is taken into account (ADME-Tox or ADMET).