Cmin

C_min is a term used in pharmacokinetics for the minimum blood plasma concentration reached by a drug during a dosing interval, which is the time interval between administration of two doses. This definition is slightly different from C_trough, the concentration immediately prior to administration of the next dose. C_min is the opposite of C_max, the maximum concentration that the drug reaches. C_min must be above certain thresholds, such as the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), to achieve a therapeutic effect.

In most cases C_min is directly measurable. At steady state the minimum plasma concentration can also be calculated using the following equation: $$C_{min}=\frac{SFD{k}_a}{V_d(k_a-k_e)}\times (\frac{e^{-k_e\tau }}{1-e^{-k_e\tau }}-\frac{e^{-k_a\tau }}{1-e^{-k_a\tau }})$$

S = Salt factor

F = Bioavailability

D = Dose

k_e = Elimination rate constant

k_a = Absorption rate constant

V_d = Volume of distribution

τ = Dosing interval

C_min is also an important parameter in bioavailability and bioequivalence studies, it is part of the pharmacokinetic information recommended for submission of investigational new drug applications.