The pharmacokinetic behavior of ketoconazole (Nizoral-Janssen) in Chinese adults was studied in 14 male volunteers. The pharmacokinetic parameters of ketoconazole obtained after oral administration of 400 mg (two tablets) were AUC (51.4±17.9 mg.h/l, mean±SD), Cmax (10.3±2.8 mg/l), Tmax (1.5±0.3 h), MRT (4.1 ±0.7 h), VRT (30.9±11.2 h2), Cl/F/BW (0.138±0.063 l/h/kg) and k* (slope of terminal phase, 0.330±0.09 h-1). When the plasma concentration data of 14 subjects were fitted to a conventional one-compartment body model, then the first order absorption rate constant was 0.236±0.136 h-1, and the elimination rate constant was 0.172±0.041 h-1. No statistical difference was observed for the parameters CL/F, k*, Cmax and AUC between Caucasians in a published study and Chinese in this study (p > 0.1). However, the Tmax in Chinese (1.5±0.3 h) was significantly shorter than that in Caucasians (2.6±1.2 h, p < 0.01).