In a cross-over pharmacokinetic study in 8 healthy volunteers a retard formulation containing pindolol 30 mg was compared with the normal 15 mg. pindolol tablet. The pindolol 30 mg retard tablet led to the same maximum plasma level as a single dose of the normal pindolol tablet. A plasma concentration higher than half of the maximum was maintained twice as long after the retard than after the normal 15 mg pindolol tablet. The bioavailability of the two forms was practically identical.

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The plasma concentration-response relationships of oral and intravenous pindolol and propranolol have been studied in a group of eight healthy male subjects who received each dosage form in a randomized single-blind cross-over manner. Despite similar elimination half-lives, the duration of action of pindolol was longer than that of propranolol. This longer duration of action was associated with a flatter concentration-response curve for pindolol and may be related to the partial agonist activity of pindolol. Propranolol concentration-response curves were dependent on the route of drug administration whereas pindolol curves were similar following oral and intravenous routes of administration.