Pharmacokinetics and pulmonary extraction of clevidipine, a new vasodilating ultrashort-acting dihydropyridine, during cardiopulmonary bypass.

Clevidipine is a new vascular-selective, calcium channel antagonist of the dihydropyridine type with an ester side chain susceptible to esterase metabolism. In healthy volunteers, it has high clearance (0.069 litres min-1 kg-1) with a small volume of distribution at steady state (0.