Noncompartmental analysis (NCA)
NCA calculates PK summaries from sampled concentrations and dosing records without specifying a compartmental structure.
NCA calculates PK summaries from sampled concentrations and dosing records without specifying a compartmental structure (FDA. Population Pharmacokinetics. 2022.).
Observed Cmax is the largest sampled concentration. AUC up to the last observation is calculated by numerical integration, and extrapolation to infinity adds Clast/λz, where λz is the estimated terminal slope constant. Sparse sampling near the peak can underestimate Cmax. A poorly characterized terminal phase makes extrapolated AUC uncertain.