The purpose of this study was to perform exploratory relationships between the pharmacokinetics of the farnesyl transferase inhibitor, tipifarnib (R115777, Zarnestra) and allelic variants of genes coding for ATP binding-cassette transporters and drug-metabolizing enzymes. Twenty-eight patients with advanced solid tumors were treated with tipifarnib administered orally at a dose of 200 or 300 mg. Blood samples were collected for pharmacokinetics and genotyping of 10 variants in genes encoding P-glycoprotein (ABCB1), cytochrome P450 isozymes CYP3A4 and CYP3A5, and UDP glucuronosyltransferase isozyme UGT1A1. The homozygous T -allele of ABCB1*8 (1236C > T ) was associated with a trend for a higher area under the curve of tipifarnib as compared to patients with only one or no variant alleles [mean (+/-SD), 5,303 +/- 1,620 ng.h/mL vs. 3,619 +/- 1,275 ng.h/mL; P = 0.047). No statistically significant differences were observed with any other genetic variant ( P > 0.15). Overall, this study indicates that ABCB1 genotype might be correlated with tipifarnib pharmacokinetics, although considerable overlap in exposure measures between genotype groups was observed.