Pharmacokinetic parameters were established for flurbiprofen (FBP) after intravenous (i.v.) administration (0.5 mg/kg) of niosomal and nonniosomal formulations in dairy cattle. Niosomes of FBP showed a drug loading of 92.0 +/- 0.7% and the intravenous administration of the FBP niosomes to dairy cattle did not produce any immunological reaction associated to niosomal components. Niosomal FBP was slowly eliminated from plasma and mean residual time (MRT) and AUC(0-->t) and t (1/2) values were significantly higher than those for non niosomal FBP formulations. The results presented in this study indicate that the long circulation of FBP niosomes offers a potential application for improving the pharmacokinetic parameters of short half-life drugs for clinical use. Niosomes offer new promising perspectives of drug delivery modules in bovine therapeutics.