A sensitive radioimmunoassay of the 1,4-dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker (+/-)-(R*)-2,6-dimethyl-4-(m-nitrophenyl)-1,4-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarb oxylic acid (R*)-1-benzyl-3-piperidinyl ester, methyl ester hydrochloride (benidipine hydrochloride, KW-3049) has been developed. Antiserum against KW-3049 was produced in rabbits by immunization with an immunogen prepared by conjugating a derivative of KW-3049 to bovine serum albumin. This antiserum was found to specifically bind to [3H]-KW 3049, while the recognition to [3H]-nitrendipine, another well-known dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker, was less pronounced. With the antiserum, [3H]-KW-3049 and dextran coated charcoal, this radioimmunoassay could detect 39 approximately equal to 500 pg/tube of KW-3049 in a buffer system, and 156 to 5000 pg/ml of KW-3049 in plasma by using 0.5 ml of the plasma which was pretreated with MeOH for deproteinization and extracted with diethyl ether under alkaline condition. To assess the specificity of the radioimmunoassay, the inhibition of [3H]-KW-3049 binding to the antiserum by the presumable metabolites was examined. Though three of these presumable metabolites could slightly inhibit the binding of [3H]-KW-3049, they were not detected in rat and dog plasma at 0.5 h after oral administration of KW-3049. Plasma levels of KW-3049 in rats receiving a single oral dose (1 mg/kg) determined by the radioimmunoassay show good agreement with those obtained by gas chromotography.