The acute LD50 for 3-O-demethylfortimicin A disulfate (ODMF) in mice and rats were 419 and 778 mg activity/kg (dosages are expressed in terms of antibiotic activity (potency), rather than on a weight basis) for single-dose im administration and, 90 and 96 mg activity/kg for single-dose iv administration, respectively. No drug-related gross or microscopic lesions were found in rabbits given single iv infusions of ODMF at dosages of 10 to 400 mg activity/kg. Minimal to mild muscle irritation was seen in rabbits given im concentrations of 3.8 or 7.5% ODMF at dosages of 48 or 93 mg ODMF activity/kg. In 1-month iv studies in dogs treated with ODMF at dosages of 0.4, 1, 4, or 8 mg activity/kg/day, and in concurrent studies in rats treated with ODMF dosages of 1, 3, 6, or 12 mg activity/kg/day, treated animals remained essentially free of adverse effects. In 1-month im studies in dogs treated with ODMF at dosages of 1, 4, 8, or 16 mg activity/kg/day, no renal lesions occurred after an ODMF dosage of 1 mg activity/kg/day. Concurrent im studies in rats treated with ODMF at dosages of 6, 12, 24, or 48 mg activity/kg/day showed that ODMF dosages of 6 and 12 mg activity/kg/day did not produce renal lesions. In 6-month chronic im studies in dogs with ODMF dosages of 0.5, 1, or 4 mg activity/kg/day or gentamicin sulfate (GS) dosages of 2 mg activity/kg/day, and in concurrent studies in rats treated with ODMF dosages of 0.5, 2, or 6 mg activity/kg/day or GS dosages of 3 mg activity/kg/day, less severe local irritation and nephrotoxicity occurred after treatments with ODMF than with GS. In both rats and dogs treated by either the iv or the im route of administration, higher concentrations of ODMF and GS were found in the kidneys than in the sera. Mean serum and tissue concentrations of GS were higher than those of ODMF. Local tissue irritation and nephrotoxicity were lower with ODMF than with GS on a milligram activity per kilogram basis.