Bioequivalence Study of Ranitidine Tablet

A bioequivalence study of ranitidine tablets was conducted according to the Korean Guidine for the Bioequivalence Test using twelve healthy male subjects. The plasma concentration-timecurves of ranitidine from the test and reference tablets showed profound multiple peak phenomenon in each subject as reported earlier. However, the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) and the maximum ploasma concentration at the first peak ($C_{max1}$) of the two preparations was proven to be equal when analyzed satistically according to the criteria of the guidline;i. e., statistical power (1-$\beta$)was calculated to be over 0.8 under the condition of $\alpha$ = 5% and $\Delta$(minimum detectable difference) = 20%, and the confidence interval of the difference in AUC at 95% confidence level was in the range of $\pm$ 20%, which statisfied the criteria of bioequivalence. Equivalence of the peak concentration of ranitidine at the second peak ($C_{max2}$), and the time to reach the first ($T_{max1}$) and second verify the bioequivalence of $c_{max2}$ , $T_{max1}$ and $T_{max2}$ between the two tablets. However, we conclude that the test and reference tablets are bioequivalent taking the therapeutic characteristics of the ranitidine preparations into consideration.