Abstract
A bioequivalence study of the Kerola tablets (Dongkwang Pharmaceutical Co., Korea) to the Tarasyn tablets (Roche Co., Korea), formulations of ketorolac trometamine(KTR), was conducted. Sixteen healthy Korean male subjects received each formulation at the dose of 10 mg as KTR in a $2\times2$ crossover study. There was a 1-week washout period between the dose. Plasma concentrations of KTR were monitored by an HPLC method for over a period of 12 hr after each administration. AUC (area under the plasma concentration-time curve) was calculated by the linear trapezoidal method. $C_{max}$ (maximum plasma drug concentration) and $T_{max}$ (time to reach $C_{max}$) were compiled from the plasma drug concentration-time data. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that there are no differences in AUC, $C_{max}\;and\;T_{max}$ between the formulations. The apparent differences between the formulations in these parameters were all far less than $20\%$ (i.e., 2.31, 8.19 and $0\%$ for AUC, $C_{max}\;and\;T_{max}$, respectively). Minimum detectable differences $(\%)\;at\;\alpha=0.1\;and\;1-\beta=0.8$ were all less than $20\%$ difference in these parameters between the formulations were all over 0.8. The $90\%$ confidence intervals for these parameters were also within $20\%$. These results satisfy the bioequivalence criteria of the Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) guidelines (No. 1998-86). Therefore, these results indicate that the 2 formulations of KTR are bioequivalent and, thus, may be prescribed interchangeably.