Abstract
This study was conducted to compare the bioavailability of a generic product of Sinil Atenolol Tablets (Sinil Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Korea) with the innovator product, $Tenormin^{\circledR}$ Tablets in 20 healthy Korean volunteers. The volunteers received a single 50 mg dose of each atenolol formulation according to a randomized, two-way crossover design. Plasma samples were obtained over a 24-hour interval, and atenolol concentrations were determined by HPLC with a fluorescence detector. From the plasma atenolol concentration vs time curves, the following parameters were compared: area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC), peak plasma concentration $(C_{max})$, time to reach peak plasma concentration $(T_{max})$, and terminal first order elimination half-life $(t_{1/2})$. No statistically significant difference was obtained between the $T_{max}$ values, and the logarithmic transformed AUC and $C_{max}$ values of the two products. The 90% confidence for the ratio of the logarithmically transformed AUC and $C_{max}$ values of Sinil Atenolol Tablets over those of $Tenormin^{\circledR}$ Tablets were calculated to be between 0.99 and 1.07, and 1.04 and 1.16, respectively; both were within the bioequivalence limit of 0.80-1.25. The mean of $T_{max}$ in $Tenormin^{\circledR}$ Tablet group was 3.68 hour, and that in Sinil Atenolol Tablet group was 3.65 hour. The values of $t_{1/2}$ between the two products were found comparable, and the mean $t_{1/2}$ values of $Tenormin^{\circledR}$ Tablets and Sinil Atenolol Tablets were 5.9 and 6.0 hour, respectively. Based on these results, it was concluded that Sinil Atenolol Tablets were comparable to $Tenormin^{\circledR}$ Tablets in both the rate and extent of absorption, indicating that Sinil Atenolol Tablets were bioequivalent to the reference product, $Tenormin^{\circledR}$ Tablets
