Bioequivalence and Pharmacokinetic study of Gabapentin 300mg Capsules using Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) in Volunteers

LC/MS/MS를 이용한 가바펜틴 300 mg 캡슐의 성인 지원자에 대한 생물학적 동등성 및 약물동태 연구

Gabapentin, 1-(aminomethyl-1-cyclohexyl)acetic acid, is anew antiepileptic drug related to ${\gamma}-aminobutyric$ acid(GABA) currently being introduced in therapy worldwide. The bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of gabapentin capsules were examined in 22 volunteers who received a single oral dose in the fasting state by randomized balanced $2{\times}2$ crossover design. After dosing, blood samples were collected for a period of 24 hours and analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). Time course of plasma gabapentin concentration was analyzed with non-compartmental and compartmental approaches. $WinNonlin^{(R)}$, the kinetic computer program, was used for compartmental analysis. One compartment model with first-order input, first-order output with no lag time and weighting by $1/(predieted\;y)^2$ was chosen as the most appropriate pharmacokinetic model for the volunteers. The major pharmacokinetic parameters $(AUC_{0-24hr},\;AUC_{inf},\;C_{max}\;and\;T_{max})$ and other parameters $(K_a,\;K_{el},\;V_d/F\;and\;Cl/F)$ of $Gapentin^{TM}$ (test drug) and $Neurontin^{TM}$ (reference drug) were estimated by non-compartmental analysis and compartmental analysis. The 90% confidence intervals of mean difference of logarithmic transformed $AUC_{0-24hr}\;and\;C_{max}$ were $log(0.9106){\sim}log(1.l254)\;and\;log(0.8521){\sim}log(1.0505)$, respectively. It shows that the bioavailability of the test drug is equivalent with that of the reference drug. There was no statistically significant difference between the two drugs in all pharmacokinetic parameters.