Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the bioequivalence of two amlodipine maleate tablets, SKAD tablet (SK Pharma. Co., Ltd., Seoul, Korea, reference drug) and A-PINE tablet (Daewon Pharm. Co., Ltd., Seoul, Korea, test drug), according to the guidelines of Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA). Twenty-four healthy male volunteers, $22.79\;{\pm}\;1.86$ years in age and $70.08\;{\pm}\;8.68$ kg in body weight, were divided into two groups and a randomized $2\;{\time}\;2$ crossover study was employed. After a tablet containing 6.42 mg of amlodipine maleate was orally administrated, blood was taken at predetermined time intervals over a period of 144 hr and concentrations of amlodipine in plasma were monitored using LC-MS/MS. Pharmacokinetic parameters such as $AUC_t$ (the area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time zero to 144 hr), $C_{max}$ (maximum plasma drug concentration) and $T_{max}$ (time to reach $C_{max}$) were calculated and analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was utilized for the statistical analysis of the parameters using logarithmically transformed $AUC_t$ and $C_{max}$, and untransformed $T_{max}$. No significant sequence effect was found for all of the bioavailability parameters indicating that the crossover design was properly performed. The 90% confidence intervals of the $AUC_t$ ratio and the $C_{max}$ ratio for A-PINE/SKAD were $log\;0.9429{\sim}log \;1.1476$ and $log\;0.9l46{\sim}log\;1.1488$, respectively. Since these values were within the acceptable bioequivalence intervals of $log\;0.80{\sim}log\;1.25$, recommended by KFDA, it was concluded that A-PINE tablet was bioequivalent to SKAD tablet, in terms of both rate and extent of absorption.
