Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the bioequivalence of two levofloxacin tablets, Jeil $Cravit^{TM}$ tablet (Jeil Pharm. Co., Ltd., Korea, reference drug) and $Lesacin^{TM}$ tablet (Ilhwa. Co., Ltd., Korea, test drug), according to the guidelines of Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA). Twenty-four healthy male Korean volunteers received two tablets containing levofloxacin 200 mg in a $2{\times}2$ crossover study. There was a one-week washout period between the doses. Plasma concentrations of levofloxacin were monitored for over a period of 24 hr after administration by using a high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time zero to 24 hr ($AUC_t$), maximum plasma drug concentration ($C_{max}$) and time to reach $C_{max}\;(T_{max})$ were complied from the plasma concentration-time data. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was utilized for the statistical analysis of the parameters using logarithmically transformed $AUC_t$ and $C_{max}$. The 90% confidence intervals of the $AUC_t$ ratio and the $C_{max}$ ratio for $Lesacin^{TM}$/Jeil $Cravit^{TM}$ were $\log\;0.9527{\sim}\log\;0.9981$ and $\log\;0.8712{\sim}\log\;1.0556$, respectively. These values were within the acceptable bioequivalence intervals of $\log\;0.80{\sim}\log\;1.25$, recommended by KFDA. In all of these results, we concluded that $Lesacin^{TM}$ tablet was bioequivalent to Jeil $Cravit^{TM}$ tablet, in terms of rate and extent of absorption.
