Bioequivalence Evaluation of Two Atenolol Tablet Preparations in Korean Healthy Male Volunteers

This study was conducted to compare the bioavailability of two brands of atenolol (50 mg) tablets, which are a generic product of $Ditent^{\circledR}$ (Daewon Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Korea) and an innovator product $Tenormin^{\circledR}$ (Hyundai Pharm. Ind. Co., Ltd., Korea), in 20 healthy Korean male volunteers. The volunteers received a single 50 mg dose of each atenolol formulation according to a randomized, two-way cross-over design. The washout period between treatments was 1 week. 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 ($AUC_{0-24}$), 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 $AUC_{0-24}$ and $C_{max}$ values of the two products. The 90% confidence interval for the ratio of the logarithmically transformed AUC and $C_{max}$ values of $Ditent^{\circledR}$ over those of $Tenormin^{\circledR}$ were calculated to be between 0.85 and 1.04, and 0.89 and 1.07, respectively; both were within the bioequivalence limit of 0.80-1.25. The mean of $T_{max}$ in $Tenormin^{\circledR}$ group was 3.1 hour, and that in Ditent$^{\circledR}$ group was 3.2 hour. The values of $t_{1/2}$ between the two products were found comparable, and the mean values were 5.2 hour in the both products. Based on these results, it was concluded that $Ditent^{\circledR}$ was comparable to $Tenormin^{\circledR}$ in both the rate and extent of absorption, indicating that $Ditent^{\circledR}$ was bioequivalent to the reference product, $Tenormin^{\circledR}$.