• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
• /
• v.35 no.4
• /
• pp.287-293
• /
• 2005

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the bioequivalence of two glimepiride tablets, Amaryl tablet (Handok & Aventis Korea, reference drug) and Mepiril tablet (Myungmoon Pharm. Co., Ltd., Korea, test drug), according to the guidelines of Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA). After adding an internal standard (glibenclamide) to human plasma, plasma samples were extracted using 1mL of methyl tertiary butyl ether. Compounds extracted were analyzed by reverse-phase HPLC with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode analyte detection. This method for determination glimepiride proved accurate and reproducible, with a limit of quantitation of 2 ng/mL in human plasma. Twenty-four healthy male Korean volunteers received each medicine at the glimepiride dose of 2 mg in a $2{\times}2$ crossover study. There was a one-week washout period between the doses. Plasma concentrations of glimepiride were monitored by a LC-MS/MS for over a period of 12 hr after the administration. $AUC_t$ (the area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time zero to 12 hr) was calculated by the linear trapezoidal rule method. $C_{max}$ (maximum plasma drug concentration) and $T_{max}$ (time to reach $C_{max}$) were compiled from the plasma concentration-time data. Analysis of variance was carried out using logarithmically transformed $AUC_t$ and $C_{max}$. 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 Amaryl/Mepiril were log 0.9583-log 1.1357 and log 1.0570-log 1.2376, respectively. These values were within the acceptable bioequivalence intervals of log 0.80-log 1.25. Taken together, our study demonstrated the bioequivalence of Amaryl and Mepiril with respect to the rate and extent of absorption.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
• /
• v.34 no.2
• /
• pp.147-153
• /
• 2004

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the bioequivalence of two glimepiride tablets, $Amaryl^{\circledR}$ (Handok/Aventis Pharm. Co., Ltd.) and Glimed (Kuhn II Pharm. Co., Ltd.), according to the guidelines of Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA). The glimepiride release from the two glimepiride formulations in vitro was tested using KP VIII Apparatus II method with a variety of dissolution media (pH 1.2, 4.0, 6.8 buffer solution, water and blend of PSB 80 into each dissolution medium). Twenty six healthy male subjects, $22.65{\pm}2.19$ years in age and $66.55{\pm}8.85$ kg in body weight, were divided into two groups and a randomized $2\;{\times}\;2$ cross-over study was employed. After one tablet containing 2 mg as glimepiride was orally administered, blood was taken at predetermined time intervals and the concentrations of glimepiride in serum were determined using HPLC method with UV detector. The dissolution profiles of two formulations were similar at all dissolution media. Besides, the pharmacokinetic parameters such as $AUC_t$, $C_{max}$ and $T_{max}$ were calculated and ANOVA test was utilized for the statistical analysis of the parameters using logarithmically transformed $AUC_t$, $C_{max}$ and untransformed $T_{max}$. The results showed that the differences between two formulations based on the Amaryl were -3.70, -8.28 and 0.61% for $AUC_t$, $C_{max}$ and $T_{max}$, respectively. There were no sequence effects between two formulations in these parameters. The 90% confidence intervals using logarithmically transformed data were within the acceptance range of log(0.8) to log(1.25) (e.g., $log(0.84){\sim}log(1.04)$ for $log(0.82){\sim}log(1.03)$ for $AUC_t$ and $C_{max}$, respectively). Thus, the criteria of the KFDA guideline for the bioequivalence were satisfied, indicating Glimed tablet and Amaryl tablet were bioequivalent.