Comparative pharmacokinetics and bioequivalence evaluation of two formulations of morniflumate 350-mg tablets in healthy male subjects

Background: Morniflumate is a nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that inhibits cyclooxygenase-1, 2 (COX-1, 2). Objective: This study aimed to compare the pharmacokinetics (PKs) and assess the bioequivalence of two different formulations of morniflumate 350-mg tablets in healthy Korean male subjects. Methods: A randomized, single-dose, two-period, two-sequence crossover study was conducted with 38 subjects. Subjects received a single dose of two tablets of either a test or a reference formulation and the alternated formulation in the next period. Serial blood samples for the PK analysis were collected over 12 hours. PK parameters were determined by a noncompartment analysis. PK parameters, including the maximum concentration (C_max) and the area un-der-the-concentration-time curve from time zero to the time of the last quantifiable concentration (AUC_last) were compared in bio-equivalence tests. Results: The C_max of the test and reference formulations were 985.72 ± 6.80 mg/L and 947.09 ± 6.73 mg/L, respectively, while the AUC_last values were 2675.92 ± 7.84 mg×h/L and 2653.06 ± 7.78 mg×h/L, respectively. The geometric mean ratios (90% confidence interval) of the test formulation to the reference formulation for C_max and AUC_last were 1.0715 (0.9469 - 1.2124) and 1.0592 (0.9592 - 1.1695), respectively. Conclusions: The new formulation of morniflumate 350-mg tablet showed a PK profile similar to that of the marketed formulation, and the results of this study fell within in the conventional criteria of bioequivalence.