Bioavailability of lansoprazole granules administered in juice or soft food compared with the intact capsule formulation

Background. The ability to administer the contents of an encapsulated-dose formulation in liquids or soft foods without compromising drug bioavailability is highly desirable for patients who are unable to swallow or have difficulty swallowing. Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the bioavailability of lansoprazole granules administered in 2 types of juice and a soft food with that of the intact capsule administered with water. Methods: Healthy adult volunteers were eligible for this single-center, Phase I, single-dose, randomized, open-label, 4-period crossover study. Subjects received the enteric-coated granular contents of a 30-mg lansoprazole capsule in 3 test regimens (in 180 mL of orange juice, 180 mL of tomato juice, or 1 tablespoon of strained pears, each followed by 180 mL of water) and 1 reference regimen (the 30-mg intact capsule with 180 mL of water). The regimens were rotated at greater than or equal to6-day intervals so that each subject received all 4 regimens. Blood samples for pharmacokinetic analyses were obtained during the 12 hours after each regimen. Results: Twenty healthy adult volunteers (10 men, 10 women; mean age, 36 years [range, 19-53 years]) completed this study. Bioavailability of the 3 test regimens was assessed using the two I-sided tests procedure for mean maximum plasma concentration and area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) from time 0 through the last measurable concentration and AUC from time 0 to infinity. These results were compared with that of the intact capsule. This comparison indicated that the 90% CIs for all 3 test regimens were within the acceptable bioequivalence range of 0.80 to 1.25. Lansoprazole was well tolerated, with most of the adverse events being mild. Headache was the most frequently reported adverse event. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the bioavailability of lansoprazole granules, when administered in orange juice, tomato juice, of a small amount of strained pears, was similar to that of the intact capsule in these healthy adult volunteers.