Limited-Sampling Strategy Models for Itraconazole and Hydroxy-Itraconazole Based on Data from a Bioequivalence Study

The extensive interindividual variability in oral bioavailability of itraconazole prompted an assessment of the bioequivalence of two formulations marketed in Brazil, namely, Sporanox (reference) and Traconal (test). Eighteen healthy volunteers received single 200-mg oral doses of each formulation at 2-week intervals in a randomized, crossover protocol. The concentrations of itraconazole and hydroxy-itraconazole in plasma were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography, and the datum points (n = 396) were subsequently used to develop limited-sampling strategy models for estimation of the areas under the curve (AUCs) for both compounds. The 90% confidence intervals for individual percent ratios (test/reference formulations) of the maximum concentration of drug in serum, the AUC from 0 to 48 h and the AUC from time zero to infinity (AUC(0–∞)) for itraconazole and hydoxy-itraconazole were below the range of 80 to 125%, suggesting that these formulations are not bioequivalent. Linear regression analysis of the AUC(0–∞) against time and a “jackknife” validation procedure revealed that models based on three sampling times accurately predict (R(2), >0.98; bias, <3%; precision, 3 to 7%) the AUC(0–∞) for each of the four formulation-compound pairs tested. Increasing the number of sampling points to more than three adds little to the accuracy of the estimates of AUC(0–∞). The three-point models developed for the reference formulation were validated retrospectively and were found to predict within 2% the AUC(0–∞) reported in previous studies performed under similar protocols. In conclusion, the data in this study indicate (i) that the tested formulations are not bioequivalent when single doses are compared and (ii) that limited-sampling strategy models based on three points predict accurately the AUC(0–∞)s for itraconazole and hydroxy-itraconazole and could be a valuable tool in pharmacokinetic and bioequivalence studies of single oral doses of itraconazole.