Controlled-release (CR) pharmaceutical formulations offer several advantages
over the conventional, immediate release dosage forms of the same drug,
including reduced dosing frequency, decreased incidence and/or intensity of
adverse effects, greater selectivity of pharmacological activity, reduced
drug plasma fluctuation, and better compliance. After a drug product has been
registered, and is already on market, minor changes in formulation might be
needed. At the same time, the product has to remain effective and safe for
patients that could be confirmed via plasma drug concentrations and
pharmacokinetic characteristics. It is challenging to predict human
absorption and pharmacokinetic characteristics of a drug based on the in
vitro dissolution test and the animal pharmacokinetic data. Therefore, the
objective of this study was to establish correlation of the pharmacokinetic
parameters of carbamazepine (CBZ) CR tablet formulation between the rabbit
and the human model, and to establish in vitro in vivo correlation (IVIVC)
based on the predicted fractions of absorbed CBZ. Although differences in
mean plasma concentration profiles were notified, the data concerning the
predicted fraction of drug absorbed were almost superimposable. Accordingly,
it can be concluded that rabbits may be representative as an in vivo model
for predicting the pharmacokinetics of the CR formulation of CBZ in humans.