Bioavailability of cyclandelate from capsules in beagle dogs and dissolution rate: correlations with bioavailability in humans.

The bioavailability in beagle dogs and the dissolution rates of cyclandelate from five capsule preparations commercially available in Japan were measured. One of the capsules that showed an extremely low bioavailability in humans also showed the lowest bioavailability in beagle dogs, although the difference in bioavailability with the highest preparation was smaller than in humans. A significant correlation was obtained between the results of the studies in humans and beagles. However, the power of the test using beagles was extremely low in comparison with that in the human study. Food enhanced the bioavailability of cyclandelate from the capsules having the highest and lowest bioavailability in the fasted state in beagles as observed in the human study previously. The bioinequivalence of the cyclandelate capsules detected in the fasted state disappeared in the fed state in the beagle dog study, while the bioinequivalence still remained in the non-fasted state in human subjects. Thus bioequivalence testing in the fed state led to different results in both species. The most poorly bioavailable capsule in both species in the fasted state showed a slow dissolution rate by several dissolution methods with moderate stirring. In order to obtain a good correlation with in vivo bioavailability, a large volume of test solution and addition of Tween 80 were required. Extensive growth of whiskers (needle-like crystals) was observed in the entire capsule mass having the lowest bioavailability.