Sensitivity of Pharmacokinetics to Differences in Aerodynamic Particle Size Distribution

Study Summary

When a drug company first develops a drug, the company has to show the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the drug is safe and effective. If FDA concludes that the drug is safe and effective, FDA approves the drug. The company can then sell the drug, which the company does using "trade name." Only the drug company that developed the "trade name" drug is allowed to sell it. However, other drug companies can create their own version of the "trade name" drug, which usually happens after the patents for the "trade name" product run out. These drugs, often called "generic drugs," potentially will be less expensive for the patient. In order to sell generic drugs, drug companies must show that their generic version is the same as the "trade name" drug in a number of ways. For example, they generally have to show that their product is intended to be used to treat the same diseases or conditions, that it has the same label, and that the product has the same active ingredient as the "trade name" drug. The generic company also has to show that generic product is "bioequivalent" to the trade name drug, meaning that the generic product gets to the part of the body where the drug works at the same rate that the trade name drug does. How to show how much drug gets to the part of the body where it works, and how fast, depends on the type of product the drug is. The primary aim of this research study is to aid the FDA in finding methods to ensure that the versions of generic drugs that are inhaled (for example, drugs used to treat asthma) are bioequivalent to the trade name drug. As a part of the research study, pharmacokinetic (PK) studies (studies measuring drug levels in the blood over time after inhalation) will be done using three different versions of fluticasone propionate (FP, a drug routinely used in asthmatic patients) administered using a dry powder inhaler (DPI, an inhalation device that delivers the drug as a dry powder). The results from this study will help FDA e

Primary Outcome

Area under the plasma concentration versus time curve from time zero (pre-dose) to the last quantifiable concentration after pulmonary dose (estimated from anatomical throats) normalization; measured as picograms multiplied by hours divided by milliliters (pg\*h/mL).

Interventions

• DRUG Fluticasone Propionate Formulation 1
• DRUG Fluticasone Propionate Formulation 2
• DRUG Fluticasone Propionate Formulation 3
• DRUG Fluticasone Propionate Formulation 3*