BACKGROUND: There is a lack of research on the status of clinical trial pharmacy and clinical trial pharmacist (CTP) in Korea. This study was aimed to investigate the current status of clinical trial pharmacy and clinical trial pharmacists. METHODS: The survey was performed using the 41-item questionnaire designed to investigate information on the following; (1) current status of clinical trial pharmacy designated by Korea Food and Drug Administration, (2) current status of working condition, management, and satisfaction index of CTP. Data collected was analyzed by t-test and chi2. RESULTS: Among the CTPs who responded, 92.7% belonged to department of pharmacy, and 7.3% to clinical trial center. 90.2% of the respondents were women. Forty-two point seven percents of the respondents had more than 3 years of experience in the clinical trial field. 36.6% answered that the current number of CTPs in the institution was '2'. Sixty-three point four percents answered that they subsumed an additional post. Regarding the question on "whether the equipment and working environment of your clinical trials pharmacy is adequate", 65.1% of the respondents answered as 'Inadequate'. Ninety-eight point eight percents answered that work-related education is needed. Ninety-three point nine percents answered that the quality of clinical trials is related to the improvement of the working environment of CTP. CONCLUSION: Clinical trial pharmacy's facility and number of actually working CTP were insufficient. Proper and continuous education and training for CTPs are needed to improve the quality of clinical trials conducted in Korea, with strong institution support and timely regulation change.
Cytidine Triphosphate ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Pharmacists ; Pharmacy ; Silanes ; United States Food and Drug Administration

BACKGROUND: Voglibose is an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the pharmacodynamic characteristics of voglibose for determining the appropriate study design and parameters for a pharmacodynamic equivalence study of voglibose. METHODS: This study consisted of two studies. The single dose study had an open and single sequence design. Nineteen subjects received placebo and then one tablet of voglibose on two consecutive days with sucrose. The multiple dose study was performed with the similar design, except that it was a multiple dose of the single dose study. Nine subjects who showed an effective response in the single dose study received placebo three times and then voglibose 4 times on two consecutive days. Serial blood samples for pharmacodynamic parameters were taken until 180 mins after each administration. The baseline adjusted maximum serum glucose level (G(max)) and area under the serum glucose level-time profiles were determined and compared. RESULTS: In the single dose study, the difference in G(max) was -10.6 +/- 28.7 mg/dL. The area under the serum glucose concentration-time curve (AUGC(0-1h)) of placebo and voglibose were 7825.0 +/- 1145.3 mg.min/dL, 7907.5 +/- 917.2 mg.min/dL, respectively. In the multiple dose study, the difference in G(max) was 46.6 +/- 16.1 mg/dL. The AUGC(0-1h) of placebo and voglibose were 8138.6 +/- 721.9 mg.min/dL and 6499.7 +/- 447.2 mg.min/dL, respectively. The G(max) and AUGC(0-1h) of the multiple dose study was significantly different between placebo and voglibose in paired t-test. CONCLUSION: The differences in G(max) and AUGC(0-1h) are suitable for pharmacodynamic parameters to evaluate bioequivalence of voglibose.
alpha-Glucosidases ; Glucose ; Inositol ; Sucrose ; Therapeutic Equivalency

BACKGROUND: Zofenopril is a new Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitor for the treatment of the patients with hypertension and congestive heart failure. This study aimed to evaluate the pharmacokinetics (PKs)/pharmacodynamics (PDs) and tolerability of zofenopril in healthy Korean subjects. METHODS: A randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled, multiple dosing parallel group study with two dosage groups (zofenopril 30 mg or 60 mg) was conducted in healthy Korean male subjects. Each dosage group consisted of 10 subjects and they were randomly assigned to receive zofenopril or placebo with a ratio of 4:1. PK characteristics of zofenopril and its active metabolite, zofenoprilat, were evaluated after single or multiple dosing. Serum ACE activities and blood pressures were measured for PD evaluation. Adverse events, clinical laboratory tests, electrocardiograms, vital signs and physical examinations were performed for tolerability evaluation. RESULTS: The PK characteristics of zofenopril and zofenoprilat after single dose and multiple doses were similar to one another. The metabolic ratio of zofenoprilat to zofenopril after single dose and multiple doses were 12.4 and 14.9, respectively, in the 30 mg dosage group, and were 6.8 and 6.6, respectively, in the 60 mg dosage group. Complete serum ACE activity inhibition was observed within 1 hour in both doses but it was maintained longer in the 60 mg dosage group compared to the 30 mg dosage group. There were no clinically significant abnormalities in tolerability evaluations. CONCLUSION: The PK/PD characteristics of zofenopril and zofenoprilat after single or multiple administrations were explored. Zofenopril was well tolerated after multiple administrations in healthy Korean subjects.
Captopril ; Electrocardiography ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Male ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; Physical Examination ; Vital Signs

BACKGROUND: A piroxicam patch has been widely used to treat musculoskeletal pain. The aim of this study was to assess the pharmacokinetic (PK) characteristics and skin irritation of Murupe(R) patch (piroxicam 96 mg) compared with Trast(R) patch (piroxicam 96 mg) in healthy volunteers. METHODS: A randomized, open-label, 2-way crossover study was conducted in 12 healthy Korean male subjects. They were allocated to one of the two treatment sequences of RT and TR (R, reference drug, Trast(R) patch; T, test drug, Murupe(R) patch). Each patch was applied to the subject once during 48 hours. Serial blood samples were collected up to 72 hours after removing the patch and plasma concentrations were determined by high performance liquid chromatography. Safety was monitored and the skin irritation potential was assessed. RESULTS: The plasma concentration-time profile during 48 hours showed an exponential increase in both of two patch products. Mean C(max) and AUC(last) values were not statistically different between two patch groups. Mean AUC[0-48h] was lower in Murupe(R) patch group than that in Trast(R) patch group; 806.4 and 1196.5 ng.h/mL. However, the mean AUC[48-120h] value tended to be higher in Murupe(R) patch group, implying more delayed excretion than in Trast(R) patch group; 2724.7 ng.h/mL and 1989.2 ng.h/mL. The overall results of skin irritation potential test showed no clinically significant differences between two patch groups. CONCLUSION: Mean Cmax and AUC(last) values in Murupe(R) patch group were comparable to those in Trast(R) patch group. Murupe(R) patch was safe and well tolerated in healthy male subjects.
Chromatography, Liquid ; Cross-Over Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Musculoskeletal Pain ; Piroxicam ; Plasma ; Skin

BACKGROUND: Voglibose, an inhibitor of alpha-glucosidase of the small intestine brush border, is used to treat type 2 diabetic patients. Bioequivalence test based on pharmacokinetic parameters is difficult because voglibose does not cross the enterocytes after ingestion. This study was conducted to establish bioequivalence of two formulations of 0.3-mg voglibose with pharmacodynamic endpoints. METHODS: This study was an open, single-dose, randomized, 6-sequence, 3-period crossover design in healthy volunteers. In each period, subjects received placebo or three tablets of either test formulation or reference formulation with sucrose, with a 7-day washout period each dosing period. Serial blood samples were collected after each administration. The maximum concentrations of serum glucose and serum insulin (C(max)(G) and C(max)(I)) and the area under the serum concentration - time curve from dosing to 2 or 4 hours after dosing for serum glucose and insulin (AUC(0-2h)(G), AUC(0-4h)(G), AUC(0-2h)(I) and AUC(0-4h)(I), respectively) were determined by noncompartmental analysis. Formulation-related differences were tested in accordance with the Korean regulatory bioequivalence criteria. RESULTS: A total of 54 subjects completed study in accordance with protocol. The geometric mean ratios (GMRs) of the test formulation to the reference formulation for Cmax(G), AUC(0-2h)(G), AUC(0-4h)(G), C(max)(I), AUC(0-2h)(I) and AUC(0-4h)(I) were 0.945, 1.014, 0.995, 0.937, 0.985 and 0.983, respectively and the 90% confidence intervals (CIs) of corresponding values were 0.985-1.026, 0.991-1.038, 0.977-1.014, 0.830-1.057, 0.901-1.078 and 0.911-1.014, respectively. CONCLUSION: This single-dose study found that two formulations of 0.3-mg voglibose did not meet the regulatory criteria for bioequivalence in these healthy volunteers.
alpha-Glucosidases ; Cross-Over Studies ; Eating ; Enterocytes ; Glucose ; Humans ; Inositol ; Insulin ; Intestine, Small ; Microvilli ; Sucrose ; Tablets ; Therapeutic Equivalency

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to compare the pharmacokinetics and safety between newly developed sildenafil (Please Orally Soluble Film) and sildenafil citrate (VIAGRA(R)) after single oral administration in healthy Korean male subjects. METHODS: A randomized, open-label, single dose, 2-way crossover study was conducted in 50 healthy male subjects. Each sequence group consisted of 25 subjects, received a single oral 50 mg dose of Please Orally Soluble Film (test formulation) or VIAGRA(R) (reference formulation) by study period. Blood samples were obtained during a 24-hour period after dosing. Sildenafil and its metabolite concentrations were determined using validated LC-MS/MS. A non-compartmental pharmacokinetic analysis was performed. Safety was assessed through monitoring of adverse events, vital sign check-up, physical examination, laboratory tests and electrocardiography. RESULTS: All enrolled participants completed the study. The point estimates and 90% confidence intervals of log transformed C(max) and AUC(last) of the test formulation in comparison to those of reference formulation were 0.9294(0.8353 - 1.0341) and 0.9415 (0.8869 - 0.9994) respectively. The analysis of variance showed no significant influences of formulation, sequence and period on the pharmacokinetic parameters. The frequencies of adverse events were not statistically different between the formulations. No serious adverse event was observed or reported. CONCLUSION: Please Orally Soluble Film could be considered bioequivalent to VIAGRA(R) and had similar safety properties in healthy Korean male subjects.
Administration, Oral ; Citric Acid ; Cross-Over Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Physical Examination ; Piperazines ; Purines ; Sulfones ; Sildenafil Citratea ; Vital Signs

Along with the enactment of a law separating the prescribing and dispensing of drugs in Korea in 2000, attempts at reducing medical expenses by generic substitution have been allowed since August 2001 so long as generic products are bioequivalent to the original products. In the pharmaceutical industry, the required development and investment to make generic products are much less in terms of time and money. Thus, the number of bioequivalence studies in Korea has increased. This has resulted in the need for bioequivalence recommendations (guidelines), taking into account the circumstances of the Korean pharmaceutical industry. In this paper, we provide procedures for making bioequivalence determinations for individual products acting on the circulatory system (30 drugs, 2011), the components of which are widely accepted for the development of generic products in Korea. These recommendations correspond with international guidelines, such as those of the US FDA and EMEA. For the 30 drugs that act on the circulatory system, we examined each in terms of subject selection (healthy volunteers vs. patients), dosage strength, dosage route, analytes to measure, and evaluation parameters, and prepared bioequivalence recommendations for individual products through an analysis of many published papers, US FDA and EMEA guidelines, and clinical trial websites. Based on the bioequivalence recommendations for individual products, we had several meetings in which KFDA officers (members of the New Drug Research team and the Office of Generic Drugs), three pharmacy professors with expertise in drug analysis and pharmacokinetics, and three professors of medicine with extensive experience in clinical trials participated to confirm and discuss the contents. Finally, the bioequivalence recommendations for individual products were provided on the KFDA website. The individual bioequivalence recommendations have been used by KFDA officers in drug evaluations and bioequivalency testing to improve consistency, clarity, and professionalism in the drug evaluation process. These recommendations will be useful for domestic pharmaceutical companies by shortening the time and cost associated with bioequivalence studies, especially in terms of standardized trial designs, dosage forms, and analytical methods.
Dosage Forms ; Drug Evaluation ; Drug Industry ; Drug Substitution ; Drugs, Generic ; Investments ; Jurisprudence ; Korea ; Pharmacy ; Therapeutic Equivalency

The Journal of Korean Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (JKSCPT) as a peer-reviewed semi-annual journal has published lots of clinical pharmacology articles of various fields since its first issue in May 1993. Particularly, a number of high-quality articles such as randomized controlled prospective clinical trials have been presented in this journal. The JKSCPT currently has been also indexed in Scopus, one of the famous international bibliographic databases, and the candidate journal accredited by the National Research Foundation of Korea. Although the JKSCPT has accumulated outstanding achievements as the specialized journal for clinical pharmacology in Korea, it is also true that there are many problems to be solved in order to be a more internationally recognized journal. The methods to analyze the status of a journal for the academic society were first suggested in this article. The SWOT analysis on the current status of the JKSCPT was done for establishing future development strategies. Making references to these analyzing methods of a journal and SWOT analysis, numerous problems and the suggestions for the development of the JKSCPT were presented in detail. The future model of the journal for the academic society was also briefly discussed.
Achievement ; Databases, Bibliographic ; Korea ; Pharmacology, Clinical

No abstract available.
Catechols ; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System ; Cytochromes ; Fatty Alcohols ; Humans ; Liver ; Microsomes, Liver

BACKGROUND: This study was aimed to investigate the current two years' clinical research coordinators (CRCs) employment and estimate total number of CRCs in Korea. METHODS: The participants were administrative officers or head CRCs in institutions designated by Korea Food & Drug Administration (KFDA). Data on the current status of CRCs' employment was collected with self-administered questionnaires or telephone interview. And total number of CRCs in Korea was estimated based on ratio between the number of the KFDA approved clinical trials and current number of CRCs. RESULTS: The number of CRCs was 1381 at 36 centers in 2009 and 1444 at 37 centers in 2010. About 79 percent of CRCs were employed by investigators. The estimated number of CRCs was from 1677 to 1763 at 135 centers in 2009 and from 1802 to 1890 at 142 centers in 2010 based on number of clinical trials approved by KFDA. Two third of regional clinical trial centers (RCTCs) had written employment policy, and 25 percent of RCTCs employed CRCs in a regular position. All RCTCs had educational programs for CRCs and supported CRCs for training outside. 75 percent of RCTCs provided ID card for CRCs belonging to investigators to access to hospital document. Half of RCTCs had CRC registration system in hospital-wide. CONCLUSION: The number of CRCs in Korea can be easily estimated with the number of KFDA approved clinical trials. Majority of RCTCs still employed CRCs in an irregular position, which should be switched to regular position to reduce the CRCs' unsatisfaction. It is also needed to develop centralized CRC management system for CRCs belonging to investigators.
Calcium Hydroxide ; Employment ; Head ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Korea ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Research Personnel ; Zinc Oxide