Insights into regulatory and design Aspects of bioequivalence trials in
Saudi Arabia: A comprehensive analysis
Abstract
Aim: This retrospective analysis aimed to comprehensively review the
design and regulatory aspects of bioequivalence trials submitted to the
Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) since 2017. Methods: This was a
retrospective, comprehensive analysis study. The Data extracted from the
SFDA bioequivalence assessment reports were analyzed for reviewing the
overall design and regulatory aspects of the successful bioequivalence
trials, exploring the impact of the coefficient of variation of
within-subject variability (CVw) on some design aspects, and providing
an in-depth assessment of bioequivalence trial submissions that were
deemed insufficient in demonstrating bioequivalence. Results: A total of
590 bioequivalence trials were included of which 521 demonstrated
bioequivalence (440 single active pharmaceutical ingredients [APIs]
and 81 fixed combinations). The majority of the successful trials were
for cardiovascular drugs (84 out of 521 [16.1%]), and the 2 x 2
crossover design was used in 455 (87.3%) trials. The sample size tended
to increase with the increase in the CVw in trials of single APIs.
Biopharmaceutics Classification System Class II and IV drugs accounted
for the majority of highly variable drugs (58 out of 82 [70.7%]) in
the study. Most of the 51 rejected trials were rejected due to concerns
related to the study center (n=21 [41.2%]). Conclusion: This
comprehensive analysis provides valuable insights into the regulatory
and design aspects of bioequivalence trials, and can inform future
research and assist in identifying opportunities for improvement in
conducting bioequivalence trials in Saudi Arabia.