Pharmacokinetics of oral salbutamol controlled-release in Asian patients with asthma

Using a double blind, double dummy crossover design, single dose and steady state pharmacokinetics of oral controlled release (SCR) salbutamol 4 mg and 8 mg tablets b.d. has been studied in 8 Asian patients. Plasma salbutamol was measured over 12 h. In 8 patients the single dose mean Cmax was 4.2 ng.ml-1 and 7.7 ng.ml-1 after 4 and 8 mg, respectively. In 5 patients the steady state mean Cmax, Cmin and tmax were 8.1 ng.ml-1 and 4.7 ng.ml-1 and 6 h for the 4 mg tablets and 14.1 ng.ml-1 and 7.1 ng.ml-1 and 4 h for the 8 mg tablets. It is concluded that both doses of SCR show features of controlled release and that they produced a relatively constant plasma level of salbutamol in Asian patients.