Bioavailability of three commercial preparations of ibuprofen 600 mg

The pharmacokinetic variables of ibuprofen 600 mg were investigated after administration of Brufen and compared to administration of Burana and Ibumetin. The investigation was carried out as a randomized single-dose crossover study in 17 healthy volunteers. The mean maximum plasma concentrations of ibuprofen were 58, 45 and 54 micrograms/ml after administration of Brufen, Burana and Ibumetin, respectively, the time to reach this being 1.4, 2.1 and 1.6 h, respectively, after administration. The differences between Brufen and Burana were significant. The relative bioavailability was very similar between Brufen and Burana but about 8% lower for Ibumetin and this difference between Brufen and Ibumetin was significant. Thus, different brands of ibuprofen may not be pharmacokinetically interchangeable and the results show that Brufen is superior to either Burana or Ibumetin when considering both the rate and extent of absorption. These findings are clinically interesting since a high and early plasma concentration of ibuprofen seems to be related to increased analgesic efficacy.