Biowaiver based on biopharmaceutics classification system: Considerations and requirements

Biowaiver allows for the waiver of bioequivalence studies for regulatory approval of certain drug products with saving of time, and money. Before approval of the application for biowaivers, studies based on the Biopharmaceutical Classification System (BCS) are required to satisfy regulators in the US, Europe, and other developing markets. Only pharmaceutical products that meet the regulatory requirements for solubility, diffusion, and permeability will be granted a biowaiver. Due to high solubility and considerable permeability, BCS class I and class III drugs are highly preferred for biowaiver by regulatory agencies. The World Health Organization recently expanded the scope of the biowaiver acceptance by considering all BCS classes. These techniques can cut down on time and money spent on ineffective bioequivalence studies. In the present article, an attempt has been made to cover the prerequisites and guidelines for biowaiver approval of a generic product, a topical system, oral films, and BCS class II and IV drugs.