Effects of Food and Gender on Pharmacokinetics of Rosuvastatin in a Chinese Population Based on 4 Bioequivalence Studies

The effects of food and gender on the pharmacokinetics of rosuvastatin in healthy Chinese subjects were investigated from 4 bioequivalence studies. These studies were designed as randomized, open-label, and 2-period crossover in both fasting and fed states. A total of 204 subjects were enrolled, 134 men and 70 women. These subjects received a single oral 10-mg dose of rosuvastatin with a 7-day washout between 2 periods. The plasma concentrations were determined using a validated liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method, and pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by noncompartmental methods. Compared with the fasting condition, administration after a high-fat and high-calorie meal resulted in an approximately 40% reduction of rosuvastatin exposure and a near 50% decrease in absorption rate. Moreover, the apparent clearance was significantly greater in the fed state than that in the fasting state. It was noted that the adverse events incidence is increased by approximately 30% in the fasting state; however, no serious adverse events were observed. Additionally, small differences in pharmacokinetic characteristics were found between male and female subjects. Food effect might be considered for optimal effectiveness and safety of rosuvastatin therapy.