Drug Discov Ther. 2023;17(6):409-414. (DOI: 10.5582/ddt.2023.01076)

Generic selection criteria for safety and patient benefit [Ⅻ]: Comparing the physicochemical and pharmaceutical properties of brand-name and generic tulobuterol tape

Shimokawa K, Yotsukura K, Nozawa M, Wada Y, Ishii F

Physicochemical properties (drug release, peel strength, adhesion, and stiffness) of Hokunalin^® Tape (Hokunalin) and 13 generic transdermal bronchodilator patches containing tulobuterol were characterized and evaluated for comparison. Drug-release studies evaluating sustained release behavior demonstrated better performance by the drug Hokunalin, than the generics MED, YP, Sawai, and Teikoku. Hokunalin yield a 16.2% release 1 hour after initiation, 30.1% at 3 hours, 50.0% at 8 hours. In comparison, the generics MED, YP, Sawai, and Teikoku showed an intermediate release behavior to that of Hokunalin, with more than 80% release after 8 hours. A 90-degree peel adhesion test for tape peel strength demonstrated that the generic MED (4.99 N), YP (3.26 N), Sawai (4.17 N), and Teikoku (4.37 N) tapes yielded significantly higher values compared to Hokunalin (2.66 N). Probe tack tests, evaluating adhesive strength, yielded significantly higher values for the generics HMT (4.89 N) and Towa (4.25 N) compared to Hokunalin (3.66 N). Furthermore, for the stiffness-softness test, a significantly higher value was obtained for each generic yielded compared to Hokunalin (3.7-degree). These factors are important components of product qualities that affect treatment efficacy, including "ease of application" and other usability factors.

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