Purpose of Bioavailability Studies | Book Excerpt

Bioavailability means the rate and extent to which the active ingredient or active moiety is absorbed from a drug product and becomes available at the site of action. For drug products that are not intended to be absorbed into the bloodstream, bioavailability may be assessed by measurements intended to reflect the rate and extent to which the active ingredient or active moiety becomes available at the site of action.

Bioavailability studies are performed for both approved active drug ingredients and therapeutic moieties not yet approved for marketing by the FDA. New formulations of active drug ingredients must be approved by the FDA before marketing. In approving a drug product for marketing, the FDA ensures that the drug product is safe and effective for its labeled indications for use. Moreover, the drug product must meet all applicable standards of identity, strength, quality, and purity. To ensure that these standards are met, the FDA requires bioavailability/pharmacokinetic studies and, where necessary, bioequivalence studies for all drug products (FDA Guidance for Industry, 2003). Bioavailability may be considered as one aspect of drug product quality that links in-vivo performance of the drug product used in clinical trials to studies demonstrating evidence of safety and efficacy.