Relative Bioavailability of Methylphenidate Extended-release Chewable Tablets Chewed Versus Swallowed Whole.

Purpose: Methylphenidate hydrochloride extended-release chewable tablet (MPH ERCT) is approved for treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in patients aged 6 years and older. This article evaluates the pharmacokinetic parameters and relative bioavailability of MPH ERCT when chewed versus swallowed whole.

Methods: In this open-label, single-dose, 3-period, 3-treatment crossover study, 12 healthy adult volunteers were randomly assigned to treatment sequence. In each period, subjects received a single 40-mg dose of the assigned treatment (MPH ERCT chewed, MPH ERCT swallowed whole, or methylphenidate extended-release oral suspension [MEROS]). Blood samples for pharmacokinetic analysis were collected for 24 hours postdose. Key pharmacokinetic parameters included C, AUC, and AUC.

Findings: The geometric mean values for AUC, AUC, and C were similar for MPH ERCT chewed, MPH ERCT swallowed whole, and MEROS. In all pairwise between-treatment comparisons, the 90% CIs of the geometric mean ratios for AUC, AUC, and C were fully contained within the bioequivalence range of 80% to 125%. Early exposure over the first 4 hours after dosing (AUC) was similar for MPH ERCT chewed versus swallowed whole; AUC was approximately 15% lower for MPH ERCT, either chewed or swallowed, compared with MEROS. Each treatment was generally well tolerated.

Implications: There was no difference in overall rate or extent of exposure of methylphenidate when MPH ERCT was chewed versus swallowed whole by healthy volunteers.