Effect of food thickener and jelly wafer on the pharmacokinetics of levofloxacin orally disintegrating tablets.

This study was designed to determine the effects of a food thickener and deglutition aid jelly for oral administration, jelly wafer, on the pharmacokinetics of levofloxacin orally disintegrating tablets. With an increase in immersion time, the disintegration time of levofloxacin orally disintegrating tablets immersed in food thickener was prolonged, whereas that of the tablets immersed in jelly wafer was shortened. The dissolution behavior of non-immersed levofloxacin orally disintegrating tablets was not similar to that of tablets immersed in food thickener, but was similar to that of tablets immersed in jelly wafer. The time to reach the maximum systemic levofloxacin concentration was the same for non-immersed orally disintegrating tablets and tablets immersed in food thickener and jelly wafer. Moreover, there was no significant difference in the maximum concentration after administration between non-immersed orally disintegrating tablets and tablets immersed in food thickener or jelly wafer. These findings suggest that drugs with a high bioavailability, such as levofloxacin, enter the systemic circulation even when administered with a food thickener or jelly wafer.