Determination of the Bioavailability of 3 Intranasal Formulations of Azelastine Hydrochloride in Healthy Male Volunteers

The primary objective of the study was to determine the bioavailability of 2 new formulations of azelastine (AZE) hydrochloride (0.10% and 0.15% AZE) containing sorbitol and sucralose compared with the commercially available 0.10% AZE. This study was performed in healthy volunteers based on the pharmacokinetic parameters maximum plasma concentration and area under the plasma concentration–time curve from time zero to the last measurable concentration. This was a Phase 1, open-label, single-center, randomized, parallel-group study. Subjects were randomized to 1 of 3 treatment groups: (1) 0.10% AZE (treatment A), (2) 0.15% AZE (treatment B) (Groups 1 and 2 both containing sorbitol and sucralose), and (3) the commercially available 0.10% AZE (treatment C). A total of 54 subjects were randomized and received treatment A, B, or C. Maximum plasma concentration and area under the plasma concentration–time curve were similar when compared in treatments A and C (0.1%) for AZE and its metabolite, desmethylazelastine. The most frequently reported adverse events were rhinorrhea (5.6%) and sneezing (5.6%).