Am J Psychiatry 1978; 135:917-922
Copyright © 1978 by American Psychiatric Association
Evaluation of a slow-release lithium carbonate formulation
TB Cooper, GM Simpson, JH Lee and PE Bergner
A slow-release lithium preparation was compared with a standard formulation
in normal volunteers and in patients. Pharmacokinetic parameters of normal
volunteers were examined after a single dose of each form and the
steady-state levels after a b.i.d. dose of the slow- release form. These
initial single-dose data suggested that the two formulations are not
bioequivalent. However, the area under the curve of the two forms was
similar, and the essentially complete recovery of lithium from urine in
steady state indicates equal bioavailability. The patients' steady-state
levels for the two formulations essentially confirmed the normal subjects'
data: with the slow-release form plasma lithium levels were slightly
higher, and the postdose lithium level variability was decreased by as much
as 50%.
