India Dexamethasone and Betamethasone

An open label, randomized, two-period, crossover, study to compare the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of single dose Dexamethasone and Betamethasone administered orally and intramuscularly in 48 healthy, adult, female subjects under fasting conditions. This study is being conducted in Bangalore, India.


Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

1. - Healthy, adult, female subjects within the age range of 18 to 40 years \[both inclusive\].
2. - Weight not less than 45 kg.
3. - BMI \[18.00 to 25.00 kg/m2\] \[both inclusive\].
4. - Willingness to provide written informed consent to participate in the study.
5. - Without any medical or surgical condition that might interfere with gastrointestinal absorption of the study drug.
6. - Free of significant diseases or clinically significant abnormal findings during screening, medical history, physical examination, laboratory evaluations, 12-lead ECG, Chest X-ray \[PA view\].
7. - Subjects should be non-smoker or moderate smokers (less than 10 cigarettes a day), and should not be consuming tobacco containing products \[ defined as someone who has stopped smoking for a year from the date of screening\].
8. - Subject must be either a non-drinker or an occasional drinker of alcohol and agreed to abstain from alcoholic consumption during the study duration.
9. - Absence of disease markers of HIV I and 2, Hepatitis Band C and Syphilis.
10. - Female subjects of childbearing potential must be using two acceptable methods of contraception, ( e.g., intra-uterine device (IUD) plus condom, spermicidal gel plus condom, diaphragm plus condom, progestin only implants and long acting injectables (Depo Provera), etc.). These measures are required during the study and for at least two weeks after the last dose and conveyed during the inform consent process (or) postmenopausal women for at least 1 year or surgically sterile (bilateral tubal ligation, bilateral oophorectomy or hysterectomy have been performed).
11. - Subject should be literate.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. - History or presence of significant: Cardiovascular, pulmonary, hepatic, renal, hematological, gastro- intestinal, endocrine, immunologic, dermatologic, neurological, HEENT (Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose And Throat), psychiatric disease/ disorder.
2. - History or presence of significant:

   * Asthma, urticaria or other allergic type reactions or hypersensitivity after taking Dexamethasone or Betamethasone or any other drug.
   * Ulceration or history of gastric and / or duodenal ulcer.
   * Stomach or intestinal bleeding.
   * Jaundice in the past 6 months.
3. - History of drug abuse.
4. - History of renal impairment or severe hepatic impairment.
5. - History or presence of psychiatric disorders
6. - Have donated 500 mL or more blood within 90 days before receiving the first dose of study drug.
7. - Major illness during 3 months before screening.
8. - Subjects who have participated in another clinical study in the past 3 months prior to commencement of this study.
9. - Any difficulty in accessibility of forearm veins for cannulation or blood sampling and or difficulty with donating blood.
10. - Refuse to abstain from food for at least 10 h prior to dosing and for at least 4 h after dosing in each period and for at least 10 h before and at least 4 h after collecting the baseline assessment blood sample in Period 1.
11. - Refuse to abstain from fluid for at least 1 h before and 1 h after dosing.
12. - Refuse to abstain from alcohol for the duration of the study.
13. - Positive during breath alcohol test.
14. - Positive during urine drug screening.
15. - History of difficulty in swallowing study formulations.
16. - Received any medication \[including over-the-counter products, vitamins, herbal products\] for 14 days preceding the study.
17. - Use of enzyme modifying drugs, MAO inhibitors within 30 days prior to receiving the first dose of study medication.
18. - History of dehydration from diarrhea, vomiting or any other reason within a period of 24 hours prior to study check-in of each period.
19. - Consumption of xanthine containing food and beverages (chocolates, tea, coffee or cola drinks) for at least 48 hours prior to study check-in.
20. - Consumption of grapefruit juice within the 7-days prior to study check-in.
21. - Pregnant females as determined by positive test for pregnancy.
22. - Lactating females.
23. - Investigator/physician feels that it is not in the subject's and/or study's best interest to enroll the subject.