Pharmacokinetics of Ambroxol Sustained Release (Mucosolvan® Retard) Compared with Other Formulations in Healthy Volunteers.

Ambroxol is used to relieve the symptoms of respiratory conditions in which abnormal mucus secretion is a problem, including the common cold, acute and chronic bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Different formulations of ambroxol are available, including tablets and effervescent tablets that release the drug as soon as they are digested, but need to be taken twice a day, or extended release (retard) capsules that release the drug slowly over 24 h and can be taken once a day. This randomized, three-period, six-sequence crossover study in 24 healthy volunteers compared the pharmacokinetics of three formulations of ambroxol: tablets, effervescent tablets, and retard capsules. The amount of drug in the bloodstream over 24 h was similar with all three formulations, but (as expected) the time to reach peak plasma concentration was longer with the retard capsules than both forms of tablet. These results show that people who take ambroxol for respiratory conditions will receive the same amount of ambroxol whether they take retard capsules, standard tablets, or effervescent tablets.