Relative bioavailability of different coenzyme Q10 formulations for pediatric use: preliminary study

SAMASSA P; MARTINEFSKI M.,; CONTIN M.; LUCANGIOLI S.; BUOMTEMPO F.; TRIPODI V.

Rosario

Encuentro; 2ª Reunión Internacional de Ciencias Farmacéuticas; 2012

RICIFA

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) deficiency is involved in mitochondrial, cardiological and degenerative muscle and neuronal diseases. Most patients with these deficiencies have shown clinical improvement with oral CoQ10 supplementation specially if it is administered during chilhood. Crystalline powder CoQ10 formulations are often of poor intestinal absorption. It is well known that CoQ10 bioavailability depends mostly on the drug release system used, thus formulations containing dissolved drug are the most bioavailable ones (1-3). On the other hand, in the case of pediatric patients, the development of pharmaceutical formulations is a unique challenge specially in children with difficulty swallowing. Thus, liquid formulations rather than solid dosage forms are preferred for oral administration to children. In order to increase the bioavailability of CoQ10, facilitate its administration in pediatrics and therefore increase the therapeutic efficacy, we have previously developed an oil-in-water (O/W) liquid emulsion of CoQ10 with proved stability and safe when narrow dose adjustment is required (4). The objective of this work is to establish the relative bioavailability of this new developed liquid formulation in comparison to the solid CoQ10 formulation.