Rate- and Extent-Limiting Factors of Oral Drug Absorption: Theory and Applications.

The oral absorption of drugs has been represented by various concepts such as the absorption potential, the maximum absorbable dose, the biopharmaceutics classification system, and in vitro-in vivo correlation. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the theoretical relationships between these concepts. It shows how a simple analytical solution for the fraction of a dose absorbed (Fa equation) can offer a theoretical base to tie together the various concepts, and discusses how this solution relates to the rate-limiting cases of oral drug absorption. The article introduces the Fa classification system as a framework in which all the above concepts were included, and discusses its applications for food effect prediction, active pharmaceutical ingredient form selection, formulation design, and biowaiver strategy.