The impact of the EMA change in definition of "dose" on the BCS dose-solubility ratio: a review of the biowaiver monographs.

The Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS) defines the solubility characteristics of an active pharmaceutical substance based on its dose-solubility ratio: for highly soluble drugs this ratio is less than 250 mL over a defined pH range. Prior to the revision of the European Medicines Agency (EMA, formerly EMEA) guideline in 2010, the "dose" in this ratio was consistently defined by the US FDA, the EMA, and the WHO biowaiver guidelines as the highest dosage strength. However, in the revised EMA guideline, the dose is defined as the highest single dose administered according to the Summary of Product Characteristics. The new EMA criterion for highly soluble may be closer to the actual c…