IN-VITRO COMPARATIVE STUDY AND QUALITY ANALYSIS OF DIFFERENT MARKETED BRAND OF METFORMIN HCL TABLETS AVAILABLEIN INDIA WITH BRAND AVAILABLE IN JAN AUSHADHI STORES

The objective of this research study is to assess the quality standards of various brands of Metformin hydrochloride tablets that are locally available in Hyderabad, India, by comparing and contrasting them with the brand available in the Jan Aushadhi stores in India (MET-3). Eight brands of Metformin tablets (500 mg) were selected and compared for their physical and chemical parameters as per the official method. The physiochemical equivalence of all tablet brands was assessed through evaluation of both official and non-official standards such as size, shape, uniformity of weight, friability, hardness, disintegration, assay, and dissolution rate. In contrast to the generic drug of metformin available at Jan Aushadhi Kendra (MET-3), the other seven brands of Metformin hydrochloride tablets have all met the requirements of the official I.P. specification regarding weight variation, friability, hardness, disintegration, assay, and dissolution rate. It was concluded that the generic drug of metformin available in Jan Aushadhi Kendra (MET-3), whose price is almost 70% less than the other seven brands of Metformin hydrochloride, is officially similar to the other seven brands of the same drug that are available in Hyderabad, meets the I.P. specification for quality control analysis, and is interchangeable.