To investigate whether and to what extent the reported potent P-gp inhibitor clarithromycin affects pharmacokinetic parameters (area under the curve (AUC) and maximal concentration (Cmax)) of dabigatran.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy males and females ≥18 and ≤50 years of age, based on a complete medical history, including the physical examination, vital signs (BP, PR), 12-lead ECG, clinical laboratory tests.
• Body mass index (BMI) ranging from 18.5 to 29.9 kg/m2
• Signed and dated written informed consent prior to admission to the study in accordance with GCP and the local legislation.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any finding of the medical examination (including BP, PR and ECG) deviating from normal and of clinical relevance

• Any evidence of a clinically relevant concomitant disease

• Gastrointestinal, hepatic, renal, respiratory, cardiovascular, metabolic, immunological or hormonal disorders

• Surgery of the gastrointestinal tract (except appendectomy)

• Diseases of the central nervous system (such as epilepsy) or psychiatric disorders or neurological disorders

• History of relevant orthostatic hypotension, fainting spells or blackouts.

• Chronic or relevant acute infections

• History of relevant allergy/hypersensitivity (including allergy to drug or its excipients)

• Intake of drugs with a long half-life (>24 hours) within at least one month or less than 10 half-lives of the respective drug prior to administration or during the trial

• Use of drugs which might reasonably influence the results of the trial or that prolong the QT/QTc interval based on the knowledge at the time of protocol preparation within 10 days prior to administration or during the trial

• Participation in another trial with an investigational drug within two months prior to administration or during the trial

• Smoker (> 10 cigarettes or > 3 cigars or > 3 pipes/day)

• Alcohol abuse (more than 60 g/day)

• Drug abuse

• Blood donation (more than 100 mL within 4 weeks prior to administration or during the trial)

• Excessive physical activities (within one week prior to administration or during the trial)

• Any laboratory value outside the reference range that is of clinical relevance

• Inability to comply with dietary regimen of trial site

• A marked baseline prolongation of QT/QTc interval (e.g., repeated demonstration of a QTc interval >450 ms)

• A history of additional risk factors for Torsade de Pointes (e.g., heart failure, hypokalaemia, family history of Long QT Syndrome)

• In addition, the following exclusion criteria applied to females:

  • Pregnancy / positive pregnancy test, or planning to become pregnant during the study or within 1 month of study completion
  • No adequate contraception during the study and until 1 month of study completion, (implants, injectables, combined oral contraceptives, intrauterine device, sexual abstinence [for at least 1 month prior to enrolment], vasectomised partner [vasectomy performed at least 1 year prior to enrolment], or surgical sterilisation [including hysterectomy] were considered adequate contraception. Females whose partner was not vasectomised, were not sexually abstinent, or surgically sterile were asked to use barrier contraception methods (e.g. condom, diaphragm with spermicide)
  • Lactation period

• Intake of medication, which influenced blood coagulation, including acetylsalicylic acid and oral vitamin K antagonists, among others