Determination of the relative bioavailability of 2 different formulations of a 5 mg linagliptin (BI 1356)/45 mg pioglitazone fixed dose combination (FDC) tablet, formulation C5 and formulation C8, compared with the mono-components linagliptin and pioglitazone administered together

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy male and female subjects according to the following criteria: based upon a complete medical history, including physical examination, vital signs (BP, PR), 12-lead ECG, and clinical laboratory tests
• Age ≥18 and ≤55 years
• Body mass index (BMI) ≥18.5 and ≤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), 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 h) within at least 1 month or less than 10 halflives of the respective drug prior to administration or during the trial
• Use of drugs which might reasonably influence the results of the trial or 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 2 months prior to administration or during the trial
• Smoker (>10 cigarettes or >3 cigars or >3 pipes/day)
• Inability to refrain from smoking on trial days
• Alcohol abuse (more than 30 g/day for males and 20 g/day for females)
• Drug abuse
• Blood donation (more than 100 mL within 4 weeks prior to administration or during the trial)
• Excessive physical activities (within 1 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

For female subjects:

• Pregnancy or a positive pregnancy test, planning to become pregnant during the study, or within 1 month of study completion or lactation period
• No adequate contraception during the study and until 1 month after study completion, i.e. implants, injectables, combined oral contraceptives, intrauterine device, sexual abstinence (for at least 1 month before enrolment), vasectomised partner (vasectomy performed at least 1 year prior to enrolment), or surgical sterilisation (including hysterectomy). Females who did not have a vasectomised partner, were not sexually abstinent, or were not surgically sterile were asked to additionally use barrier contraception methods (i.e. condom, diaphragm with spermicide)

For male subjects:

• Male subjects who did not agree to minimise the risk of female partners becoming pregnant from the first dosing day until the completion of the post study medical examination. Acceptable methods of contraception included barrier contraception and a medically accepted contraceptive method for the female partner (intra-uterine device with spermicide, hormonal contraceptive for at least 2 months)