BMS-480188 is a weak base. The aqueous solubility of BMS-480188 is 0.036 mg/ml at pH 6.5 at 37 degrees C. The mesylate salt of BMS-480188 was prepared to improve its solubility. Capsules containing mesylate salt alone (Formulation A) or mesylate salt with excipients, including lactose, croscarmellose sodium, sodium lauryl sulfate, syloid and magnesium stearate (Formulation B), were prepared. Both formulations show similar dissolution profiles in 1l 0.01N HCl at 37 degrees C. However, the bioavailability of Formulations A and B is 5.7 and 24%, respectively, in monkeys. Since very small amount of fluid is available in the stomach of monkeys in fasted state, 30 ml of 0.01N HCl was used as the dissolution medium to simulate the ratio of the drug to dissolution medium in vivo. The dissolution studies in 30 ml of 0.01N HCl show that the amount of drug dissolved from the Formulation B is 80% greater than the Formulation A after 2h. These results are consistent with the higher bioavailability of the formulated capsules. The pK(a) of the free base is 3.0 and the apparent solubility of the mesylate salt (>20mg/ml) is much greater than the equilibrium solubility of BMS-480188 (1.08 mg/ml) in 0.01N HCl at 37 degrees C. Therefore, the mesylate salt of BMS-480188 converts to the free base in 0.01N HCl. The presence of excipients delays the conversion of the mesylate salt to the free base in the dissolution test using 30 ml medium, leading to a greater percentage of the dissolved drugs. This inhibitory effect of excipients is masked during the dissolution using 1l medium because the concentration of the dissolved drug is below the solubility limit of BMS-480188. This study demonstrates the importance of the volume of the dissolution medium for the in vitro dissolution test to qualitatively predict the bioavailability of a salt of weak base with low intrinsic aqueous solubility.