A STUDY OF MULTIPARTICULATE DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEMS

Abstract

In the pharmaceutical industry, there is growing interest moving towards specialized drugs and drug delivery systems that provide flexibility and ease in dose adjustment and/or are designed with special features to suit the requirements of specific patient groups. Multiparticulate drug delivery systems confer great therapeutic potential due to their capability for dosing flexibility, combining different drugs in one dosage form, and modifying drug release rate. However, their advantages are still not fully utilized to achieve more efficient therapies. This project explored the feasibility of a modified tangential spray fluidized bed processor to coat irregular-shaped drug particles with wide size distribution for taste masking purposes. The application of 400-DS dissolution apparatus 7 for individual pellet dissolution methodology was also established and the capability of this methodology for differentiating coat quality of extended release pellets was subsequently compared with that of USP dissolution apparatus 1 and 2. A mechanistic approach was employed to understand the pellet coat damage seen during compaction of coated pellets in a rotary tablet press. The findings could contribute to a more rational design of formulation and process strategies for commercial production of multiple-unit pellet system tablets.