Abstract

Controlled release oral drug delivery systems have been an integral part of pharmaceutical technology for several decades. Within the pharmaceutical industry delivery systems and formulations have been developed which can provide a wide variety of drug release profiles, including systems designed for immediate, continuous, pulsatile and delayed administration. In recent years, much of the focus in oral controlled-release technology has been directed towards site-specific delivery in the GI tract, chronobiology as related to oral delivery systems and the development of technology to control the release and delivery of non-traditional drug candidates, i.e. peptides and proteins. Included in these various technologies are osmotically controlled devices, matrix tablets, hydrogels, polymeric systems, multi particulates and erosion systems regulated by geometric design. In spite of the availability of numerous technologies to achieve up to 24 h controlled drug release, relatively few products that are efficacious for once-a-day dosing have reached the market. One of the problems associated with these products is poor colonic drug absorption that limits the once daily efficacy of dosage forms

Description