Recent Advances in Gastro-Retentive Drug Delivery Systems

Abstract

Controlled gastric retention of solid dosage form may be achieved by the mechanisms of floatation, muco-adhesion, sedimentation, expansion or by a modified shaped system. The purpose of this paper is to review the recent literature and current technology used in the development of gastroretentive drug delivery systems. Oral sustained release gastroretentive dosage forms offer many advantages for drugs having absorption from upper gastrointestinal tract and improve the bioavailability of medications that are characterized by a narrow absorption window. Gastroretention would also facilitate local drug delivery to the stomach and proximal small intestine. So, gastroretention could help to provide greater availability of new products and consequently improved therapeutic activity and required benefits to patients. The purpose of writing the article was to compile the recent literature with special focus on various gastroretentive approaches that have recently become leading methodologies in the field of site-specific orally administered controlled release drug delivery. In particular, bioadhesive, size-increasing and floating drug delivery systems are presented and their major advantages and shortcomings are critically discussed in this review. Thus, gastroretention could help to provide greater availability of new products and consequently improved therapeutic activity and substantial benefits to patients