Solid Dispersion Incorporated Fast Dissolving Oral Wafers of Cinnarizine: Development and Evaluation

Abstract

Cinnarizine is a piperazine derivative, antiallergic with antihistamine, sedative, and calcium-channel blocking activity. It is used for the symptomatic treatment of nausea and vertigo caused by Meniere’s disease and other vestibular disorders and for the prevention and treatment of motion sickness. The present study is focused on making fast dissolving wafers of solid dispersion incorporated Cinnarizine to enhance the bioavailability, dissolution of the drug and increasing the patient compliance. Fast dissolving films of Cinnarizine can be considered suitable for clinical use in the treatment of allergic rhinitis and other conditions of allergies, where a quicker onset of action is desirable along with the convenience of administration. Seven formulations of fast releasing wafers of solid dispersion incorporated Cinnarizine, dispersed in two different polymers; HPMC and PVA by solvent casting method were prepared. Solid dispersion was prepared by solvent evaporation method to enhance the solubility, dissolution rate and consequently, the bioavailability of Cinnarizine. These wafers were evaluated for various parameters like thickness uniformity, weight uniformity, folding endurance, swelling index, percentage moisture absorption, content uniformity, ex vivo permeation studies etc. The cumulative percentage amount of drug diffused was higher for fast releasing wafer made of 3% HPMC. The release kinetics data indicates that the release of drug from fast releasing wafer F4 follows first order release kinetics and model fits to Higuchi which is indicative of the diffusion mechanism of drug release. The mechanism of drug release was found to be non-Fickian. From all of these findings it was concluded that HPMC K4M is the best fast releasing wafer forming polymer.Keywords: Cinnarizine, Fast releasing wafers, Solid dispersion, HPMC, PVA.