Time and/or site specific drug delivery of floating pulsatile release delivery system

Abstract

Pharmaceutical invention and research are increasingly focusing on delivery systems which enhance desirable therapeutic objectives while minimizing side effects. Recent trends indicate that drug delivery systems are especially suitable for achieving controlled or delayed release oral formulations with low risk of dose dumping, flexibility of blending to attain desirable release patterns with less inter- and intra-subject variability. A blend of floating and pulsatile principles of drug delivery system seems to present the advantage that a drug can be released in the upper GI tract after a definite time period of no drug release. Floating pulsatile drug delivery system (FPDDS) concept was applied to increase the gastric residence of the dosage form having lag phase followed by a burst release. Diseases wherein FPDDS are promising include asthma, peptic ulcer, cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, and attention deficit syndrome in children. To overcome limitations of various approaches for imparting, buoyancy and lag controlling were prepared by floating pulsatile delivery systems, for which time-controlling system like swelling and rupturable membranes, soluble or erodible coating, capsule-shaped system, and multiparticulate system are primarily involved in the control of release. FPDDS showed excellent lag phase followed by burst release in distal part of small intestine which gives site- and time-specific release of drugs acting as per chronotherapy of the diseases. The current article focuses on the diseases requiring FPDDS, methodologies involved for the existing systems, recent update.