Chronopharmaceutical drug delivery from a pulsatile capsule device based on programmable erosion

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Drug Delivery Systems
• Materials Science

Background:

• Chronotherapeutic drug delivery aims to optimize treatment efficacy by releasing medication at specific times.
• Existing drug delivery systems may lack precise control over drug release timing.
• Developing programmable drug release mechanisms is crucial for advanced pharmaceutical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel chronopharmaceutical capsule drug delivery system.
• To investigate the factors influencing time-delayed drug release from the capsule.
• To achieve programmable pulsatile drug release for chronotherapy.

Main Methods:

• Development of a capsule system with an insoluble body and an erodible tablet (ET).
• Formulation of the ET using insoluble excipients (dibasic calcium phosphate) and gel-forming excipients (hydroxypropylmethylcellulose; HPMC).
• Investigation of time-delayed release of propranolol HCl using dissolution testing (USP XXIII paddle method).

Main Results:

• Drug release time is determined by ET erosion rate, influenced by excipient content.
• Increased content of dibasic calcium phosphate and HPMC in the ET prolonged drug release.
• Drug release was primarily controlled by HPMC quantity (above 20%) irrespective of lactose content.
• Programmable pulsatile release was achieved over a 2-12 hour period.

Conclusions:

• The developed capsule system offers programmable pulsatile drug release.
• Drug release timing can be precisely controlled by manipulating the erodible tablet formulation.
• This system holds significant potential for chronotherapeutic drug delivery applications.