Gastroretentive delivery systems: a mini review

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Drug Delivery Systems
• Gastrointestinal Physiology

Background:

• Gastroretentive drug delivery systems aim to increase gastric retention time.
• Various approaches like floating, swelling, mucoadhesive, and high-density systems have been investigated.
• Gastric pH and motility variability significantly influence drug release and retention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review gastric physiology.
• To present various intragastric drug delivery systems.
• To highlight the potential of gastroretentive systems.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of gastroretentive delivery systems.
• Discussion of gastric physiology and its impact on drug delivery.
• Analysis of different gastroretentive system designs.

Main Results:

• Floating drug delivery systems have demonstrated promising results for gastric retention.
• Variability in gastric physiology presents challenges for consistent drug delivery.
• Multiple strategies exist to enhance drug residence time in the stomach.

Conclusions:

• Gastroretentive systems offer a viable approach to prolonging drug action in the stomach.
• Understanding gastric physiology is crucial for designing effective delivery systems.
• Floating devices represent a key strategy in gastroretentive drug delivery development.