Geriatric-Oriented High Dose Nutraceutical ODTs: Formulation and Physicomechanical Characterization.

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical Technology
• Drug Delivery Systems
• Nutraceuticals

Background:

• Oral disintegrating tablets (ODTs) offer advantages over conventional tablets for the geriatric population, including rapid onset of action and enhanced patient compliance.
• Osteoarthritis treatment often involves high-dose nutraceuticals like chondroitin sulphate and glucosamine.

Purpose of the Study:

• To formulate and optimize oral disintegrating tablets (ODTs) for sublingual administration of high-dose chondroitin sulphate and glucosamine.
• The goal was to improve patient compliance and achieve a rapid onset of action for osteoarthritis management.

Main Methods:

• Formulations were prepared using melt granulation or direct compression techniques.
• Various excipients, including superdisintegrants like Pharmaburst™ C1, spray-dried mannitol, and polyethylene glycols, were employed to reduce disintegration time.
• The ODT systems were designed to accommodate a 60% drug load with a weight of approximately 1.3 gm.

Main Results:

• Certain ODT formulations achieved disintegration within 2-3 minutes with complete drug release (100%).
• Pharmaburst™ C1 was identified as a critical excipient for achieving superdisintegration properties.
• The developed ODTs demonstrated enhanced dissolution rates for both chondroitin sulphate and glucosamine compared to existing conventional tablets.

Conclusions:

• The optimized ODTs exhibit superior disintegration and dissolution characteristics.
• These properties are anticipated to improve the bioavailability of high-dose glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate.
• The study highlights ODTs as a promising dosage form for these nutraceuticals in osteoarthritis treatment.