Gastrointestinal transit of an enteric-coated delayed-release 5-aminosalicylic acid tablet

Gastrointestinal transit of an enteric-coated, delayed-release 5-aminosalicylic acid tablet radiolabelled with indium-111 has been monitored in a preliminary study with eight healthy subjects using gamma scintigraphy. Gastric emptying of the tablet was delayed by the presence of food in the stomach. Disintegration occurred about 5 hours after the tablet left the stomach. There was close agreement between the tablet disintegration times and the initial detection of drug in the blood. The site of disintegration could be established in most instances; approximately 80% of the doses resulted in drug dispersion within the ascending colon. The coated tablets provide an effective means of drug delivery to the proximal colon.