Press-coated tablets for time-programmed release of drugs

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical Technology
• Drug Delivery Systems
• Chronopharmaceutics

Background:

• Many diseases exhibit circadian variations, necessitating drug administration timed to physiological rhythms.
• Current drug delivery methods often lack the ability to provide precise, programmable release profiles for chronotherapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize a novel dry-coated device for programmable drug release.
• To investigate the influence of shell formulation on drug release timing and kinetics.
• To assess the suitability of this system for chronotherapeutic applications.

Main Methods:

• Formulation of drug cores (diltiazem hydrochloride, sodium diclofenac) with varying release rates.
• Compression coating of cores with gellable or erodible polymeric barrier layers (press-coated systems).
• In vitro dissolution testing and mechanical property analysis (penetrometer) of coated devices.

Main Results:

• The press-coated systems successfully delayed drug release until complete erosion or swelling of the polymeric shell.
• The onset of drug release (time-lag) was independent of core formulation and solely dependent on the shell properties.
• Erodible barriers minimally affected core drug release kinetics, while swellable shells allowed modulation of release rates.

Conclusions:

• A programmable, dry-coated drug delivery system was successfully developed.
• The system enables precise control over drug release initiation, crucial for chronotherapy.
• The press-coated device offers a versatile platform for tailoring drug release profiles based on shell material selection.