Excipient selection for sustained release formulations
Sustained - release (SR) matrices are designed to release a drug slowly over an extended period of time. Formulations must be robust to ensure drug release over time and avoid dose-dumping. Innovator companies consider sustained-release oral dosage forms as a means to maximize drug efficacy, minimize the potential for adverse events, address clinical considerations such as dosing frequency, and respond to patient preference for simplified medication regimens for chronic disease. Key growth drivers in the rapidly expanding sector of sustained-release oral drug delivery include selection of excipients, enabling technologies, trends in patient preference and increasing physician comfort with the ability of prolonged drug release to deliver reliable blood levels. Excipients play a central role in the drug development process, in the formulation of sustained- release oral dosage forms and in their administration. The intended function of an excipient is to guarantee the required physico...