Garima Garg

Gastroretentive dosage forms: A review with special emphasis on floating drug delivery systems

In the present era, gastroretentive dosage forms (GRDF) receive great attention because they can improve the performance of controlled release systems. An optimum GRDF system can be defined as a system which retains in the stomach for a sufficient time interval against all the physiological barriers, releases active moiety in a controlled manner, and finally is easily metabolized in the body. Physiological barriers like gastric motility and gastric retention time (GRT) act as obstacles in developing an efficient GRDF. Gastroretention can be achieved by developing different systems like high density systems, floating drug delivery systems (FDDS), mucoadhesive systems, expandable systems, superporous systems, and magnetic systems. All these systems have their own merits and demerits. This review focused on the various aspects useful in development of GRDF including the current trends and advancements.

Ocular inserts - Advancement in therapy of eye diseases.

The ocular insert represents a significant advancement in the therapy of eye disease. Ocular inserts are defined as sterile, thin, multilayered, drug-impregnated, solid or semisolid consistency devices placed into the cul-de-sac or conjuctival sac, whose size and shape are especially designed for ophthalmic application. They are composed of a polymeric support that may or may not contain a drug. The drug can later be incorporated as dispersion or a solution in the polymeric support. They offer several advantages as increased ocular residence and sustained release of medication into the eye. The insert includes a body portion sized to position within a lachrymal canaliculus of the eyelid. The inserts are classified according to their solubility as insoluble, soluble, or bioerodible inserts. The release of drug from the insert depends upon the diffusion, osmosis, and bioerosion of the drug, and this article is an attempt to present a brief about this newer drug delivery system.

Fast dissolving films: a review.

Fast-dissolving drug delivery systems have been developed as an alternative to conventional dosage form as an oral means of drug delivery in case of chronic conditions. Now a days fast dissolving films are preferred over conventional tablets and capsules for masking the taste of bitter drugs to increase the patient compliance. Fast dissolving films consist of a very thin oral strip which dissolves in less than one minute when placed on the tongue. Dissolvable oral thin films are in the market since past few years in the form of breath strips and are widely accepted by consumers for delivering vitamins, vaccines and other drug products. The various manufacturing techniques for the preparation of films have also been detailed in the review. The present review details most of the patents on such fast dissolving films in recent years. A brief study has been made on various parameters which are used to evaluate such films. In case of chronic disorders these fast dissolving films are better for delivering drugs and obtaining faster therapeutic blood levels and superior in comparison to other oral conventional dosage forms.