| abstract |
A pharmaceutical composition in the form of tablets or capsules, providing a combination of temporal and spatial control of drug delivery to a patient for effective therapeutic results. The pharmaceutical composition comprises a medicament, a gas-forming component, a swelling agent, a thickening agent and, optionally, a gelling polymer. The swelling agent belongs to a class of compounds known as super disintegrants (for example, crosslinked polyvinylpyrrolidone or sodium carboxymethyl cellulose). The thickener in the initial stage and the gel-forming polymer subsequently form a hydrated gel base that traps gas, causing the tablet or capsule to float, so the tablet or capsule is held in the stomach or in the upper parts of the small intestine (spatial control). At the same time, the hydrated gel base creates a winding diffusion pathway for the drug, resulting in a sustained release of the drug (time control). A preferred ciprofloxacin dosage form, taken once a day, contains 69.9% of ciprofloxacin base, 0.34% sodium alginate, 1.03% xanthan gum, 13.7% sodium bicarbonate, 12.1% crosslinked polyvinylpyrrolidone and, optionally, other pharmaceutical excipients, the dosage form being in the form of tablets or capsules, with or without coating. |