| abstract |
By the ingestion of dosage forms containing sparingly water-soluble drug particles, it is not possible to deliver drug into the blood stream at high rates, because the drug dissolution rate, and the absorption rate, are limited by solubility. Herein, therefore, dosage forms comprising a slender, three-dimensional structural framework of sparingly-soluble drug dissolved in an excipient matrix comprising at least a water-soluble polymer carrier and an amphiphilic polymer are disclosed. Upon immersion in a physiological fluid, said fluid wets the structural framework, interdiffuses with it, and the amphiphilic polymer self-assembles as micelles, thereby enhancing drug solubility. Concomitantly, the framework erodes and rapidly releases drug molecules, thus enhancing drug concentration in the fluid and the drug delivery rate into the blood stream. |