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European Pharmaceutical Contractor
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Extended release of drugs has been used since the 1960s to enhance performance and increase patient compliance. By incorporating the dose for 24 hours into one tablet from which the drug is slowly released, peaks of high plasma concentration as well as troughs of low plasma concentration are avoided. This avoids side effects associated with high concentration as well as 'no effect' during troughs, giving better overall therapy. In addition, in the treatment of diseases that are asymptomatic, such as hypertension, patients generally remember morning and evening medication but tend to forget doses in between. Once- or twice-daily dosing thus improves therapy through the constant presence of the drug.
Early drug delivery systems (DDS) tended to give non-constant release rates, although this was still a large improvement over immediate release. The ideal DDS should show a constant zero-order release rate as this has the potential to create constant plasma concentrations.
Many current oral extended release systems are matrix based on hydrophilic polymers. With these technologies, drug and excipients are mixed with polymers such as hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) and then formed as a tablet by conventional compression. Release from these tablets takes place by a combination of physical phenomena.
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Industry Events |
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4th Annual Patient Recruitment and Retention in Clinical Trials
13-15 October 2008, Amsterdam
Patient recruitment
is now consuming thirty percent of clinical trial time - more time than any
other clinical trial activity - and almost half of all trial delays result from
patient recruitment problems.
As the
recruiting culture becomes more sophisticated and the forces affecting patient
enrollment grow more numerous and complex, pharmaceutical companies are
striving to discover new strategies to facilitate enrollment in clinical
trials.
With
increasing industry pressure to develop, test and market greater numbers of new
drugs faster, pharmaceutical companies need to perform clinical trials as
quickly as possible. Inefficient patient recruitment processes is a formidable
barrier to pharmaceutical companies' success in launching new products.
Improving the patient recruitment process is imperative to avoid wasted
investments and eliminate costly delays in bringing new drugs to market --
today and even more so in the not-so-distant future. Improved patient
recruitment presents one of the largest opportunities for pharmaceutical
companies to eliminate delays in clinical trials, thereby making it possible to
reduce time to market. With patent time limits and large overheads
meaning that any delays in the development timeline can be disastrous, a good
understanding of how to successfully recruit patients for trials is vital for
any company looking to succeed.
More info >> |
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News and Press Releases |
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New PFA SonicLineŽ ultrasonic flowmeters
Flow measurement with ultrasound fast, precise, free from contamination The new PFA SonicLineŽ ultrasonic flowmeters assure precise measurement and control of chemical consumption and management of chemical stocks with high reliability. SonicLineŽ is also ideally suited for accurate batch and dosing processes with high reproducibility.
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