Dissolution Characteristics of Hydrophobic Drug-Soluble Carrier Coprecipitates(III) -Dissolution Behaviour of Indomethacin from Several Fast Release Solid Dispersions of Indomethacin-

It is well established that dissolution is freruently the rate limiting step in the gastrointestinal absorpton of a drug from a solid dosage from. The relationship between the dissolution rate and absorption is particularly distinct when considering drugs of low solubility. Consequently, numerous attempts have been made to modify the dissolution characteristics of poorly water soluble drugs. Since dissolution rate is directly proportional to surface area, one may increase the rate by decreasing the particle size of the drug. Levy has considered a number of methods by which a drug may be presented to the GI fludids in finely divided from. The direct method is the utilization of microcrystalline or micronized particles. A second method involves the administration of solutions from which, upon dilution with gastric fluids, the dissolved drug will precipitate in the form of very fine particles. A more unique way of obtaining microcrystalline dispersions of a drug has been ercently suggested by Sekiguchi et al. They have first proposed the formation of a eutectic mixture of a poorly water soruble drug with a physiologically inert, easily soluble carrier. When such systems are exposed to water or GI fluids, the soluble carrier will dissolve rapidly and the finely dispersed drug particles will then be released. It has been suggested by Shefter and Higuchi that the formation of crystalline solvate could be a powerful tool in affecting rapid disslution of highly insoluble substances. Goldberg et al. have noted that the formation of solid solution could reduce the particle size to a minimum and increase the dissolution rate as well as the solubility of the durgs. It has also been shown that the rates of solution of drugs were appreciably increased by coprectipitating the drug with soluble polymers. The increase was found to be sensitive to the method of preparation, the molecular weight of polymer and the particular ratio of drugs to polymer. Although several investigations have demontrated that the solubility and/or dissolution rates of drugs can be increased in this manner, little information is available in the literature related to the in vivo absorption pattern of drugs orally administered as PVP coprecipitates. Recently, however, it was demonstrated that both the rate and extent of absorption of the insoluble drug could be markedly enhanced when orally administered to rats in the form of a coprecipitate with PVP. The purpose of the present investigation was to ascertain the general appility of soluble polymer coprectation technique as a method for enhancing the in vitro dissolution rate of hydrophobic indomethacin. To accomplish this aim, the dissolution characteristics of pure indomethacin, indomethcin-polymer physical mixtures and indomethacin-polymer coprecipitates were quantitatively studied by comparing their relative dissolution rates. The solubility and dissolution behavior of these systems were also examined.