Abstract

FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF MUCOADHESIVE POLYMER-BASED MICROSPHERES OF FAMOTIDINE FOR ENHANCED GASTRIC RETENTION

Mohith Gowda C. V.*, Krishna K. R., Parthiban S.

ABSTRACT

The present study focused on the development and evaluation of mucoadhesive microspheres of famotidine designed for prolonged gastric retention and controlled drug release using the ionic gelation technique. The main objective was to extend the gastric residence time of the drug, thereby maintaining sustained plasma concentrations, enhancing bioavailability, and improving therapeutic efficacy. The formulated microspheres were characterized for various physicochemical properties, including FT-IR, DSC, SEM analysis, drug content, entrapment efficiency, mucoadhesive wash-off test, in vitro drug release, and stability studies. The findings revealed no significant interaction between the drug and polymers. Drug content was observed in the range of 85%-94%, while entrapment efficiency varied between 87%-95%. In vitro release studies demonstrated a sustained drug release profile of 76%-90% over a period of 12 hours. The developed mucoadhesive microspheres exhibited effective gastroretentive properties along with sustained and prolonged drug release. Hence, the formulated system can be considered a promising gastroretentive drug delivery approach for famotidine, with the potential to enhance therapeutic efficacy and improve patient compliance in the treatment of gastric ulcer conditions.

Keywords: Microspheres, Mucoadhesion, Ionic gelation, Sustained-release, Gastro-retentive drug delivery system, Gastric ulcer.