Abstract:
Egalet technology is one of the oral platform technologies. In the present investigation this approach coupled with floating and chronotherapy was utilized. The entire system was developed for the treatment of early morning massive hypertensive heart attacks. The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate floating Egalet drug delivery system. Floating of the dosage form was achieved by incorporating two erodible plugs and drug containing plug in the capsule and keeping the air spaces between each plug. The erodible Plugs were composed of HPMC E5 LV polymer and prepared by using direct compression method. Drug containing plugs were prepared by using wet granulation method. Assembling of the dosage form was done by placing two identical outer section plugs enclosing an internal plug of active drug in middle of the capsule. The whole system except the both ends after filling the tablets in capsule was coated with cellulose acetate phthalate to achieve drug release only from both the ends. Atenolol was chosen as s a candidate drug for this drug delivery system. In vitro dissolution study revealed that the drug release took place only after lag time of 6 h. The drug release was found to be dependent on the binder composition and concentration in the formulation. Thus the developed system offers a novel technique for chronotherapeutic release of atenolol in upper part of GIT to treat hypertension in a very effective way i.e. making drug availability at required time.

Keywords: Floating Eaglet, Chronotherapy, Atenolol, In Vitro Drug Release.