Hard gelatin capsules, incorporation

A highly water-soluble drug was incorporated at 35% into hard gelatin capsules. The active drug substance characteristics were described as small needle-shaped particles, low bulk density, 0.1 g/cm, extremely poor flow, sticky, and highly compressible. 

The incorporation of drugs into inert matrices is a popular approach to prolong the drug release. Sustained-release wax matrix drug delivery systems include wax granules or beads prepared by granulation or extrusion/spheronization, tablets, and wax-filled hard gelatin capsules. 

Iron oxides have been reported to make hard gelatin capsules brittle at higher temperatures when the residual moisture is 11-12%. This factor affects the use of iron oxides for coloring hard gelatin capsules, and will limit the amount that can be incorporated into the gelatin material. 

The dry adsorbed emulsions are easy to prepare industrially (without any u.se of solvents) and their different particle sizes convenient to handle. Particles of dry adsorbed emulsions are incorporated in hard gelatin capsules or tablets to obtain a sustained drug delivery system for oral route that is well accepted by patients. The sustained relea.se effect depends mainly on the particle size of (he form, on the composition of the primary emulsion oil phase, and on the process of manufacturing, The adsorbent and drug nature and physicochemical properties are al.so important in the drug release profile. 

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