Self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems (SMEDDS) are lipid-based formulations, designed to improve the solubility of poorly-water soluble drugs. Mesoporous silica is frequently used for SMEDDS solidification by various techniques. One of them is wet granulation, which enables achieving both high SMEDDS load and good flow properties. This study investigated the effect of six polymeric binders' addition to granulation dispersion (GD) (povidone K30, povidone K90, copovidone, Pharmacoat® 603, Pharmacoat® 615 and Methocel™ K100 Premium LV) on characteristics of produced SMEDDS granules, prepared by wet granulation. By incorporation of polymer in GD, it was possible to produce mesoporous silica-based free-flowing granules, with preserved self-microemulsifying properties, responsible for improved in vitro release of carvedilol. The incorporation of higher molecular weight binders resulted in slower in vitro release, while high binder concentration was related to faster drug release. The highest release rate was achieved with povidone K30 at 7.45 % binder concentration, as corresponding granules exhibited complete drug release already in 5 min. Granulation method (manual vs. high-shear) influenced the release rate of carvedilol as it was released slower from SMEDDS granules prepared using the granulator. Finally, SMEDDS tablet formulation was optimized to achieve maximum granule content and adequate tablet hardness. Increased granule content found to negatively influence tablet hardness, as maximum granule content of 25 % was needed to obtain appropriate hardness. Such tablets exhibited short disintegration time, so this final prototype can be considered as orodispersible tablet.
Keywords: High-shear granulation; Mesoporous carrier; Polymeric binder; SMEDDS; SMEDDS tablets.
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