Flamel Technologies

Valérie Legrand

Catherine Castan

Gérard Soula

Rémi Meyrueix

Gerard Soula

Remi Meyrueix

The invention relates to a microparticulate system for the delayed and controlled release of active principles (AP) whose absorption window in vivo is essentially limited to the upper parts of the gastrointestinal tract, this system being intended for oral administration. The object of the invention is to provide a system ensuring that the AP is released with certainty by means of a dual mechanism of 'time-dependent' and 'pH-dependent' release. To achieve this object, the invention proposes a multimicrocapsular oral galenical form which is designed so as to guarantee therapeutic efficacy, and in which the release of the AP is governed by a dual release triggering mechanism that is &#x201c;time-triggering&#x201d; and &#x201c;pH-triggering&#x201d;. This system comprises of microcapsules (200 to 600 &#x3bc;m) comprising a core of AP coated with a film (maximum 40% by weight) comprising a hydrophilic polymer A (Eudragit&#xae; L) and a hydrophobic compound B (vegetable wax, melting point=40-90&#xb0; C.), B/A being between 0.2 and 1.5. These microcapsules have a dissolution behavior in vitro such that, at a constant pH of 1.4, a latency phase of between 1 and 5 hours is observed, followed by a release of the AP, and such that the change from pH 1.4 to pH 6.8 results in a release of the AP without a latency period in vitro.

Microparticulate oral galenical form for the delayed and controlled release of pharmaceutical active principles

The invention concerns a galenic system with prolonged/controlled release of the medicinal and/or nutritional active principle, for oral administration. The aim is to provide a system enabling to obtain with one single tolerable and acceptable dose of active principle, efficient therapeutic protection over 24 hours (increasing the bioabsorption time without affecting bioavailability). To achieve this, the invention provides a composition comprising two controlled release systems associated in series, namely: individualised coated particles (microcapsules) of active principle forming an internal phase, the coating comprising a film-forming polymer P(ethylcellulose), a nitrogenous polymer (polyvinylpyrrolidone), a softener (castor oil) and a lubricant (magnesium stearate), and an external phase of functional carriers: polyelectrolytic hydrophilic polymer: (alginate), neutral hydrophilic polymer (hydroxypropylmethylcellulose) and a gelling additive (calcium acetate), said composition spontaneously forming in the presence of water, a cohesive and stable composite macroscopic solid, wherein the external continuous phase is a gelled matrix including the active principle microcapsules. The invention is useful for delayed oral galenic formulation of metformin.

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Lyons, France

Valérie Legrand