Dosage form comprising means for changing drug delivery shape

Abstract

A dosage form is disclosed comprising means for delivering essentially a total dose of drug.

Description

[0001] This application claims the benefits of provisional application U.S. Serial No. 60 / 058,323 filed Sep. 9, 1997 under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119(e).[0002] This invention pertains to both a novel and to a useful dosage form. Particularly, the invention relates to a dosage form capable of changing its shape. More particularly, the invention concerns a dosage form comprising a drug and means that respond to a physical-chemical influence, whereby the dosage form changes from an initial to a total drug delivery shape.[0003] Dosage forms, and more particularly osmotic dosage forms were disclosed by Theeuwes and Higuchi in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,845,770 and 3,916,899. The dosage forms disclosed in these patents comprise a wall that surround a therapeutic drug. The wall is permeable to the passage of an external fluid, and it is substantially impermeable to the passage of drug. The dosage forms comprise a passageway through the wall for delivering the drug from the dosage form. These dosage forms r...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010] Another object of the invention is to make available a dosage form that delivers the required and needed dose of drug for accepted therapy free of delivering an overage of drug.

[0011] Another object of the invention is to provide a dosage form that keeps its physical integrity while delivering a therapeutic dose of drug while avoiding and / or reducing the risks associated with dose dumping of the drug.

[0012] Another object of the invention is to provide a dosage form comprising means for changing from a rested state to a flexible state and can deliver a dose of drug at a controlled-rate over a sustained release period of time.

[0014] Another object of the invention is to make available a dosage form which dosage form during a drug delivery period is free from fractures and thereby avoids delivering a full dose of drug plus any drug overages in a shorter than the desired delivery time.

[0016] Another object of the invention is to provide a dosage form comprising a membrane endowed with a high concentration of plasticizer that enables the membrane to undergo change from a fixed, rigid non-rounded shape to a flexible rounded shape and thereby enhance the delivery of drug from the dosage form.

Problems solved by technology

While this dosage form operates successfully for its intended use, and while it can deliver many drugs of varying solubilities, its use can be limited, because of the complex manufacturing steps and the high cost needed for fabricating and placing the piston in the dosage form.

In U.S. Pat. No. 4,327,725 patentees Cortese and Theeuwes provided an osmotic dosage form for delivering a therapeutic agent that because of its solubility in aqueous and biological fluids, is difficult to deliver in therapeutic doses at a controlled rate over time.

This dosage form operates successfully for its intended use, and it delivers many difficult to deliver therapeutic agents for their intended therapy.

Now, it has been observed unexpectedly, the above presented dosage forms may not deliver their intended dose of therapeutic agent, including a drug.

This observation that these dosage forms may not achieve their full delivery potential is attributed to limitations in the prior art dosage forms.

This over dose or excess dose, often became trapped in the dosage form, or it led to dose dumping of the drug.

The dose dumping is accompanied by over medication that may give rise to unwanted side effects.

Then too, an osmogel in the dosage form may be restricted from its maximum expansion for displacing a drug from the dosage form due to the rigidity or lack of flexibility of the membrane of the dosage form.

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