Swellable drug-polyelectrolyte matrices (SDPM). Characterization and delivery properties.

The objective of the study is to develop and characterize the delivery properties of swellable drug-polyelectrolyte matrices (SDPM). Solid complexes (C-D)X of carbomer (C) neutralized with different proportions of model basic drugs (D), in which D is atenolol, lidocaine, and metoclopramide, and X=25, 50, 75 and 100 mol of D per 100 equivalents of carboxylic groups of C, were prepared and characterized by DSC-TG, IR, and X-ray diffraction studies. Mechanistic studies with hydrophilic and hydrophobic basic drugs were conducted to explore the drug release patterns of SDPM. Besides, release and up-take studies were carried out in water and NaCl solution to examine the influence of ionic effects. The authors concluded that drugs can be loaded in a high proportion on to the polymer and therefore the resulting (C-D) material could be diluted with other polymers to modulate delivery properties of SDPM. Matrices of atenolol and lidocaine exhibited robust delivery properties with regard to change in proportion of loading D.