Controlled release of ziprasidone solid dispersion systems from osmotic pump tablets with enhanced bioavailability in the fasted state.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this work was to develop a controlled release of ziprasidone with no food effect by the osmotic release strategy.

METHODS: The solution of ziprasidone and poloxamer188 (P188) with different weight ratios was spray-dried to form solid dispersion of ziprasidone (SD-ZIP). The SD-ZIP was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray powder diffraction (X-RD) and solubility testing. The SD-ZIP osmotic pump tablets were prepared by wet granulation method. The effect of formulation variables on the release characteristic was investigated. The SD-ZIP osmotic pump tablets were administered to fasted and fed beagle dogs and their pharmacokinetics were compared to commercial formulation Zeldox® as a control.

RESULTS: The results of DSC and X-RD indicated that ziprasidone resides in P188 with no crystalline changes. Solubility studies demonstrated that the solubility of SD-ZIP was substantially improved compared to ziprasidone and physical mixtures of ziprasidone and P188. The optimized formulation and drug release profiles of SD-ZIP osmotic pump tablets in different medium were obtained which showed typical osmotically controlled release and could fitted to zero-order kinetics with good linear correlation. Pharmacokinetic studies in beagle dogs showed ziprasidone with prolong actions and no food effect was achieved simultaneously in SD-ZIP osmotic pump tablet compared with Zeldox®.

CONCLUSION: The SD-ZIP osmotic pump tablet could be able to enhance the bioavailability in the fasted state and showed sustained release with prolonged actions.