H. D. Karen

Gastroretentive dosage forms have potential for use as controlled-release drug delivery systems. The use of floating dosage forms is one method to achieve prolonged gastric residence times, providing opportunity for both local and systemic drug action. The present work was aimed to formulate floating tablets of Itopride hydrochloride using an effervescent approach for gastroretentive drug delivery system. The present investigation concerns the development of floating tablets of Itopride hydrochloride, a novel prokinetic drug, which after oral administration are designed to prolong the gastric residence time and thereby increase drug bioavailability, and drug release rate. This would help in promoting gastrointestinal transit and speed up gastric motility, and thereby it will relieve the symptoms associated with it. Floating tablets were fabricated; using direct compression method; containing Itopride hydrochloride, polymers HPMC K100M, HPMC K15M and HPMC K4M, along with gas generating agent sodium bicarbonate. The floating tablet formulations were evaluated for physical characterization, assay, swelling index, in‐vitro drug release, hardness, friability and weight variation.