Research Journal of Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms and Technology

The major objective of this study was to develop the Quetiapine Fumarate controlled release tablets using gas generating buoyancy technique to prolong the gastric residence time and enhance oral bioavailability. Buoyant tablets were prepared employing hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) as the hydrophilic gel material and sodium bicarbonate as the gas-generating agent. Buoyant tablets were evaluated for uniformity of weight, hardness, drug content, buoyancy characteristics, in vitro release, and in vivo radiographic studies. They are also evaluated to find out if any drug excipient interactions occurred using FTIR. Optimized tablets were prepared with HPMC K15 + HPMC K100LV 20% and sodium bicarbonate 8%. Prepared tablets showed buoyancy within 4 sec, which was maintained for more than 12h. The physical parameters were all found to be within the limits. Drug release at 12h was more than 80%. FTIR studies have shown that there was no interaction between the drug and the excipients used.