How Does Controlled Release Work?

Often during the administration of pharmaceuticals, it’s necessary to sustain a concentration in the blood over a controlled period of time. In other cases, the medication may cause undesired side-effects if released into the body all at once.

How do drug manufacturers overcome these challenges? Through the use of controlled release tablets, which release their active drug ingredients at a predetermined rate once ingested. There are a variety of methods available to achieve this.

Adare Pharma Solutions is an industry leader in the safe administration of drugs over time, and we’d like to share a few ways that controlled release tablets are created.

Contact us today to learn more about how our drug development services can benefit you.

How Do We Produce Controlled Release Tablets?

Controlled Buoyancy

One common method for achieving a controlled release profile is via the use of controlled buoyancy, or a floating system. By keeping the density of the delivery method below 1 g/ml, medication can be administered over time without concern that it will be excreted early.

Dissolution & Diffusion

Two obvious systems for release over time are dissolution and diffusion. In both cases, a reservoir can be utilized to store the drug, which is then released either through gates in a non-soluble polymer (diffusion) or via a material coating that dissolves.

Matrices

A matrix technique can also be used to aid in the dissolution and diffusion methods. With diffusion, a polymer matrix stores the pharmaceutical, which is then released over time. With dissolution, the matrix itself will dissolve, releasing the pharmaceutical. Additional matrices can be formed from minerals, biodegradable materials, or even lipids such as wax.

Osmosis

Osmotic controlled release works to pump medication out of the capsule, absorbing fluid from its surroundings as it passes through the body. This increased internal pressure then pushes the contents out through one or more precision holes in the membrane. This method has the advantage of not being affected by external factors in the GI tract of the recipient.

Ion Exchange

In a similar vein to osmosis, the ion exchange method disperses the drug in a water-insoluble polymer that pushes it out when ions are exchanged with the polymer’s surroundings.

Trust Adare Pharma Solutions with Your Drug Manufacturing

No matter which method of controlled release your drug project needs, Adare Pharma Solutions’ drug development and manufacturing experts have the experience and expertise to make your product a success.

Overcoming unique challenges is our specialty. We realize every patient has different needs and that the intricate makeup of pharmaceuticals must be just right to meet those needs. Our customized delivery technologies—including Diffucaps®, Diffutab®, and Minitabs TM—optimize your drug’s efficacy, safety, and dosing frequency.

Our products have been sold in more than 100 countries around the world. Let us now bring our drug expertise to your project.

Let us know about your drug project today through our online form, and we will get back to you soon. We look forward to working with you!