Application of Poly(oxyethylene) Homopolymers in Sustained Release Solid Formulations

Abstract

Water soluble poly(oxyethylene) homopolymers, with molecular mass ranging from four hundred thousand to four million, were used as carriers to generate, by direct compression techniques, sustained release matrix tablets of both water-soluble and insoluble bioactive agents. Dissolution studies showed that the release kinetics of the tablets depends upon the solubility and molecular mass of polymer, solubility of drug, and the ratio of the drug to polymer in the tablets. Following drug release, the tablet components dissolved leaving behind no residue, or “ghost”, as is commonly observed with wax-based systems.