Comparative investigations on different polymers for the preparation of fast-dissolving oral films.
OBJECTIVE
The aim was to compare different film-forming materials used for the preparation of fast-dissolving oral films.


METHODS
Films were prepared with and without caffeine and caffeine citrate as model drugs. The disintegration/dissolution behaviour of films was investigated using the newly developed slide frame method and Petri dish method. Films were also characterised by dynamic vapour sorption.


RESULTS
All films dissolved within 40 s. Drug-loaded films disintegrated more slowly than the equivalent drug-free formulations. Disintegration/dissolution was fastest with films made from the carboxymethyl cellulose C 30 PA 09 (drug-free < 5 s, drug-loaded < 10 s). Dissolution times for drug-loaded oral films made from C 30 PA 09 and HM 6 PA 2910 (hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose) differed significantly (alpha= 0.05). Dynamic vapour sorption studies revealed higher water absorption ratios for carboxymethyl cellulose films, and these were sticky and difficult to handle.


CONCLUSIONS
This case study showed that hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose was the most suitable film-forming material for drug-free and caffeine-loaded films, providing fast dissolution films that were not sticky and were easy to handle.
Garsuch
Verena
V
Institute of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Germany.
Breitkreutz
Jörg
J
D000284:Administration, Oral; D002110:Caffeine / Q000737:chemistry; D002951:Citrates / Q000737:chemistry; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry*; D008747:Methylcellulose / Q000737:chemistry*; D009055:Mouth; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012995:Solubility; D013678:Technology, Pharmaceutical / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors
D002951:Citrates; D004337:Drug Carriers; D011108:Polymers; D002110:Caffeine; D008747:Methylcellulose; C026189:caffeine citrate