Gastro Retentive Drug Delivery System: A Review

Buoyancy-Driven Drug Delivery Systems (BDDDS), commonly known as floating systems, represent a crucial strategy for optimizing the therapeutic performance of orally administered drugs that exhibit a narrow absorption window. This comprehensive review focuses specifically on the systematic methodology required to design and optimize these complex floating formulations to ensure reliable gastric retention. The review establishes the clinical necessity for prolonged gastric residence time (GRT) in managing chronic conditions, exemplified by the absorption challenges of Dihydropyridine Calcium Channel Blockers. The core of the article details the application of a quality-focused development paradigm for system optimization. This involves the rigorous identification, control, and functional correlation of Critical Material Attributes (CMAs) (e.g., polymer viscosity, concentration) and Critical Process Parameters (CPPs) (e.g., compression force) with the desired Critical Quality Attributes (CQAs). Key CQAs discussed include rapid Floating Lag Time (FLT), extended Total Floating Duration (TFT), optimal swelling kinetics, and stable sustained drug release[5]. By detailing this scientific approach, this review demonstrates how to reliably manufacture BDDDS to deliver predictable and superior performance.