Fast Dissolving Tablets of Famotidine
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INTRODUCTION
In recent years, there has been rapid growth in the number of Fast Dissolving /
Disintegrating Tablet (FDT) product on the market. Fast Dissolving Tablets are solid tablets and designed to dissolve/disintegrate in the patient’s mouth within a few second or minutes, without the need to drink or chew. However, the fear of taking solid tablets and the risk of choking for certain patient populations still exist despite their short disintegration/dissolution times. However, some patients, particularly pediatric and geriatric patients have difficulty swallowing or chewing solid dosage forms many pediatric and geriatric patients are unwilling to take these solid preparations due to fear of choking. 1
Fast Dissolving Tablets (FDT) disintegrates and/or dissolves rapidly in the mouth without the need for water. Some tablets are designed to dissolve in saliva remarkably fast within a few seconds. Others contain agents to enhance the rate of tablet disintegration in the oral cavity and are more appropriately termed Fast
Dissolving Tablets (FDT) as they may take up to a minute to complete disintegration.
A major claim of the some Fast Dissolving Tablets (FDT) increased bioavailability compared to traditional tablets. Because of dispersion in saliva while still in the oral cavity, there can be pre-gastric absorption from some formulation in those cases where the drug dissolves quickly. Buccal, pharyngeal and gastric regions are all areas of absorption of the many formulations. However, other formulations show nearly identical plasma concentration profiles. Any pre-gastric absorption avoids first pass metabolism and can be a great advantage in drugs that undergo a great deal of hepatic metabolism. However, if the amount of swallowed drug varies, there is the potential for inconsistent bioavailability. While the claimed increase in
2
bioavailability is disputable, it is clear that the major advantage of these formulations is convenience. 2
INTRODUCTION
In recent years, there has been rapid growth in the number of Fast Dissolving /
Disintegrating Tablet (FDT) product on the market. Fast Dissolving Tablets are solid tablets and designed to dissolve/disintegrate in the patient’s mouth within a few second or minutes, without the need to drink or chew. However, the fear of taking solid tablets and the risk of choking for certain patient populations still exist despite their short disintegration/dissolution times. However, some patients, particularly pediatric and geriatric patients have difficulty swallowing or chewing solid dosage forms many pediatric and geriatric patients are unwilling to take these solid preparations due to fear of choking. 1
Fast Dissolving Tablets (FDT) disintegrates and/or dissolves rapidly in the mouth without the need for water. Some tablets are designed to dissolve in saliva remarkably fast within a few seconds. Others contain agents to enhance the rate of tablet disintegration in the oral cavity and are more appropriately termed Fast
Dissolving Tablets (FDT) as they may take up to a minute to complete disintegration.
A major claim of the some Fast Dissolving Tablets (FDT) increased bioavailability compared to traditional tablets. Because of dispersion in saliva while still in the oral cavity, there can be pre-gastric absorption from some formulation in those cases where the drug dissolves quickly. Buccal, pharyngeal and gastric regions are all areas of absorption of the many formulations. However, other formulations show nearly identical plasma concentration profiles. Any pre-gastric absorption avoids first pass metabolism and can be a great advantage in drugs that undergo a great deal of hepatic metabolism. However, if the amount of swallowed drug varies, there is the potential for inconsistent bioavailability. While the claimed increase in
2
bioavailability is disputable, it is clear that the major advantage of these formulations is convenience. 2