Enhancement of levodopa stability when complexed with ß-cyclodextrin in transdermal patches.

Levodopa is a promising candidate for administration via the transdermal route because it exhibits a short plasma half-life and has a small window of absorption in the upper section of the small intestine. The aim of this study was to prepare stable levodopa transdermal patches. Both xanthan gum and Carbopol 971 polymers were selected with ethylcellulose constituting the backing layer of the prepared patches. The effect of adding ß-cyclodextrin on the prepared patches was investigated. The uniformity in thickness, weight and content of the studied patches was acceptable. Physicochemical characterization revealed that there was no interaction between levodopa and the applied polymer. The results proved that levodopa precipitated as an amorphous form in carbopol patches. Controlled drug release was achieved for all the tested patches over a 6 h period. However, increased permeation was achieved for the carbopol patches. Although cyclodextrin did not enhance levodopa permeation, the stability study confirmed that levodopa stability was enhanced when complexed with ß-cyclodextrin. The cumulative amount of drug released from carbopol patches is slightly higher than that of xanthan patches. The optimal stability was achieved in the carbopol/levodopa:ß-cyclodextrin patch. The levodopa-ß-cyclodextrin complex was successfully characterized using X-ray diffraction, NMR analysis and molecular dynamics simulations. In conclusion, carbopol/levodopa:ß-cyclodextrin patches can be considered as a promising stable and effective transdermal drug-delivery system.

Using Supercritical Fluid Technology (SFT) in Preparation of Tacrolimus Solid Dispersions.

Tacrolimus is an immunosuppressant agent that suffers from poor and variable bioavailability. This can be related to limited solubility and dissolution. The main objective of this study is to use SFT to prepare solid dispersions of tacrolimus in order to enhance its dissolution. SFT was selected since it offers several advantages over conventional techniques such as efficiency and stability. Several solid dispersions of tacrolimus were prepared using SFT to enhance its dissolution. The selected polymers included soluplus, PVP, HPMC, and porous chitosan. TPGS was used as a surfactant additive with chitosan, HPMC, and PVP. Soluplus dispersions were used to study the effect of processing parameters (time, temperature, and pressure) on loading efficiency (LE) and dissolution of the preparation. Physicochemical characterization was performed using DSC, X-ray diffraction, FTIR analysis, SEM, and in vitro drug release. Stability testing was evaluated after 3 months for selected dispersions. Significant improvement for the release profile was achieved for the prepared dispersions. Better release achieved in the soluplus dispersions which reached maximum cumulative release equal to 98.76% after 24 h. Drug precipitated in its amorphous form in all prepared dispersions except those prepared from chitosan. All dispersions were physically stable except for PVP preparations that contained TPGS which started to re-crystallize after one month. Prepared dispersions were proved to be affected by supercritical processing parameters. In conclusion, SFT was successfully used to prepare dispersions of tacrolimus that exhibited higher dissolution than raw drug. Dissolution rate and stability are affected by the type of the polymer.

Sustained release of diltiazem HCl tableted after co-spray drying and physical mixing with PVAc and PVP.

In this work, aqueous diltiazem HCl and polyvinyl-pyrrolidone (PVP) solutions were mixed with Kollicoat SR 30D and spray dried to microparticles of different drug:excipient ratio and PVP content. Co-spray dried products and physical mixtures of drug, Kollidon SR and PVP were tableted. Spray drying process, co-spray dried products and compressibility/compactability of co-spray dried and physical mixtures, as well as drug release and water uptake of matrix-tablets was evaluated. Simple power equation fitted drug release and water uptake (R(2) > 0.909 and 0.938, respectively) and correlations between them were examined. Co-spray dried products with PVP content lower than in physical mixtures result in slower release, while at equal PVP content (19 and 29% w/w of excipient) in similar release (f2 > 50). Increase of PVP content increases release rate and co-spray drying might be an alternative, when physical mixing is inadequate. Co-spray dried products show better compressibility/compatibility but higher stickiness to the die-wall compared to physical mixtures. SEM observations and comparison of release and swelling showed that distribution of tableted component affects only the swelling, while PVP content for both co-spray dried and physical mixes is major reason for release alterations and an aid for drug release control.

Drying Using Supercritical Fluid Technology as a Potential Method for Preparation of Chitosan Aerogel Microparticles.

Supercritical fluid technology offers several advantages in preparation of microparticles. These include uniformity in particle size, morphology, and drug distribution without degradation of the product. One of the recent advantages is preparation of porous aerogel carrier with proper aerodynamic properties. In this study, we aimed to prepare chitosan aerogel microparticles using supercritical fluid (SCF) technology and compare that with microparticles produced by freeze drying (FD). Loading the prepared carriers with a model drug (salbutamol) was also performed. Comparisons of the particle properties and physicochemical characterizations were undertaken by evaluating particle size, density, specific surface area, and porosity. In vitro drug release studies were also investigated. The effect of many variables, such as molecular weight of chitosan oligomers, concentrations of chitosan, and concentrations of tripolyphosphate on the release, were also investigated. Chitosan aerogels were efficiently produced by SCF technology with an average particle size of 10 µm with a tapped density values around 0.12 g/mL, specific surface area (73-103) m(2)/g, and porosity (0.20-0.29) cc/g. Whereas, microparticles produced by FD method were characterized as cryogels with larger particle size (64 microns) with clear cracking at the surface. Sustained release profile was achieved for all prepared microparticles of salbutamol produced by the aforementioned methods as compared with pure drug. The results also demonstrates that chitosan molecular weight, polymer concentration, and tripolyphosphate concentration affected the release profile of salbutamol from the prepared microparticles. In conclusion, SCF technology was able to produce chitosan aerogel microparticles loaded with salbutamol that could be suitable for pulmonary drug delivery system.

Preparation and characterization of microemulsion formulations of nicotinic acid and its prodrugs for transdermal delivery.

At pharmacological doses, nicotinic acid has a lipid-regulating effect and is in use clinically for that purpose. However, despite of all features, its utility is strongly limited by several disadvantages such as, extensive hepatic metabolism and flushing. Transdermal delivery of nicotinic acid may, therefore, be the solution to reducing side effects associated with oral administration, and to maintaining constant therapeutic blood levels for longer duration. The aim of this investigation was to develop a suitable formulation or select a suitable vehicle for the transdermal delivery of highly lipophilic prodrugs of nicotinic acid (dodecyl and myristyl nicotinate) designed to deliver nicotinic acid through skin without causing vasodilatation and flushing and optimizing its delivery to the blood stream. A microemulsion system and penetration enhancers have been attempted in this study. The microemulsion system was composed of isopropyl myristate (IPM), water and a 4:1 (w/w) mixture of Labrasol and Peceol where a pseudoternary phase diagram was constructed. Furthermore, the microemulsion formulations with different component ratios were characterized by determination of conductivity, pH, particle size, viscosity and refractive index. According to the particle size analysis, conductivity and viscosity measurements, the microemulsion formulations that formed were of oil-in-water type. The transdermal permeability of nicotinic acid and its prodrugs was evaluated in vitro using Franz diffusion cells fitted with mice skin and nicotinic acid concentration was analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography. A theoretical design of percutaneous penetration optimization in which prodrugs derivation and enhancer application are combined based on the skin diffusion model was experimentally verified. The selected formulations seemed promising for developing a transdermal drug delivery system of nicotinic acid from dodecyl nicotinate that would offer advantages like possible controlled drug release, reduced flushing, increased drug stability and ease of large-scale production.

The hydrolysis kinetics of monobasic and dibasic aminoalkyl esters of ketorolac.

Six aminoethyl and aminobutyl esters of ketorolac containing 1-methylpiperazine (MPE and MPB), N-acetylpiperazine (APE and APB) or morpholine (ME and MB), were synthesized and their hydrolysis kinetics were studied. The hydrolysis was studied at pH 1 to 9 (for MPE, APE and ME) and pH 1 to 8 (for MPB, APB and MB) in aqueous phosphate buffer (0.16 M) with ionic strength (0.5 M) at 37°C. Calculation of k(obs), construction of the pH-rate profiles and determination of the rate equations were performed using KaleidaGraph® 4.1. The hydrolysis displays pseudo-first order kinetics and the pH-rate profiles shows that the aminobutyl esters, MPE, APB and MB, are the most stable. The hydrolysis of the ethyl esters MPE, APE and ME, depending on the pH, is either fast and catalyzed by the hydroxide anion or slow and uncatalyzed for the diprotonated, monoprotonated and nonprotonated forms. The hydrolysis of the butyl esters showed a similar profile, albeit it was also catalyzed by hydronium cation. In addition, the hydroxide anion is 105 more effective in catalyzing the hydrolysis than the hydronium cation. The hydrolysis pattern of the aminoethyl esters is affected by the number and pKa of its basic nitrogen atoms. The monobasic APE and ME, show a similar hydrolysis pattern that is different than the dibasic MPE. The length of the side chain and the pKa of the basic nitrogen atoms in the aminoethyl moiety affect the mechanism of hydrolysis as the extent of protonation at a given pH is directly related to the pKa.

Chemical and in vitro enzymatic stability of newly synthesized celecoxib lipophilic and hydrophilic amides.

Five celecoxib (CXB) acylamide sodium salts, MP-CXB, Cy-CXB, Bz-CXB, CBz-CXB and FBz-CXB were synthesized and characterized. Two simple, fast and validated RP-HPLC methods were developed for simultaneous quantitative determination of the amides and celecoxib in aqueous and biological samples and LOD and LOQ were ≤13.6 and ≤40ng/mL, respectively. The solubility and logP(app) of the amides, in relevant media, were determined. The chemical hydrolysis, at 60, 70 and 80°C, of MP-CXB was studied at GIT-relevant pH (1.2, 6.8 and 7.4) and of CY-CXB was studied at skin relative pH (5.4 and 7.4). Significant hydrolysis was observed for MP-CXB at pH 1.2 only with half-lives 28.28, 11.64 and 3.53h at 60, 70 and 80°C, respectively, with extrapolated half-lives of 2060 and 443h at 25 and 37°C, respectively. The hydrolysis of all amides was studied in rat live homogenate and only Cy-CXB was hydrolyzed with half-life of 3.79h. The hydrolysis of MP-CXB and Cy-CXB was studied in human plasma and neither was hydrolyzed. It is finally suggested that hydrophobic interactions plays a role in the binding of susceptible acylamides to the hepatic hydrolyzing enzyme since only amides with saturated hydrocarbon chains underwent hydrolysis.

Synthesis, characterization and in vitro hydrolysis of a gemfibrozil-nicotinic acid codrug for improvement of lipid profile.

Combination therapy of fibrates and nicotinic acid has been reported to be synergistic. Herein, we describe a covalent codrug of gemfibrozil (GEM) and nicotinic acid (NA) that was synthesized and characterized by (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, FT-IR, MS analysis and elemental analysis. A validated HPLC method was developed that allows for the accurate quantitative determination of the codrug and its hydrolytic products that are formed during the in vitro chemical and enzymatic hydrolysis. The physico-chemical properties of codrug were improved compared to its parent drugs in term of water solubility and partition coefficient. The kinetics of hydrolysis of the codrug was studied using accelerated hydrolysis experiments at high temperatures in aqueous phosphate buffer solution in pH 1.2, 6.8 and 7.4. Using the Arrhenius equation, the extrapolated half-life at 37°C were 289 days at pH 1.2 for the codrug and 130 and 20,315 days at pH 6.8 for the codrug and gemfibrozil 2-hydroxyethyl ester (GHEE), respectively. The shortest half-lives were at pH 7.4; 42 days for the codrug and 5837 days for GHEE, respectively. The hydrolysis of the latter was studied, alone, at 80°C and pH 1.2 and compared to its hydrolysis when it is produced from the codrug using similar conditions. The k(obs) was found in both cases to be 1.60×10(-3)h(-1). The half-lives in plasma were 35.24 min and 26.75 h for the codrug and GHEE, respectively. With regard to liver homogenate, the hydrolysis half-lives were 1.96 min and 48.13 min for the codrug and GHEE, respectively. It can be expected that in vivo, the codrug will liberate NA immediately in plasma then GEM will be liberated from its 2-hydroxyethyl ester in the liver.

A promising codrug of nicotinic acid and ibuprofen for managing dyslipidemia. I: synthesis and in vitro evaluation.

Nicotinic acid is therapeutically the optimum antihyperlipidemic agent, yet its intolerable cutaneous flushing hinders its wide clinical implication. The codrug of nicotinic acid and ibuprofen (IBP) was synthesized in the aim of overcoming the troublesome side effect of nicotinic acid by blockade of prostaglandin synthesis through released IBP, thus enhance patient's compliance. The physico-chemical properties of codrug namely solubility, partition coefficient, and pKa were determined. Its solubility in aqueous and organic solvents was highest in 0.1 M HCl and isopropanol, respectively. The kinetics of hydrolysis of the codrug and IBP 2-hydroxyethyl ester was studied in aqueous phosphate buffer solution in pH 1.2, 6.8, and 7.4 at 70°C, 80°C, and 90°C. The hydrolysis was found to be pH dependent and followed Arrhenius equation. The half-life of codrug and IBP 2-hydroxyethyl ester at 25°C in pH 7.4 was 218 days and 3 years, respectively. In vitro enzymatic hydrolysis of codrug and IBP 2-hydroxyethyl ester was studied in human plasma and rat liver homogenate. Codrug and IBP 2-hydroxyethyl ester exhibited faster in vitro enzymatic hydrolysis than in vitro chemical hydrolysis. The pseudo-first-order rate constants were 0.0113, 0.177 min(-1) for codrug and 0.0006, 0.0569 min(-1) for IBP 2-hydroxyethyl ester in human plasma and rat liver homogenate, respectively. Thus, nicotinic acid will be rapidly released from codrug to manage dyslipidemia, followed by the later release of IBP from IBP 2-hydroxyethyl ester to alleviate nicotinic acid cutaneous flushing.

Validation of a simple and rapid HPLC method for determination of metronidazole in dermatological formulations.

A rapid and simple method using an isocratic high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and UV detection for the determination of metronidazole in dermatological formulations is presented. Metronidazole samples were extracted with a solution composed of 60% methanol and 40% mobile phase by a procedure that can be completed in less than 10 min. Subsequent separation and quantification was accomplished in less than 20 min using reversed-phase HPLC with isocratic elution with 0.01% trifluoroacetic acid/acetonitrile (85:15%, vol/vol). Validation experiments confirmed the precision and accuracy of the method. When applied to a commercial metronidazole cream and gel formulation, recoveries of 100.4% for cream formulations and 102.3% for gel formulations were obtained. The method should facilitate studies of the formulation compatibility of metronidazole topical formulations with agents that may improve its clinical tolerability for treatment of rosacea.

Synthesis of piperazinylalkyl ester prodrugs of ketorolac and their in vitro evaluation for transdermal delivery.

Ketorolac, an NSAID, has low intrinsic permeation capacity through the skin. In this work, seven piperazinylalkyl ester prodrugs of ketorolac were synthesized to enhance its skin permeation. The chemical hydrolysis and the stability in human serum at 37 degrees C were investigated in buffer solutions (pH 5.0 and 7.4) and in 80% human serum (pH 7.4), respectively. The prodrugs were chemically more stable at pH 5.0 than at pH 7.4 with prodrug 8 being the most stable (t(1/2) = 119.75 h and 11.97 h at pH 5 and 7.4, respectively). The prodrugs' t(1/2) in human serum ranged from 0.79 to 3.92 min. The prodrugs' aqueous solubility was measured in buffer solution at pH 5.0 and 7.4 and Log P(app) was measured by partitioning between buffer solution (pH 5.0 and 7.4) and n-octanol. The prodrugs were more lipophilic than ketorolac at pH 7.4. Skin permeation of ketorolac and prodrug 8, the most stable chemically, through rat skin was studied at pH 5.0 and 7.4. Prodrug 8 enhanced permeation by 1.56- and 11.39-fold at pH 5 and 7.4, respectively. This is attributed to higher lipophilicity at pH 7.4 and higher aqueous solubility at pH 5 compared to ketorolac.

UVA is the major contributor to the photodegradation of tretinoin and isotretinoin: Implications for development of improved pharmaceutical formulations.

The chemical stability of tretinoin (RA) and isotretinoin (13RA) in ethanol and dermatological cream preparations exposed to solar simulated light (SSL), UVA, and visible light has been studied. Photostability was monitored by an HPLC method that allowed simultaneous analysis of RA and 13RA, thus allowing photodegradation due to isomerization to other retinoids and photolysis to non-retinoid products to be monitored. Both retinoids undergo both isomerization and photolysis following SSL, UVA and visible light exposure but RA is more sensitive to photodegradation than 13RA. Degradation of both retinoids by photolysis is considerably greater in cream formulations than in ethanol and the photodegradation follows second order kinetics. Rate constants and half-lives for degradation of RA and 13RA in ethanol solution and cream preparations subjected to different light sources are reported. The UVA component of SSL is the major contributor to photodegradation. Since UVA penetrates deeply into skin, our results suggest that photodegradation of RA may contribute to the photosensitivity associated with RA therapy. Our studies suggest that development of improved formulations and the use of effective UVA sunscreens may reduce the side effects of RA therapy.

Formulation compatibility of myristyl nicotinate with drugs used to treat dermatological conditions involving an impaired skin barrier.

A number of dermatology conditions including skin photodamage, atopic dermatitis, and rosacea involve skin barrier impairment and first line therapies for these conditions including retinoids and steroids further impair skin barrier function. We have evaluated the compatibility of myristyl nicotinate, an agent that enhances skin barrier function, with drugs used to treat conditions where skin barrier impairment is present including photodamage (retinoic acid), atopic dermatitis (hydrocortisone, triamcinolone acetonide), rosacea (metronidazole), and seborrheic dermatitis (ketoconazole). Myristyl nicotinate was found to be compatible with each of the drugs examined when formulated together and also was shown to be photocompatible with retinoic acid. Our results suggest that the combination of myristyl nicotinate with these drugs is a feasible therapeutic development strategy.

A rapid HPLC method for simultaneous determination of tretinoin and isotretinoin in dermatological formulations.

A rapid method using an isocratic high-pressure liquid chromatography and UV detection for determination of both all-trans retinoic acid (tretinoin) and 13-cis retinoic acid (isotretinoin) in dermatological preparations is presented. Tretinoin and isotretinoin samples were extracted with acetonitrile by a procedure that can be completed in less than 10 min. Subsequent separation and quantification of amounts as low as 10 pmol was accomplished in less than 15 min using reversed-phase HPLC with isocratic elution with 0.01% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA)/acetonitrile (15:85, v/v). Validation experiments confirmed the precision and accuracy of the method. When applied to commercial tretinoin samples, recoveries of 104.9% for cream formulations and 107.7% for gel formulations were obtained. Application of the method for analysis of a tretinoin cream exposed to solar simulated light (SSL) demonstrated detection of the major photoisomerization product isotretinoin as well as 9-cis retinoic acid, demonstrating the utility of the method for studies of tretinoin photostability. The method should also facilitate studies of the formulation compatibility and photocompatibility of tretinoin with agents that may improve its clinical tolerability.

Analysis and stability study of myristyl nicotinate in dermatological preparations by high-performance liquid chromatography.

Myristyl nicotinate is an ester prodrug under development for delivery of nicotinic acid to skin for treatment and prevention of conditions that involve skin barrier impairment such as chronic photodamage and atopic dermatitis or for mitigating skin barrier impairment that results from therapy such as retinoids or steroids. The formulation stability of myristyl nicotinate is crucial because even small amounts of free nicotinic acid cause skin flushing, an effect that is not harmful but would severely limit tolerability. We report here reversed-phase HPLC methods for the rapid analysis of myristyl nicotinate and nicotinic acid in dermatological preparations. Because of the large differences in polarity, myristyl nicotinate and nicotinic acid were analyzed by different chromatographic conditions, but they can be rapidly extracted from cream formulations using HPLC mobile phase as a solvent followed by HPLC analysis in less than 10 min. The methods were validated in terms of linearity, precision and accuracy and mean recovery of myristyl nicotinate from topical creams ranged from 97.0-101.2%. Nicotinic acid at levels of 0.01% in the formulations could be quantified. Stability studies show that myristyl nicotinate formulations are stable at room temperature for 3 years with less than 0.05% conversion to nicotinic acid. These methods will be effective for routine analysis of myristyl nicotinate stability in dermatological formulations.

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of glibenclamide in solid dispersion systems.

The purpose of this work is to improve the dissolution and bioavailability characteristics of glibenclamide as compared to Daonil tablets (Hoechst). Solid dispersions of glibenclamide in Gelucire 44/14 (Formula 1) and in polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG 6000) (Formula 2) were prepared by fusion method. In vitro dissolution studies showed that the dispersing systems containing glibenclamide and Gelucire 44/ 14 or PEG 6000 gave faster dissolution rates than the reference product Daonil. The in vivo bioavailability study was assessed in six healthy male volunteers in crossover design with a 1-week washout period. Both formulas were found to be significantly different from Daonil with regard to the extent of absorption as indicated by the area under serum concentration-time curve. Both formulas are not significantly different from Daonil with respect to time of peak plasma concentration Tmax. It is concluded from this pilot study that the ranking of the in vitro dissolution is similar to the ranking of in vivo availability. The ranking of the three preparations in term of dissolution rate and extent of absorption is as follows: Formula 2>Formula 1 >Daonil.

Determination of ketotifen in human plasma by LC-MS.

Analytical validation of a new liquid chromatographic-mass spectrometric (LC-MS) method for determination of total amount of ketotifen (unchanged and conjugated) in human plasma is presented. Pizotifen was used as an internal standard. An enzyme hydrolysis of conjugated ketotifen was conducted with a combination of beta-glucuronidase and aryl sulfatase. After enzyme hydrolysis a liquid-liquid extraction was performed as a cleaning step. The quantitative determination was obtained using selected ion monitoring (SIM) LC-MS. Chromatographic condition was a combination of reverse phase gradient system and a switching column technique. A satisfactory hydrolysis, acceptable accuracy, improved precision in the linear range from 0.5 to 20.0 ng/ml plasma, absolute recovery of 98.04% for ketotifen and 95.13% for pizotifen and stability for 7 months at -20 degrees C have been achieved.

Effect of microenvironment pH of swellable and erodable buffered matrices on the release characteristics of diclofenac sodium.

The aim of this work is to design pH-dependent swellable and erodable-buffered matrices and to study the effect of the microenvironment pH on the release pattern of diclofenac sodium. Buffered matrix tablets containing diclofenac sodium, physically mixed with hydrophilic polymer (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose [HPMC]) and pH-dependent solubility polymer (Eudragit L100-55) were prepared with different microenvironment pHs. The release of diclofenac sodium from the buffer matrices was studied in phosphate buffer solutions of pH 5.9 and 7.4. The swelling and erosion matrices containing only HPMC and Eudragit L100-55 were studied in phosphate buffer solution of pH similar to the microenvironment pHs of the matrices. Drug release from matrices was found to be linear as a function of time. Amount of drug released was found to be higher in the medium of pH 7.4 than that of pH 5.9. The rate of drug release increased with the increase of the microenvironment pH of the matrices as determined from the slope. The pattern of drug release did not change with the change of microenvironment pH. The swelling and erosion occurred simultaneously from matrices made up of HPMC and Eudragit L100-55. Both extent of swelling and erosion increased with increase of the medium pH. It was concluded from this study that changing the pH within the matrix influenced the rate of release of the drug without affecting the release pattern.

Comparison of the effects of azathioprine and its novel non-mercaptopurine analog on antibody response in rabbits.

Azathioprine (AZA) was originally developed as a pro-drug of the cytotoxic agent 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP). It was assumed that the methylnitroimidazole (MNI) group attached to 6-MP served only as thiol protecting moiety and was pharmacologically inactive. However, in this study we confirm that the novel compound, 3-[(1-methyl-4-nitro-1H-imidazol-5-yl)thio]-4-methyl-1,2,4-triazole (MNITMT) lacking the 6-MP moiety and retaining the MNI group is a better immunosuppressive agent than AZA. Thus, administration of MNITMT (2 mg/kg/day) to rabbits for two weeks caused a statistically significant and consistent inhibition of the antibody response. The onset of immunosuppression was on day 14. However, administration of AZA (2 mg/kg/day) to rabbits for two weeks inhibited the antibody response significantly on day 60 post-treatment. The solvent used to dissolve the above-mentioned drugs had no effect on the antibody response. Neither AZA nor MNITMT had any effect on the blood picture of the treated rabbits indicating no bone marrow toxicity.

A novel approach for the preparation of highly loaded polymeric controlled release dosage forms of diltiazem HCl and diclofenac sodium.

In this investigation, modified-release dosage forms of diltiazem HCl (DT) and diclofenac sodium (DS) were prepared. The development work comprised two main parts: (a) loading the drug into ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) polymer, and (b) generation of a non-uniform concentration distribution of the drug within the polymer matrix. Phase separation technique was successfully used to load DT and DS into the polymer at significantly high levels, up to 81 and 76%, respectively. Size diameter of the resultant microspheres was between 1.6 and 2.0mm. Controlled-extraction of loaded microspheres and high vacuum freeze-drying were used to generate the non-uniform concentration distribution and to immobilize the new drug distribution within the matrix. Parameters controlling the different processes were investigated, and hence optimal processing conditions were used to prepare the dosage forms. Rates of drug release from the two dosage forms in water and in media having different pH were found to be constant for an appreciable length of time (>8h) followed by a slow decline; a characteristic of a non-Fickian diffusion process. Scanning electron microscopy studies suggested that the resultant release behavior was the outcome of the combined effects of the non-uniform distribution of the drug in the matrix and the apparent changes in the pores and surface characteristics of the microspheres. Comparison of release rate-time plots of dissolution data of marketed products with the newly developed dosage forms indicated the ability of the latter to sustain more zero order release.