A Review on Updates to Increase the Residence Time of Drug in the Stomach for Gastro Retentive Drug Delivery System

Orally-administered controlled-release drug delivery systems are associated with the shortcomings of relatively short residence times in the human stomach as well as highly variable gastrointestinal (GI) transit times. Thus, considerable intra-individual and inter-individual differences in the bioavailability of drugs are observable. There are numerous drug substances which may benefit from prolonged and controlled GI passage times. As a solution to the problem, gastroretentive drug delivery systems (GRDDS), which feature an enhanced gastric residence time (GRT), were developed. Several approaches are currently used including Floating Drug Delivery System (FDDS), swelling and expanding system, polymeric bioadhesive systems, modified-shape systems, high density system and other delayed gastric emptying devices. The drugs having absorption window in the upper part of Gastro Intestinal Tract (GIT) have enhanced bioavailability when formulated through these techniques. The recent technological development for enhancing GRT including the physiological and formulation variables affecting gastric retention, patented delivery systems, approaches to design single-unit and multiple-unit floating systems, and their classification and formulation aspects are covered in detail. Despite the extensive research performed in the field of GRDDS, the development, the production, and the evaluation of floating devices are still challenging. The purpose of writing this review was to compile recent literature on pharmaceutical approaches used in enhancing the Gastric Residence Time (GRT). Enhancing the GRT may explore new potentials of stomach as drug-absorbing organ. © 2020 iGlobal Research and Publishing Foundation. All rights reserved.