MXPA00006125A - Flash-melt oral dosage formulation - Google Patents

Abstract

There is provided granules for the production of flash-melt pharmaceutical oral dosage forms. In addition to one or more medicaments, the granules are composed of an excipient combination consisting of a superdisintegrant, a dispersing agent, a distributing agent, and a binder and may also include other conventional ingredients such as sweetening and flavoring agents. The subject granules are advantageous in that they are stable and can be prepared without the aid of solvents and without the need for special environments or handling. Dosage forms, especially tablets, prepared therefrom on conventional equipment disintegrate in the mouth in under about twenty five seconds.

Description

FORMALIZATION OF ORAL DOSAGE OF INSTANT FUSION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a formulation for oral, pharmaceutical, solid dosage forms, which are dispersed or dissolved in the mouth in a time interval shorter than about 25 seconds.

Background of the Invention There are some varieties of pharmaceutical dosage forms, solid, that disintegrate or dissolve quickly in a glass of water, in the mouth, or in the gastrointestinal tract. Such dosage forms have been known in the art for several years. The obvious advantages of the convenience of dealing with dosage forms that will dissolve or efferve in the water to release the drugs is well known. Similarly, the therapeutic need to have an oral dosage form that dissolves or disintegrates rapidly in the mouth for situations where immediate medication is necessary and water is not available has already been widely recognized.

REF .: 121183 Initially, a distinction must be made between the instant fusion dosage forms and the rapidly disintegrating dosage forms. The first are proposed to dissolve or disintegrate in the mouth of the patient in less than a minute while the latter are proposed for dissolution or primary disintegration within 3 to 20 minutes in the acid medium of the stomach or a container with water . The recognized test for rapidly disintegrating dosage forms is the disintegration time in 0.1 N hydrochloric acid. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the requirements for the formulation of the dosage forms to meet these criteria must necessarily be different since conditions, particularly pH, in the mouth and stomach are very different. It is even more important that the time in which a dosage form must be dissolved or disintegrated in the mouth is necessarily much shorter than in stomach with the obvious exception of dosage forms, for example pills, which are specifically formulated to slowly dissolve in the mouth. Another common consideration for most, if not all formulations of the proposed dosage forms for instant fusion or rapid disintegration, is the need to take precautions in the preparation, packaging, handling and storage of forms of finished dosing since they tend to be both hygroscopic and crumbly. Dosage forms that depend on effervescence to promote their disintegration are particularly susceptible to moisture and should be packaged with a wrap, stoppers, packages of drying agents and the like. Despite such potential problems, there is still an acute need for dosage forms that can be rapidly dissolved or disintegrated for the obvious benefits of having a therapeutic dosage of the medicament contained therein, available for absorption in a very short time. In addition to the benefits of rapid availability, instant fusion dosage forms are advantageous for administering medications to patients such as those who are very young, the elderly, those who are not pleasant to taste and those with harm that makes it difficult if not impossible to treat an intact dosage form. Instant melt dosage forms are also convenient for situations where drinking water may not be desirable or readily available. Correction drugs for such dosage forms could include sedatives, hypnotic substances, antipsychotics, medications for movement disorders, mild stimulants such as caffeine and the like. Those of ordinary skill in the art are aware that there are two basic composition concepts recognized for the preparation of dosage forms that dissolve / disintegrate rapidly. The first of these, particularly suitable for the preparation of instant melt dosage forms, is freeze drying wherein a cake or wafer is prepared from a solution or suspension dried by freezing the medicament and suitable excipients in water or other solvents. Such wafers dissolve very quickly on the tongue, that is to say in the course of approximately 10 seconds, due to the combination of a high affinity towards moisture that results from the freeze drying process and a very large porosity, which promotes the entry fast saliva. Although such dosage forms are capable of rapid dissolution / disintegration in the mouth, the freeze-drying process suffers from several disadvantages, of which a major disadvantage is the fact that a stable solution or suspension of the drug must be formed before it can be dried by freezing. Although this is not always the case, typically such solutions are aqueous and, therefore, are not suitable for the formulation of water-sensitive medicaments. The process by itself is typically laborious and time-consuming. Finally, the resulting dosage forms, in addition to being hygroscopic, tend to be very soft and, therefore, require packaging resistant to impacts and moisture and require careful handling prior to administration. The second major technology used in the manufacture of the rapidly disintegrating dosage forms is based on the special grades of sugars such as mannitol, sorbitol and the like in combination with superdisintegrants. The latter are excipients that are characterized by a special ability to extract a liquid by capillary action to channel the water into the dosage form, or by rapid swelling in the water, both of which act to accelerate the disintegration . It is also known to improve the dissolution of dosage forms by the inclusion of effervescent combinations, typically sodium bicarbonate and u? weak acid, such as citric acid. As noted above, effervescent formulations require a special moisture resistant packaging because even very small amounts or levels of moisture may be sufficient to initiate the effervescent reaction. Techniques, such as granulation of a fluidized bed, are recognized because they are useful in the preparation of such formulations. However, very often such technologies require a very expensive, specific plant, which includes special handling equipment, environments with controlled humidity and the like. In spite of such measures, the dosage forms produced by such techniques typically require a moisture resistant package, the need to include packages or capsules of moisture absorbing agents and the like in the package. An example of a teaching of the incorporation of superdisintegrants into the formulations of dosage forms for improving dissolution is WO 98/030640, FMC Corporation. It is described there that, for cost considerations, up to 90% of a group of superdisintegrants including cross-linked cellulose, cross-linked carboxymethyl cellulose, cross-linked starch, croscarmellose alkaline metal salt, crospovidone, glycolate of metal starch alkaline and similar can be replaced by a co-integrator. Included among the latter group are diatomaceous silica, a hydrated alkaline earth metal calcium silicate and a porous hydrophilic zeolite. The weight ratio of the superdisintegrant to the co-integrator is set to be from 4: 1 to 1:10, preferably 2-1: 1. There is no indication of any recognition of the benefits that will be derived from the formulation, other than the obvious consideration of cost savings since the codeintegrants are less expensive and the combination is established that carries out the desired results. By contrast, Japanese Patent 10114655, of Kyowa Hakko Kogyo KK describes a proposed formation for rapid dissolution in the stomach which can contain up to 30% by weight of a superdisintegrant, such as crospovidone or hydroxypropylcellulose, croscarmellose and the like and up to 30% of a neutral or basic ingredient including metasilicate of magnesium and aluminum, calcium silicate, a phosphoric acid salt or a metal hydroxide. The dosage form is proposed for drugs that produce a gel at an acidic pH. There are numerous other examples of specific formulations that utilize one or more of the techniques or mechanisms described above. For the most part, however, they also possess one or more of the disadvantages listed to the same degree, for example it is difficult or expensive to produce dosage forms by such techniques, the resulting dosage forms are crumbly or sensitive to environmental factors such as humidity. There continues to be a need for a formulation that mitigates or eliminates these disadvantages, which still produces an instant melting dosage form that will disintegrate in the mouth within about 25 seconds. Such formulations are provided in accordance with the present invention.

Brief Description of the Invention A formulation is described which is suitable for the preparation of granules without solvents which can be compressed onto conventional equipment in pharmaceutical oral dosage forms, for example tablets, oval-shaped tablets (caplets), wafers and the like, which will disintegrate in the mouth in an interval of less than approximately 25 seconds. The formulation is comprised of a suitable medicament and a combination of four-component excipients consisting of a superdisintegrant, a dispersing agent, a distributing agent, and a binder that also functions as an agent for absorbing a liquid by capillary action for promote the influx of fluids into the dosage form and may also include other conventional ingredients such as sweetening and flavoring agents. The preparation of the formulation of the invention is unique in that the combination of four excipients can be dry-granulated with the medicament and suitable conventional ingredients, such as flavoring and wetting agents, without the use of some solvent, to form stable granules that they can be easily compressed in the dosage forms on conventional equipment without the need for special handling techniques. In a particular embodiment, the granules are formed containing the medicament and other ingredients and a majority of the combination of excipients. The granules are then mixed with the remaining ingredients to form a final mixture suitable for direct compression in the dosage forms on conventional equipment. A three component excipient combination comprising a superdisintegrant, a dispersing agent and a binder is provided as another object of the invention. This dosage form can be a tablet in which the superdisintegrant is selected from the group consisting of crospovidone, croscarmellose sodium, starch glycolate and sodium, low substitution hydroxypropylcellulose and pregelatinized starch, the dispersing agent is selected from the group consisting of ortho, meta and triclinic calcium silicate calcium, ortho and meta magnesium trisilicate and silicic acid, and the binder is selected from the group consisting of microcrystalline cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, lactose, mannitol and calcium phosphate.

Detailed description of the invention The formulation of the present invention and the process for preparing the instant fusion dosage forms therefrom are based on a combination of four excipients. This unique combination of excipients can be formed with other conventional auxiliaries, particularly flavoring agents, sweetening agents, lubricants and the like and one or more active medicaments as will be described later. The active medicament may comprise up to about 30% by weight, preferably up to about 15% by weight, of the formulation depending on the amount required for a therapeutically effective dosage and factors such as its ability to be directly granulated, the amount of flavoring agents / sweeteners required to mask the taste or bitterness of it and the like. It is within the scope of the present invention to use medicaments that are coated to mask the taste or for other reason in the present formulations as long as the coatings do not interfere with either the composition or the disintegration of the tablets. The combination of excipients comprises, in total, up to about 85% by weight, preferably from about 50% to about 80% by weight, of the formulation. The excipient composition of the formulations of the present invention is a combination of a superdisintegrant, a dispersing agent, a distributing agent, and a binder. Suitable superdisintegrants include crospovidone, croscarmellose sodium, starch glycolate and sodium, low substitution hydroxypropylcellulose, pregelatinized starch and the like. The preferred superdisintegrant for the present formulations is crospovidone since it can be used in large quantities without causing a formulation containing it to be prone to gel. Suitable dispersing agents, also sometimes referred to in the art as cake antiforming agents, include calcium ortho silicate, the meta and triclinic alpha forms thereof, the ortho and meta forms of magnesium trisilicate and silicic acid. Calcium silicate is the preferred dispersing agent. Particularly preferred is a crystalline alpha triclinic calcium silicate, commercially available from Aldrich Chemical Company which meets the following specifications: 1.3 m2 / g surface area; 0.63 g / cc of volumetric density; 2.90 g / cc of real density; and < 1% w / w volatile substances. A variety of pharmaceutical grades of calcium silicate available from other vendors, as shown in Table 1, has also been found to produce instant fusion dosage forms. These include the calcium silicate ortho and meta forms available from Alfa-Aesar, synthetic calcium silicates Micro-cel C and Micro-cel E, available from Celite Corp., Hubersorb 600 NF and Hubersorb 250 NF available from JM Huber Corp, and combinations of various degrees thereof. These products have been found to cover the following range of specifications for calcium silicate: 1.0 m2 / g at 210 m2 / g surface area; 0.075 to 0.90 g / c of volumetric density; 1.70 g / cc at 2.90 g / cc of real density; and < 1% to 14% p / p of volatile substances. Table 1 lists the individual specifications for each of the materials obtained from the vendors listed above.

Table 1 The triclinic calcium silicate alpha is advantageously combined in the present formulations with at least one other pharmaceutical grade of calcium silicate wherein the triclinic alpha form could comprise from about 10% to about 90% by weight of the combination. In contrast to its use in formulations for conventional sheeting, it is considered unexpected that the dispersing agent, ie the calcium silicate, is the main constituent of the combination of excipients of the object formulations since it is generally recognized by those persons with ordinary experience in the art that are poorly compressible. Examples of suitable distributing agents for the combination of excipients of the subject formulations include amorphous silica, fuming silica, diatomaceous earth, talc, kaolin, magnesium aluminum trisilicate and the like, with amorphous silica which is especially preferred. The final component of the excipients combination of the formulations of the invention is a binder. Suitable binders are those that also function as a distribution or wicking agent because they act to promote the ingress of water into the dosage forms made therefrom. Suitable binders include carbohydrates such as microcrystalline cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, starch, lactose, and also, mannitol and calcium phosphate. Microcrystalline cellulose is the preferred binder. Microcrystalline cellulose is commercially available as Avicel® PH (pharmaceutical grade) from FMC Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., Particularly Avicel® PH 101, PH 102, PH 103, PH 112, PH 200, PH 301, PH 302 and Ceolus. Microcrystalline cellulose is also available from Mendell, Penwest Company, Patterson, N.Y., such as Emcocel® 90M and Emcocel® 50M, which could be used successfully. Particularly preferred in the present formulations is Avicel® PH 102 or a combination of Avicel® PH 102 and Avicel® PH 200 as will be described later. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the combination of excipients of the present formulations comprises crospovidone as the superdisintegrant, calcium silicate as the dispersing agent, amorphous silica as the distributing agent and microcrystalline cellulose as the binder. The range of the elements of the excipient combination of the object formulations is from about 4 to about 8, preferably from about 5 to about 7, weight percent of the superdisintegrant; from about 20 to about 70, preferably from about 35 to about 45, percent by weight of the dispersing agent; from about 1 to about 10, preferably from about 1.5 to about 3, percent by weight of the distributing agent; and from about 10 to about 50, preferably from about 12 to about 20, percent by weight of the binder, based entirely on the total weight of the formulation including one or more drugs. A preferred combination of excipients in particular comprises about 7 weight percent of the superdisintegrant, about 40 weight percent of the dispersing agent, about 2 weight percent of the distributing agent and about 15 weight percent of the binder, based on the total weight of the formulation including the medication (s). The formulations of the present invention may contain other conventional ingredients found in similar preparations known in the art and recognized as approved for use in the preparations to be absorbed into the body. These could include, for example, natural and artificial flavors, polyols such as mannitol, sorbitol, maltitol and xylitol, artificial sweetening agents such as, 1-methyl ester of NaL-Aspartyl-L-phenylalanine (aspartame) and 6-methyl-3, 4- dihydro-l, 2, 3-oxathiazin-4 (3H) -one-2,2-dioxide, particularly the potassium salt thereof (acesulfame K), flavor aids such as tartaric acid, foil lubricants, such like magnesium stearate, and the like. Those skilled in the art of the pharmaceutical composition will appreciate that the amount of the flavoring and sweetening agents, if any, present in the formulations of the present invention will be directly proportional to the taste or bitterness of the medicament. The flavoring or sweetening agents are not suitable for coating the medicament, but they are suitable for masking the objectionable taste of the medicaments in the homogenous mixture with them. In general, the total of such conventional ingredients will not exceed about 32 percent, preferably from about 25 to about 30 percent by weight based on the total weight of the formulation. The medicament in the formulations of the present invention will typically not exceed about 30 weight percent, preferably from about 1 to about 15 weight percent of the formulation. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the physical characteristics of the medicament itself, ie, its particle size and morphology, will directly influence its limiting content in the object formulations. Clearly, there must be sufficient medicament in the dosage form produced from the subject formulations to provide a therapeutically effective dosage. Although the solid dosage forms can be prepared from the formulations of the present invention by any recognized technique, including wet-phase granulation, it is a particular advantage that the formulations can be dry-granulated without the use of specialized equipment and conditions. , which makes them suitable for the formulation of medicines that are sensitive to humidity and high temperatures. Examples of medicaments that can be formulated in instant fusion tablets according to the present invention include, without being proposed as limitation, antihistamines, anti-movement disease agents, analgesics, anti-inflammatory agents, antibiotics, cholesterol lowering agents, anti-anxiety agents, antihypertensives, anticancer agents, hypnotic substances, antiulcer agents, coronary dilators, antivirals, antipsychotics, antidepressants, - neuromuscular agents, antidiarrheals, hypoglycemic agents, thyroid suppressors, anabolic agents, antispasmodics, antimigraine agents, diuretics, stimulants, decongestants, uterine relaxants , antiarrhythmics, compounds for male erectile dysfunction, Maxi-K channel openers or neuroprotective agents for the treatment of attacks or Alzheimer's disease and therapeutically appropriate combinations thereof. Specific therapeutic agents that fall within the above categories include, again without being proposed as a limitation, aripiprazole, ibuprofen, aspirin, acetaminophen, chlorpheniramine maleate, pseudoephedrine, diphenhydramine HCl, ranitidine, phenylpropanolamine, cimetidine, loperamide, meclizine, caffeine , entecavir, cefprozil, melatonergic agonists, pravastatin, captopril, fosinopril, irbesartan, omapatrilat, gatifloxacin and desquinolone and therapeutically appropriate combinations thereof. As stated above, a decided advantage of the formulation of the present invention is that it can be dry-granulated into fine, stable granules, which can be directly compressed into oral instant melting dosage forms., pharmaceutically elegant, for example, tablets, oval-shaped tablets (caplets), wafers and the like. Preferably, the granules for the instant melt dosage forms according to the present invention are formed in two steps. The process comprises initially forming granules, referred to herein as intragranulation, by combining all of the medicaments, the dispersing agent, the distributing agent, other conventional ingredients as described above and a portion of each of the superdisintegrant, the binder and the lubricant. of jointly entangled in a suitable mixer to ensure uniform distribution from start to finish. A conventional V-shaped mixer is a preferred apparatus for this step. Although a smaller portion of the dispersing agent may be omitted from the intergranulation, it is preferred that all be incorporated therein. The combined mixture is then compacted in a conventional roller compactor having a hole in such a way that the compact materials thereof are in the form of strips or tapes. Alternatively, a bar or ingot forming process can be used. Compact materials from the roller compactor or ingots of the ingot or rod former are passed through a fine screen, for example a 30 mesh screen (600 microns), whereby they are broken into granules of between approximately 150 and 400 microns in size. The intergranulation granules thus prepared are then mixed in a suitable mixer with the remaining ingredients, i.e., the superdisintegrant, the binder and the lubricant, referred to herein as the extragranulation ingredients, to form a final blend that can be directly compressed into pharmaceutical dosage forms using conventional equipment such as a tabletting press. Instead of directly compressing the final combination during formation, since it is stable, it can be stored and subsequently pressed or compressed in dosage forms at a later time. It is a decided advantage of the present invention that these operations are carried out without the need to resort to special handling such as taking precautions against any moisture that comes into contact with the ingredients or granules, and without the use of conditions of temperature and humidity controlled especially. The intergranulation comprises from about 80 to 99, preferably from about 85 to 95, even more preferably about 90, percent by weight of the final blend. Based on the weight of the final blend, the intergranulation preferably comprises up to about 30 weight percent, preferably about 6 to 20 weight percent, of the binder, up to about 5 weight percent, preferably roughly from 2 to 4 weight percent, of the superdisintegrant, and all of the dispersing agent and distribution agent. The binder and the superdisintegrant are divided between the intergranulation and the extragranulation ingredients in weight ratios of approximately 2: 1 to 4: 1 for the binder and 0.5: 2.0 to 2.0: 0.5 for the superdisintegrant. The lubricant for conventional sheeting is divided into approximately equal amounts between the intergranulation ingredients and the extragranulation. The final combination is formed by mixing the components of the intergranulation and the extragranulation of the combination of excipients, adding the remaining tableting lubricant to it and mixing them until uniformity. Alternatively, a direct compression approach can be used because all of the ingredients with the exception of the tabletting lubricant are mixed in a suitable mixer, such as a conventional V-shaped mixer., by geometrically constructing the complete mass of the formulation by means of sequential mixing for three minutes after each addition, and finally adding the lubricant to the mixture after all the other ingredients have been combined. Tablets compressed on a conventional sheeting press from the final combination from either a one-step granulation or a direct compression combination were pharmaceutically elegant and disintegrated in water within ten seconds. A tablet is considered as disintegrated when it has been completely fragmented into granules and there are no discernible lumps remaining. Since the medicament is not intimately bound to any of the ingredients of the formulation, it is released within the course of the same period of time. The most salient advantage of the present formulations is that the dosage forms can be manufactured from them which are robust and, therefore, avoid the need to unpack the specialized unit dose and careful handling during manufacture or use. as is frequently the case with the present dosage forms. Dosage forms prepared from the formulations of the present invention can be packaged in conventional bubble or ampule packages or in HDPE bottles.

It is understood that various other embodiments and modifications in the practice of the invention will be apparent to, and may be readily made by, those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as described above. Accordingly, it is not proposed that the scope of the claims appended thereto be limited to the exact description described above, but instead the claims may be construed as encompassing all of the patentable novelty features that reside in the present invention, including all of the features and modalities that could be treated as equivalent thereto by those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. The invention is further described with reference to the following experimental work.

EXAMPLE 1 The instant fusion tablets were prepared as follows: Intergranulation: The ingredients except magnesium stearate were mixed in a commercial V-shaped mixer in geometric proportions for 5 minutes each until all were added. The magnesium stearate was then added and the mixture was combined for an additional three minutes. The combined formulation was compacted at a pressure of 30-35 kgF / cm 2 in a commercial compactor equipped with a hole so that the compact materials thereof are in the form of strips or tapes. The strips or tapes were passed through a 30 mesh screen (600 microns) to form stable granules of about 150 to 400 microns.

Extragranulation ingredients: The intergranulation was placed in the mixer and the Avicel® PH 200 and crospovidone were added thereto and combined for 5 minutes. The magnesium stearate was then added and the mixture was combined for an additional three minutes to form the final mixture. Tablets compressed therefrom had a breaking strength of 2.3 kP (3.5 SCU) and disintegrated in 10 seconds in 5 ml of water. The formulation of the final mixture showed excellent flow and was free from other problems such as crumbling, overlaying and stickiness. It has been found that using the Avicel® PH 102 for the intergranulation and the Avicel® PH 200 for the extragranulation ingredient the quality of the resulting tablets was improved.

EXAMPLE 2 Instant melt tablets containing a combination of two grades of calcium silicate were prepared as follows: Intergranulation: The ingredients except magnesium stearate were mixed in a commercial V-shaped mixer in geometric proportions for 5 minutes each until all were added. The magnesium stearate was then added and the mixture was combined for an additional three minutes. The combined formulation was compacted, and sieved to form stable granules according to the procedure of Example 1.

Extragranulation ingredients: The intergranulation was placed in the mixer and the Avicel® PH 200 and crospovidone were added thereto and combined for 5 minutes. The magnesium stearate was then added and the mixture was combined for an additional three minutes to form the final mixture. Tablets compressed therefrom had a breaking strength of 2.0 kP (3.1 SCU) and disintegrated in 10 seconds in 5 ml of water.

EXAMPLE 3 Instant fusion tablets containing aripiprazole, an anti-schizophrenic drug, were prepared as follows: Intergranulation The ingredients except magnesium stearate were mixed in a commercial V-shaped mixer in geometric proportions for 5 minutes each until all were added. The magnesium stearate was then added and the mixture was combined for an additional three minutes. The combined formulation was compacted, and sieved to form stable granules according to the procedure of Example 1.

Extragranulation ingredients: The intergranulation was placed in the mixer and the Avicel® PH 200 and crospovidone were added thereto and combined for 5 minutes. The magnesium stearate was then added and the mixture was combined for an additional three minutes to form the final mixture. Tablets compressed therefrom had a breaking strength of 2.0 kP (3.1 SCU) and disintegrated in 10 seconds in 5 ml of water.

EXAMPLE 4 The instant fusion tablets containing aripiprazole were prepared as follows: Intergranulation: The ingredients except magnesium stearate were mixed in a commercial V-shaped mixer in geometric proportions for 5 minutes each until all were added. The magnesium stearate was then added and the mixture was combined for an additional three minutes. The combined formulation was compacted, and sieved to form stable granules according to the procedure of Example 1.

Extragranulation ingredients: The intergranulation was placed in the mixer and the Avicel® PH 200 and crospovidone were added thereto and combined for 5 minutes. The magnesium stearate was then added and the mixture was combined for an additional three minutes to form the final mixture. Tablets compressed therefrom had a breaking strength of 2.3 kP (3.5 SCU) and disintegrated in 10 seconds in 5 ml of water.

EXAMPLE 5 Instant fusion tablets can be prepared containing the antiviral drug entecavir as follows: Intragranulation: The ingredients except magnesium stearate were mixed in a commercial V-shaped mixer in geometric proportions for 5 minutes each until all were added. The magnesium stearate was then added and the mixture was combined for an additional three minutes. The combined formulation was compacted, and sieved to form stable granules according to the procedure of Example 1.

Extragranulation ingredients: The intergranulation was placed in the mixer and the Avicel® PH 200 and crospovidone were added thereto and combined for 5 minutes. The magnesium stearate was then added and the mixture was combined for an additional three minutes to form the final mixture. Tablets compressed therefrom had a breaking strength of 2.3 kP (3.5 SCU) and disintegrated in 10 seconds in 5 ml of water. The ratios of w / w in percent taught in this example can also be used to formulate a suitable formulation of the present invention comprising 0.1 mg of entecavir per unit dose.

EXAMPLE 6 Instant fusion tablets can be prepared containing the antibiotic medicine cefprozil as follows: Intragranulation: The ingredients except magnesium stearate were mixed in a commercial V-shaped mixer in geometric proportions for 5 minutes each until all were added. The magnesium stearate was then added and the mixture was combined for an additional three minutes. The combined formulation was compacted, and sieved to form stable granules according to the procedure of Example 1.

Extragranulation ingredients: The intergranulation was placed in the mixer and the Avicel® PH 200 and crospovidone were added thereto and combined for 5 minutes. The magnesium stearate was then added and the mixture was combined for an additional three minutes to form the final mixture. Tablets compressed therefrom had a breaking strength of 2.5 kP (3.8 SCU) and disintegrated in 10 seconds or less in 5 ml of water.

EXAMPLE 7 The instant fusion tablets can be prepared containing the antihypertensive drug irbesartan as follows: Intragranulation: The ingredients except magnesium stearate were mixed in a commercial V-shaped mixer in geometric proportions for 5 minutes each until all were added. The magnesium stearate was then added and the mixture was combined for an additional three minutes. The combined formulation was compacted, and sieved to form stable granules according to the procedure of Example 1.

Extragranulation ingredients: The intergranulation was placed in the mixer and the Avicel® PH 200 and crospovidone were added thereto and combined for 5 minutes. The magnesium stearate was then added and the mixture was combined for an additional three minutes to form the final mixture. Tablets compressed therefrom had a breaking strength of 2.5 kP (3.8 SCU) and disintegrated in 10 seconds or less in 5 ml of water.

EXAMPLE 8 The instant fusion tablets can be prepared containing the quinolone antibiotic, des-Quinolone, as follows: Intragranulation: The ingredients except magnesium stearate were mixed in a commercial V-shaped mixer in geometric proportions for 5 minutes each until all were added. The magnesium stearate was then added and the mixture was combined for an additional three minutes. The combined formulation was compacted, and sieved to form stable granules according to the procedure of Example 1.

Extragranulation ingredients: The intergranulation was placed in the mixer and the Avicel® PH 200 and crospovidone were added thereto and combined for 5 minutes. The magnesium stearate was then added and the mixture was combined for an additional three minutes to form the final mixture. Tablets compressed therefrom had a breaking strength of 2.5 kP (3.8 SCU) and disintegrated in 10 seconds or less in 5 ml of water.

EXAMPLE 9 The instant fusion tablets can be prepared containing the antibiotic gatifloxacin (Tequin®), as a coprecipitate with the masked taste (30% w / w active) to deliver a dose of 50 mg: Intragranulation: The ingredients except magnesium stearate were mixed in a commercial V-shaped mixer in geometric proportions for 5 minutes each until all were added. The magnesium stearate was then added and the mixture was combined for an additional three minutes. The combined formulation was compacted, and sieved to form stable granules according to the procedure of Example 1.

Extragranulation ingredients: The intergranulation was placed in the mixer and the Avicel® PH 200 and crospovidone were added thereto and combined for 5 minutes. The magnesium stearate was then added and the mixture was combined for an additional three minutes to form the final mixture. Tablets compressed therefrom had a breaking strength of 2.5 kP (3.8 SCU) and disintegrated in 10 seconds or less in 5 ml of water.

It is noted that in relation to this date the best method known by the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is that which is clear from the present description of the invention.

Having described the invention as above, property is claimed as contained in the following

Claims (24)

1. A pharmaceutical instant dosage dosage form, characterized in that it comprises a medicament and a combination of four excipients consisting of a superdisintegrant, a dispersing agent, a distributing agent, and a binder.

2. An instant melting dosage form according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises no more than about 30 weight percent of the medicament, and no more than about 85 weight percent of the total combination of four excipients.

3. An instant melting dosage form according to claim 2, characterized in that the combination of four excipients comprises, based on the total weight of the dosage form, from about 4 to about 8 weight percent of the superdisintegrant, from about 20 to about 70 weight percent of the dispersing agent, from about 1 to about 10 weight percent of the distributing agent and from about 10 to about 50 weight percent of the binder.

4. An instant melting dosage form according to claim 3, characterized in that the combination of four excipients comprises, based on the total weight of the dosage form, from about 5 to about 7 weight percent of the superdisintegrant, from about 35 to about 45 weight percent of the dispersing agent, from about 1.5 to about 3 weight percent of the distributing agent and from about 12 to about 20 weight percent of the binder.

5. An instant melting dosage form according to claim 1, characterized in that the dosage form is a tablet, the superdisintegrant is selected from the group consisting of crospovidone, croscarmellose sodium, sodium starch glycolate and low substitution hydroxypropylcellulose and starch. pregelatinized, the dispersing agent is selected from the group consisting of ortho, meta and triclinic alpha silicate, ortho and meta magnesium trisilicate and silicic acid, the distribution agent is selected from the group consisting of amorphous silica, fumed silica, diatomaceous earth, talc, kaolin and magnesium aluminum trisilicate, and the binder is selected from the group consisting of microcrystalline cellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, ethylcellulose, lactose, mannitol and calcium phosphate.

6. An instant fusion tablet according to claim 5, characterized in that the superdisintegrant is crospovidone, the dispersing agent is the calcium silicate triclinic alpha, the distribution agent is amorphous silica, and the binder is microcrystalline cellulose.

7. An instant fusion tablet according to claim 6, characterized in that the dispersing agent is a combination of triclinic alpha calcium silicate and at least one other pharmaceutical grade of calcium silicate.

8. An instant fusion tablet according to claim 7, characterized in that the triclinic alpha calcium silicate comprises from about 10% to 90% by weight of the combination.

9. A method of granulation formation suitable for compression in instant melt dosage forms, characterized in that it comprises combining in a mixture a medicament, and a combination of four excipients consisting of a superdisintegrant, a dispersing agent, a distributing agent and a binder, compressing the mixture through a suitable compactor or bar former to form compact bars or ingots and passing the compact materials or ingots through a screen to form granules.

10. A method of granulation formation according to claim 9, characterized in that the superdisintegrant is selected from the group consisting of crospovidone, croscarmellose sodium, sodium glycolate and starch, low substitution hydroxypropyl cellulose and pregelatinized starch, the dispersing agent is selected from the group consisting of ortho, meta and triclinic alpha calcium silicate, ortho and meta magnesium trisilicate and silicic acid, the distribution agent is selected from the group consisting of amorphous silica, fuming silica, diatomaceous earth, talc, kaolin and magnesium aluminum trisilicate, and the binder is selected from the group consisting of microcrystalline cellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, ethylcellulose, lactose, mannitol and calcium phosphate.

11. A method of forming granules according to claim 10, characterized in that the superdisintegrating agent is crospovidone, the dispersing agent is triclinic calcium silicate, the distribution agent is amorphous silica, and the binder is microcrystalline cellulose.

12. A method of granulation formation according to claim 11, characterized in that the dispersing agent is a combination of triclinic alpha calcium silicate and at least one other pharmaceutical grade of calcium silicate.

13. A method of forming granules according to claim 9, characterized in that it additionally comprises the step of combining the granules with additional quantities of the superdisintegrant and the binder to form a final mixture suitable for direct compression in the tablets.

14. A method according to claim 13, characterized in that the granules - comprise from about 80% to about 99% by weight of the final mixture.

15. An instant melting dosage form, characterized in that it is formed by compressing the granules according to claim 9.

16. An instant melting dosage form, characterized in that it is formed by compressing the granules according to claim 10.

17. An instant melting dosage form, characterized in that it is formed by compressing the granules according to claim 13.

18. An instant melting dosage form according to claim 17, characterized in that the dosage form is a tablet and the medicament is entecavir.

19. An instant melting dosage form according to claim 17, characterized in that the dosage form is a tablet and the medicament is cefprozil.

20. An instant melting dosage form according to claim 17, characterized in that the dosage form is a tablet and the medicament is irbesartan.

21. An instant melting dosage form according to claim 17, characterized in that the dosage form is a tablet and the medicament is aripiprazole.

22. An instant fusion pharmaceutical dosage form according to claim 1, characterized in that it is prepared by combining in a mixture, a medicament and a combination of four excipients consisting of a superdisintegrating agent, a dispersing agent, a distributing agent and a binder. , compressing the mixture through a suitable compactor or ingot former to form compact materials or ingots and passing the compacts or ingots through a screen to form granules.

23. A pharmaceutical instant dosage dosage form, characterized in that it comprises a medicament and a combination of three excipients consisting of a superdisintegrant, a dispersing agent, a distributing agent, and a binder, wherein the superdisintegrating agent is selected from the group consisting of of crospovidone, croscarmellose sodium, sodium glycolate and starch, low substitution hydroxypropyl cellulose and pregelatinized starch, the dispersing agent is selected from the group consisting of ortho, meta and triclinic alpha calcium silicate, ortho and meta magnesium trisilicate and silicic acid , and the binder is selected from the group consisting of microcrystalline cellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, ethylcellulose, lactose, mannitol and calcium phosphate.

24. An instant fusion dosage form according to claim 17, characterized in that the dosage form is a tablet and the medicament is selected from the group consisting of aripiprazole, chlorpheniramine maleate, pseudoephedrine, diphenhydramine HCl, phenylpropanolamine, cimetidine, loperamide , meclizine, entecavir, cefprozil, pravastatin, captopril, fesinopril, irbesartan, omapatrilat, gatifloxacin and desquinolone.