Central composite design for the formulation and optimization of a multi-unit potential colonic drug delivery system of budesonide for ulcerative colitis.

Budesonide is a potent glucocorticoid with high affinity for the glucocorticoid receptor, which is used for the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases. Current oral formulations of budesonide present low efficacy against ulcerative colitis because of the premature drug release in the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract. The objective of this study was to develop a colon specific delivery system for budesonide to increase the efficacy in the treatment of ulcerative colitis using a statistical procedure. Pellets were prepared by powder layering of budesonide on nonpareils (0.5-0.6 mm) in a coating pan. Drug-layered pellets were coated with an inner layer of a combination of Eudragit RL PO and RS PO and an outer layer of Eudragit FS in a fluidized-bed apparatus. Central composite design was used to study the effect of three independent variables. The independent variables selected were amount of Eudragit FS outer coating (X1), proportion of Eudragit RL PO in the inner coating (X2), amount of Eudragit RL PO-RS PO inner coating (X3). Fifteen batches were prepared and evaluated for amount of drug released in 6 h (Y1), amount of drug released in 12h (Y2). The proportion of the more hydrophilic polymer Eudragit RL PO had the most significant effect on drug release - higher proportion gave faster release; the amount of inner and outer coat did not have a significant effect on the rate of drug release at either 6 or 12 h in the range studied. The computer optimization process and contour plots predicted the levels of independent variables X1, X2, and X3 (0.79, 0.69 and 0.35 respectively), for colon targeting.