Improved Dissolution Rate of Piroxicam by Fusion Solid Dispersion Technique

Improving oral bioavailability of drugs those given as solid dosage forms remains a challenge for the formulation scientists due to solubility problems. The dissolution rate could be the rate-limiting process in the absorption of a drug from a solid dosage form of relatively insoluble drugs. Therefore increase in dissolution of poorly soluble drugs by solid dispersion technique presents a challenge to the formulation scientists. In the present work solid dispersed drug was prepared by Fusion technique as a novel system for enhancing the delivery of piroxicam, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. This solid dispersed drug was prepared from polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) (pharmaceutical grade), a biodegradable polymer, to obtain a solution with drug: polymer ratio of 1:5. The release rate of the piroxicam solid dispersed drug was studied in simulated gastric fluid. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are used to evaluate the chemical and physical nature. The results showed that the release rates were twice increased in comparison with the pure drug. However, the blend of drug and polymer could be varied to optimize the release rates depending upon the need and formulation