FORMULATION OF A FAST-DISSOLVING KETOPROFEN LYOPHILIZED TABLET I.S. Ahmed a,*, M.M. Nafadi a, F.A. Fatahalla b a Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Egypt. b National Organization for Drug Control and Research, Cairo, Egypt.

AIM OF WORK The objective of the current work was the improvement of the solubility and dissolution rate of poorly water-soluble ketoprofen by formulating a fast-dissolving tablet of ketoprofen using highly water soluble materials and a freeze-drying technique.

METHOD OF PREPARATION The tablet was prepared by mixing ketoprofen with highly soluble carrier materials namely gelatin, glycine and sorbitol. The suspension was poured in blisters packs and freeze dried in a Novalyphe- NL 500 Freeze Dryer.

CONCLUSION We demonstrated that a lyophilized ketoprofen tablet made of widely used, safe, water-soluble excipients showed much better solubility and much faster dissolution when compared to the plain drug or the PM. These results were attributed to the formation of an amorphous state of the drug in the porous lyophilized matrix. Such dosage form could be very beneficial for use in pediatric and geriatric patients and those patients who find it difficult to swallow tablets and capsules.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Solubility Studies

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Dissolution Studies Dissolution profiles of LT, PM, and ketoprofen powder in distilled water at 37ºC. N = 3 with SD.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION DSC Studies (1) (2) (3) DSC thermograms of LT (1), PM (2), and ketoprofen (3).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION XRD (1) (2) (3) Powder X-ray diffraction spectra of LT (1), PM (2), and ketoprofen (3).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION SEM (1) (2) (3) Figure 4. SEM micrographs of ketoprofen (1), PM (2), and LT (3).

Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy Publisher:  Taylor & Francis Issue:  Volume 32, Number 4 / 2006 Pages:  437 - 442