ABSTRACT

Technological attempts have been made in the research and development of rate controlled oral drugdelivery systems to overcome physiological adversities, such as short gastric residence times (GRT) andunpredictable gastric emptying times (GET). Several approaches are currently utilized in the prolongationof the GRT, including floating drug delivery systems (FDDS), swelling and expanding systems, polymericbioadhesive systems, high density systems, modified shape systems and other delayed gastric emptyingdevices. In this review, current & recent developments of stomach specific FDDS are discussed. Therecent developments of FDDS including the physiological and formulation variables affecting gastricretention, approaches to design floating systems, and their classification and formulation aspects arecovered in detail. Although tremendous advances have been seen in oral controlled drug delivery systemin the last two decades, this system has had limited success in the case of drugs with a poor absorptionwindow throughout the GIT (Gastro Intestinal Tract).