Mamatha Tirunagari, Syed Ahmed, Anitha Nandagopal
Fast-dissolving drug delivery system offers solution for the problems related to patient compliance especially in the case of geriatric and paediatric population. Atomoxetine is a selective nor epinephrine re-uptake inhibitor. It is used for the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The objective of formulating atomoxetine oral films is to provide rapid dissolution of drug and absorption which may produce the rapid onset of action and also to improve the bioavailability of the drug. Oral films were developed and prepared by solvent evaporation method. The film forming agent used was hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and propylene glycol as a plasticizer. A standard calibration curve was established with the maximum absorption at 269 nm. Further the evaluation of the film was done through a series of tests like thickness, weight variation, in vitro dispersion time and pH, drug content determination and drug – excipient compatibility by FT-IR. The mechanical properties of the developed films (tensile strength, % elongation, folding endurance) were also found to be in acceptable limits. Hence, atomoxetine oral dispersing film was formulated and evaluated which results in the development of the product with higher efficacy and bio availability.
