Implantable Drug Delivery

Systems
Unit 2 (Chapter-3)

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Table of Content:
S. No. Content

1. Introduction of Implants

2. Advantages and disadvantages of implants

3. Mechanism types of Drug Release from Implantable DDS

4. Basic components of Osmotic pump

5. Classification of osmotic pumps

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Implants:
• Implants are small sterile solid masses consisting of a highly purified drug
made by compression or molding or extrusion.
• Implants are intended for implantation in the body ( subcutaneous or
intramuscular tissue) by a minor surgical incision or injected through a large
bore needle.
• Implants are developed with a view to provide continuous release of drug
into the bloodstream over long period of time without the repeated insertion
of needles.
• Well suited for the drug delivery requirements of insulin, steroids,
chemotherapeutics, antibiotics, analgesics, total parenteral nutrition and
heparin.
• In the year 1861, Lafarge introduced the concept of implantable system for
sustained release drug administration.
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Advantages and disadvantages of implants:
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

Controlled drug delivery for a long time Surgery is needed for large implants
period (Painful)
Improved patient compliance. Therapy cannot be simply discontinued

Targeted drug delivery Reactions between host & implant.

Bypasses first pass metabolism Inadequate release of API.

Decreased side effects

Improved stability of drugs.

Improve bioavailability of drugs

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Mechanism of Drug Release from Implantable Therapeutic System
• Its Mechanism is classified into the following types such as

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Concept of implant and osmotic pump

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Basic components of Osmotic pump:

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1. Drug:
• Osmotic pump systems can be incorporated with water-soluble as well as water-
insoluble drugs.
• The drugs incorporated in the osmotically controlled drug delivery systems
should have short biological half-lives of up to 2-6 hours, high potency, and
should be required for chronic treatment.
• Some ideal drug candidates to be used for the formulation and evaluation of
osmotic pump drug delivery systems include antihypertensive agents, e.g.,
Nifedipine, Verapamil, Metoprolol
2. Osmotic Agents:
• These are ionic compounds that consist of either inorganic salts (e.g., sodium
chloride).
3) Semi-Permeable Membrane:
• This plays an important role in the modulation of drug release from the osmotic
drug delivery system. E.g Cellulose esters like cellulose ester 15
4) Plasticisers:
• These are used in the coating membrane of osmotic drug delivery system.
• Polyethylene glycols, ethylene glycol monoacetate, ethylene glycol diacetate for
low permeability, triethyl citrate and diethyl tartrate or diacetin are the examples
of some commonly used plasticisers.
5) Flux Regulators:
• These agents are added in the osmotic drug delivery systems to regulate the
permeability of fluid.
• Hydrophilic substances, like polyethylene glycols (300-6000 Daltons), polyhydric
alcohols, and polyalkylene glycols, can improve the flux;
• while the hydrophobic materials, like phthalates substituted with an alkyl or
alkoxy (e.g., diethyl phthalate or dimethoxy ethylphthalate), can reduce the flux.

6) Wicking Agents:
• These agents have the ability to draw water into the porous network of a delivery
device. They are either swellable or non-swellable in nature.
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7) Coating Solvents:
• Solvents are used for making polymeric solution that is used for
manufacturing the wall of osmotic device.
• Inert inorganic and organic solvents that do not adversely affect the
core, wall and other materials are typically used.
• e.g Methylene chloride, acetone, methanol, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol
etc.

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Classification of osmotic pumps:

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Classification of osmotic pumps cont..

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Classification of osmotic pumps..

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