CELLULOSE-ACETATE TRIMELLITATE ETHYLCELLULOSE BLENDS FOR NONSTEROIDALANTIINFLAMMATORY DRUG (NSAID) MICROSPHERES

Ketoprofen (Ket), a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, has been inc orporated into polymeric micromatrices (microspheres) prepared by a sp ray drying process and made of cellulose acetate trimellitate (CAT)/et hylcellulose (EC) blends. Drug loaded microspheres were obtained by sp ray-drying organic solutions of the two polymers and the drug. Charact erization of the microparticles (morphology, particle size distributio n, drug content, yield of production, surface properties, solvent resi dues) was carried out and in-vitro release behaviour measured. The rel ease rate of the drug diminished as the proportion of EC was raised.