Eudragit and its Pharmaceutical Significance

One would always like to have an ideal drug delivery system that will possess three main properties: (a) It will be a single dose for the whole duration of treatment. (b) It will deliver the active drug directly at the site of action. (c) It will possess possible fewer side effects. Above approaches are achieved with the help of suitable choice of polymer.

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This review focuses on recent literature regarding use of Eudragit polymer in different drug delivery systems with special attention to used in its fabrication along with their physiochemical properties.

A polymer, natural or synthetic is a substance that is combined with a drug or other active agent to release drug in a pre-designed manner. The development of NDDS has been made possible by the various compatible polymers to modify the release pattern of drug. Choice of polymers always suffering from the problems of non-biocompatible, non-biodegradable and expensive and this problem can solve with a polymer of different properties. The basic objective of controlled drug release is to achieve more effective therapies by eliminating the potential for both under- and overdosing. Other advantages are the maintenance of drug concentration within a desired range, fewer administrations, optimal drug use and increased patient compliance.

Eudragit is trademark of Rohm GmbH & Co. KG. Darmstadt in Germany, first marketed in 1950s. Eudragit prepared by the polymerization of acrylic and methacrylic acids or their esters, e.g., butyl ester or dimethylaminoethyl ester. Eudragit introduced in USPNF, BP, PhEur, Hand book of pharmaceutical excipients. The eudragit acrylic polymers have a long history of use, the individual types and grades being introduced in the following chronological order:

The whole 17 pages article is available for download here.