Development and Evaluation of Controlled Release Verapamil Hydrochloride Pellets by PAN Coating Process

The present investigation was mainly focused on the development of controlled release pellets of verapamil HCl with ethyl cellulose and hydroxylpropyl methyl cellulose phthalate (HPMCP) by employing pan coating technique. Ethyl cellulose 7cps a high viscosity grade controlled release polymer was mainly used as coating agent for regulating the drug release from pellets. HPMCP, an enteric coating polymer was used in the present study to regulate the drug release at varied G.I pH conditions. An attempt was made to optimize the composition of these two polymers to achieve the controlled release of drugs from the pellets. Low viscosity hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC E5) was used a film former in the present investigation. Croscaremellose sodium was used as disintegrant to create channels in the coating for drug release. Povidone was used as binder to achieve uniform drug layering in the present investigation. It was observed that increase in the concentration of polymers ethyl cellulose and resulted in delay in the drug release. The increase in the hydroxypropyl methylcellulose phthalate polymeric concentration in formulations showed initial delay in drug release and has no effect on further drug release.