Chronopharmaceutical tablet design for prednisone based on geometry and compression physics independent of excipient influence: a mechanistic approach to controlled release.

📖 Top 50% JournalJan 6, 2026Die Pharmazie

Designing prednisone tablets for timed release using shape and compression without relying on additives

AI simplified

Circadian Biology on OpenScience ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Abstract

Manipulation of tablet geometry and compression parameters effectively modulated lag time and drug release kinetics.

Chronopharmaceutic drug delivery systems align drug release with the body's biological rhythms.
Delayed-release tablets are commonly used but are often limited by excipient-based control mechanisms.
This study focuses on the physical properties of tablets, such as shape and compression, to control drug release.
Prednisone was used as a model drug to assess the timing of drug release in chronotherapy.
In vitro studies indicate that altering tablet dimensions and compression can independently influence drug release.
Optimizing the physical characteristics of tablets may enhance drug efficacy and patient adherence.

AI simplified

Chronopharmaceutic drug delivery systems are designed to align the release of active substances with the body's biological rhythms, offering significant advantages in diseases with time-dependent symptom patterns. Delayed-release tablets are widely used in this field to achieve controlled drug release after a defined lag time, typically by modulating the composition of excipients. However, the reliance on excipient-based control may limit the flexibility and predictability of release profiles. This study is the first in the literature to focus on the mechanistic design of chronopharmaceutical tablets by exploring how physical tablet properties-specifically tablet geometry and compression physics-can independently control delayed drug release, without relying on excipient effects. By systematically varying tablet shape, size, and compression force, we aimed to establish a new formulation approach centered on the physical characteristics of the dosage form. Prednisone was selected as a model drug due to its common use in chronotherapy, where precisely timed drug release is essential to improve therapeutic outcomes. In vitro dissolution studies demonstrated that manipulation of tablet geometry and compression parameters effectively modulated lag time and drug release kinetics, independent of excipient composition. These findings suggest that optimizing the mechanistic properties of tablets provides a valuable strategy for the design of advanced chronopharmaceutical systems, potentially enhancing drug efficacy, patient comfort, and treatment adherence.