Formulation, Physicochemical Evaluation, and Dissolution Studies of Carbamazepine Solid Dispersions

Carbamazepine is a water-insoluble antiepileptic drug. Being a BCS class-II drug, its absorption is dissolution rate limited. Solid dispersions were prepared to enhance the dissolution rate of the drug. Crospovidone and croscarmellose sodium were used as the hydrophilic carriers. Solid dispersions showed a remarkable enhancement in the dissolution rate of the drug. In the present research work, the solid dispersions were formulated in to fast dissolving tablets. The prepared tablets were evaluated for hardness, friability, drug content, disintegration time and the in vitro dissolution rate. The solid dispersions were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA). The DSC study revealed a marked reduction in the crystallinity of the drug. The faster dissolution rate of the solid dispersion is attributed to a marked reduction in the crystallinity of the drug. The FTIR and DSC studies demonstrated the absence of drug-polymer interaction. The formulated tablet (F2) achieved a 7 fold faster dissolution rate compared to the marketed tablet.