Preparation and Evaluation of Novel Fenofibrate-loaded Self-Microemulsifying Drug Delivery System (SMEDDS)

− Fenofibrate has been used for many years to lower cholesterol levels and its pharmacokinetic profile is well understood. However, due to its low solubility in water, it has low bioavailability after oral administration. In order to improve the dissolution rate, fenofibrate was formulated into a self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems (SMEDDS). We used pseudo-ternary phase diagrams to evaluate the area of microemulsification, and an in vitro dissolution test was used to investigate the dissolution rate of fenofibrate. The optimized formulation for in vitro dissolution assessment consisted of Lauroglycol FCC (60%), Solutol HS 15 (27%), and Transcutol-P (13%). The mean droplet size of the oil phase in the microemulsion formed from the SMEDDS was about 130 nm. The dissolution rate of fenofibrate from SMEDDS was significantly higher than that of the reference tablet. Our studies suggested that the fenofibrate containing SMEDDS composition can effectively increase the solubility and oral bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs.