Formulation and Evaluation of Pulsatile-Release Multiple-Unit Pellets of Meloxicam

The present research aimed to design, formulate, and evaluate pulsatile-release multiple-unit pellets of Meloxicam. In the pellet coating and evaluation, five formulations (F1 to F5) were prepared with varying ratios of Eudragit L100 and Ethyl Cellulose. All batches exhibited excellent flow properties with Carr’s index values below 15% and Hausner’s ratio close to 1.12–1.14. The angle of repose for all batches was <30°, suggesting free-flowing properties essential for uniform capsule filling. Friability remained well below 1% across all formulations, indicating strong mechanical stability of the coated pellets. Drug content ranged from 97.1% to 99.4%, with formulation F4 showing the highest drug content (99.4 ± 1.2%), All formulations showed negligible release for the first 2 hours in acidic medium, confirming the integrity of the enteric coating. Formulation F1, containing only Eudragit L100, exhibited the shortest lag time with burst release starting at 3 hours and complete release by 8 hours. Formulation F4 (1.5 g Eudragit L100 : 3 g EC) demonstrated a well-defined lag time of ~5 hours followed by a sharp and complete drug release (~96.8 ± 2.3% at 8 hours), making it the optimized formulation for pulsatile drug delivery. A stability study of the optimized batch F4 under accelerated conditions (40°C/75% RH) for three months showed minimal changes in drug release (from 96.8% to 95.3%) and drug content (from 99.4% to 98.2%). Keywords: Meloxicam, Pulsatile, Multiple unit Pellets, Eudragit L100.