Development and Evaluation of a Floating Drug Delivery System for the Sustained Release of Vildagliptin and Metformin in Combination Therapy

The research focused on the development and assessment of floating matrix tablets containing Vildagliptin (50 mg) and Metformin (250 mg), which represent the minimum effective dosage for managing Type 2 diabetes mellitus. The floating matrix design aims to extend the gastric retention time of the active ingredients, thereby improving their bioavailability and facilitating a sustained release mechanism. Various polymers, including Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) grades K100M and K4M, Carbopol 940, and Ethyl cellulose, were utilized to create the matrix, enabling controlled release over a period of 10 hours. The tablets were produced through direct compression and evaluated for pre-compression parameters such as bulk density, tapped density, Hausner’s ratio, Carr’s index, and angle of repose, in addition to post-compression attributes like weight variation, hardness, thickness, friability, buoyancy lag time, and drug content. In vitro analyses, including HPLC methods for assessing assay or percentage purity, were conducted, while dissolution studies demonstrated a sustained release profile consistent with zero-order, first-order, Higuchi, Korsmeyer-Peppas, and Hixon-Crowell models for drug release kinetics. Among the formulations tested, formulation F2 showed the most favourable outcomes. The combination of Vildagliptin and Metformin in a floating matrix system suggests potential for enhanced therapeutic effectiveness and improved patient adherence in diabetes treatment. The findings indicate that these floating matrix tablets could significantly improve therapeutic results while minimizing dosing frequency, offering a promising strategy for better glycemic control in individuals with type 2 diabetes.