Gastroretentive Floating Drug Delivery: A novel Approach for Ondansetron release Enhancement

This work was undertaken to design and assess a gastroretentive floating drug delivery system (GRDDS) for Ondansetron, a selective 5-HT₃ receptor blocker widely employed in controlling nausea and vomiting. Since Ondansetron exhibits a short elimination half-life and moderate oral bioavailability, the formulation aimed to extend its gastric residence and provide sustained release. Floating tablets were formulated by wet granulation, incorporating sodium bicarbonate and citric acid as effervescent agents, along with polymers such as HPMC K4M, Ethyl Cellulose, Eudragit RL-100, and Hydroxypropyl Cellulose (HPC). Seven trial formulations (F1–F7) were prepared and evaluated for pre- and post-compression properties including hardness, friability, swelling index, drug content, buoyancy duration, and in vitro release profile. Among these, F7 containing HPMC K4M and HPC showed superior floating behavior (>12 h), sustained drug release, and favorable physical characteristics. The findings highlight the potential of floating systems to enhance Ondansetron’s therapeutic efficiency and improve patient compliance.