Impact of superdisintegrants on efavirenz release from tablet formulations

Efavirenz (EFV) tablets of different doses were prepared by a wet granulation process using different superdisintegrants such as crosscarmellose sodium (CCS), sodium starch glycollate (SSG) and crosspovidone (CP) to evaluate the role of different disintegrants on the in vitro release of EFV. Further, the mode of addition of disintegrants on EFV dissolution from tablets containing 600 mg of the drug was evaluated by incorporating the disintegrants extragranularly (EG), intragranularly (IG) or distributing them equally (IG and EG). In vitro dissolution of the prepared tablets was conducted using the recommended medium and a dissolution medium developed in-house, which had the ability to discriminate between the formulations.

The t₅₀ and t₈₀ values were indicative of the fact that the drug release was faster from tablet formulations containing CP. CP was able to release the drug faster than the other two disintegrants in both dissolution media and the drug release was unaffected by the mode of CP addition.