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Present research deals with the development of compression-coated flurbiprofen colon-targeted tablets to retard the drug release in the upper gastro intestinal system, but progressively release the drug in the colon. Flurbiprofen core tablets were prepared by direct compression method and were compression coated using sodium alginate and Eudragit S100. The formulation is optimized based on the in vitro drug release study and further evaluated by X-ray imaging and pharmacokinetic studies in healthy humans for colonic delivery. The optimized formulation showed negligible drug release (4.33 ± 0.06 %) in the initial lag period followed by progressive release (100.78 ± 0.64 %) for 24 h. The X-ray imaging in human volunteers showed that the tablets reached the colon without disintegrating in the upper gastrointestinal tract. The C max of colon-targeted tablets was 12,374.67 ng/ml at T max 10 h, where as in case of immediate release tablets the C max was 15,677.52 ng/ml at T max 3 h, that signifies the ability of compression-coated tablets to target the colon. Development of compression-coated tablets using combination of time-dependent and pH-sensitive approaches was suitable to target the flurbiprofen to colon.

Diabetes and its complications have been linked to increased levels of free radicals and systemic pro-inflammatory cytokines and to an altered lipid profile. Coenzyme Q10 and curcumin are potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents but are underutilized clinically because of their poor bioavailability when administered orally. We have recently developed poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid)-based nanoparticles in which we have encapsulated coenzyme Q10 and curcumin to increase the oral bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy of the antioxidant molecules. These formulations when tested in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats demonstrated protective effects on inflammatory markers as well as lipid metabolism. Coenzyme Q10 nanoparticulates reduced only C-reactive protein levels, whereas curcumin nanoparticles reduced levels of C-reactive protein, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α. Administration of both nanoparticulates resulted in significant reductions of plasma triglycerides and total cholesterol and an increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Together, these data indicate the promise of coenzyme Q10 and curcumin in diabetes when delivered through nanoparticulate formulations.

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The safety information on drug labels of a company marketing the same drugs in different countries is sometimes different. The aim of the present study is to understand the differences in the volume and content of safety information on the drug labels from the same manufacturers in three developed countries: the United States of America (USA), the United Kingdom (UK) and Canada. This study involved the calculation of the proportion of total safety information (PSI) and of contraindications (PCI) in comparison to all information on the label and the percentage of boxed warnings (PBW) among the 100 labels studied from each country. The PSI on the labels of different countries is different with USA labels bearing lesser value PSI and UK labels bearing higher value PSI. The qualitative information provided on these drug labels from each country in 'contraindications' sections, 'boxed/serious warnings' and 'overdosage' sections presented differences in the information provided on most of the labels. We have found distinct differences between the safety information available on drug labels in terms of volume and content. We conclude that the safety information for the same products should be standardised across all countries.