Osmotic pump technology for more reliable active ingredient release

Krka’s medicine containing the active ingredient paliperidone for treating schizophrenia uses osmotic pump technology. This ensures a reproducible and precisely predefined release of the active ingredient and allows the medicine to be taken only once a day. This innovative pharmaceutical form ensures a small fluctuation in the concentration of the active substance in the body, significantly improving treatment outcome.

Osmosis is a natural phenomenon

The osmotic pump uses a natural process called osmosis, which is essential for cell function in the body. The word osmosis is derived from the Greek word for pressure and means the directed passage of a solvent through a semi-permeable membrane. This membrane is permeable to the solvent but not to the substances dissolved in it. The solvent passes through the membrane from the lower concentration area to the higher concentration area.

Osmosis also works in a tablet

An osmotically active excipient, e.g. sodium chloride, triggers osmosis, which causes water to pass into the tablet. This activates other excipients in the tablet, which swell on contact with water. The pressure inside the tablet increases and pushes the active substance into the environment.

The osmotic-controlled release tablet has a much more complex composition than the conventional tablet. The tablet’s core is bilayered and surrounded by a coating with a semi-permeable membrane. The two openings at the top of the tablet, through which the active substance is released due to the increased pressure, are crucial to this action.

After the core has been compressed, the tablet is coated with a semi-permeable membrane and drilled using a laser, making holes less than 1 mm in diameter. This ensures a precise and reproducible release of the active substance.