GASTRORETENTIVE MICROBALLOONS: A NOVEL APPROACH FOR DRUG DELIVERY

Hollow microballoons (microspheres) are spherical empty particles without core. Microballoons (Hollow microsphere) are a drug delivery system that promises to be a potential approach for gastric retention. Microballoons drug-delivery systems are based on a non-effervescent system containing empty particles of spherical shape without core ideally having a size less than 200 micrometers. Microballoons drug delivery systems have shown to be of better significance in controlling the release rate for drugs having site-specific absorption. The floating microballoons showed gastro retentive controlled release delivery with efficient means of enhancing the bioavailability and promises to be a potential approach for gastric retention. Optimized hollow microspheres will find the central place in novel drug delivery, particularly in safe, targeted and effective in-vivo delivery promises to be a potential approach for gastric retention. They are gastro retentive drug-delivery systems, which provide controlled release properties. The advantages, limitations, methods of preparation of hollow microsphere, applications, polymers used in hollow microspheres, characterizations of microballoons and formulation aspects with various evaluation techniques and marketed products are covered in detail.