Scintigraphy can be used to compare delivery of sore throat formulations

Sore throat (pharyngitis) is commonly treated with over-the-counter lozenges, tablets, sprays and gargles. While the efficacy of the active ingredients has been examined, less is known about the comparative efficacy of the different delivery formats. A pilot study was initially performed, followed b...

Full description

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Published in:	International journal of clinical practice (Esher) Vol. 63; no. 4; p. 606
Main Authors:	Limb, M, Connor, A, Pickford, M, Church, A, Mamman, R, Reader, S, Shephard, A, Aspley, S, Goulder, M A
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	England 01-04-2009
Subjects:	Administration, Oral Aerosols - administration & dosage Analysis of Variance Cross-Over Studies Drug Delivery Systems Humans Mouthwashes - administration & dosage Pharmaceutical Preparations - administration & dosage Pharyngitis - drug therapy Pharynx - diagnostic imaging Pharynx - metabolism Pilot Projects Radionuclide Imaging Radiopharmaceuticals - pharmacokinetics Tablets - administration & dosage Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate - pharmacokinetics
Online Access:	Get more information
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!

Description
Summary:	Sore throat (pharyngitis) is commonly treated with over-the-counter lozenges, tablets, sprays and gargles. While the efficacy of the active ingredients has been examined, less is known about the comparative efficacy of the different delivery formats. A pilot study was initially performed, followed by an open-label, four-way crossover study in healthy volunteers to quantitatively assess the delivery efficacy of a lozenge, tablet, spray and gargle, using technetium-99m and scintigraphy as a marker of deposition and clearance of the active ingredients. Initial deposition in the mouth and throat combined was significantly greater for the solid dose forms (lozenge and tablet) than for the spray or gargle. Rates of clearance were initially similar for the tablet and lozenge with low levels of radioactivity present at up to 2 h. At 10 and 20 min, significantly more of the dose remained for the lozenge than for the tablet. The mouth appeared to act as a reservoir for continued clearance to the throat. Scintigraphy is an effective means of quantifying the delivery efficiency, and hence availability, of sore throat medications. The results presented here suggest that both lozenges and tablets offer considerable advantages over sprays or gargles, both in terms of proportion of the dose delivered to the mouth and throat, combined, and clearance from these regions. These delivery formats provide fast, effective and prolonged delivery of active ingredients, highlighting their potential benefits for sore throat medication.
ISSN:	1742-1241
DOI:	10.1111/j.1742-1241.2008.01984.x