The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential of floating microballoons. Famotidine was chosen as a model drug because of its poor absorption and short half-life in the lower gastrointestinal tract. A solvent diffusion technique was adopted to prepare famotidine loaded microballoons (FMD-microballoons) using Eudragit S 100 and Hyaluronic acid. The effect of various formulations and process variables including drug content, polymer amount, surfactant concentration, stirring speed and

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... mperature were investigated in detail. The final formulation attributes of FMD-microballoons viz. 121 ± 3 µm size and 79 ± 5 % drug content. Drug release of FMD-microballoons was studied using paddle type dissolution apparatus demonstrated the burst followed by slow sustained release profile. The buoyancy study revealed that FMD-microballoons had excellent floating ability in simulated biological fluids, while stability study confirmed that 4±1°C temperature was suitable without any detrimental effect on formulation. A radiographical study was conducted in male rabbits after oral administration of barium sulphate loaded microballoons, it was found that microballoons remained buoyant even after 4 h satisfactory for a gastroretentive formulation. Therefore, FMD-microballoons exhibited excellent floatability, high buoyancy and prolonged drug release necessary for oral administration.