A dosage form that releases a discrete portion or portions of drug at a time or at times other than promptly after administration, although one portion may be released promptly after administration. Enteric-coated dosage forms are the most common delayed-release products.
Example of delayed-release drug products:
[wp_ad_camp_5] An enteric-coated tablet is an example of a delayed-release type of modified-release dosage form designed to release drug in the small intestine. For example, aspirin irritates the gastric mucosal cells of the stomach. An enteric coating on the aspirin tablet prevents the tablet from dissolving and releasing its contents at the low pH in the stomach. The coating and the tablet later dissolve and release the drug in the higher pH of the duodenum, where the drug is rapidly absorbed with less irritation to the mucosal cells. Mesalamine (5-aminosalicylic acid) tablets (Asacol, Proctor & Gamble) is a delayed-release tablet coated with an acrylic-based resin that delays the release of mesalamine until it reaches the terminal ileum and colon. Mesalamine tablets could also be considered a targeted-release dosage form.
