Ondansetron: design and development of oral pharmaceutical suspensions

Ondansetron is a carbazol with antiemetic properties that acts as a competitive and selective antagonist for the 5 HT₃ serotonin receptors. It is used primarily to control nausea and vomiting caused by cytotoxic chemotherapy and radiotherapy, as well as in postoperative vomiting in gynecological surgery. The main aim of this work was to obtain a stable, long-acting oral suspension of ondansetron. To prolong the action, latexes are used as transport vehicles, specifically we tested, Aquateric®, which comprises mainly cellulose acetophthalate. We prepared a complex drug-polymer, and the release profile of ondansetron was evaluated at acid, basic and acid-basic pH. This complex is additioned to a vehicle with xanthan gum and sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMCNa) as thickeners to retard as much as possible particle sedimentation and thus increase physical stability of the suspension. The results obtained for sediment volume and degree of flocculation suggest that xanthan gum provides the best results, with better organoleptic characteristics, appearance, physical stability and easy redispersability.