ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the properties and formulations relating to racemic ibuprofen and its derivatives. Ibuprofen is a white crystalline, slightly waxy solid with a slight odour and a strong and characteristic taste. The drug also produces a burning sensation or ‘kick’ in the back of the throat when swallowed, adding to the difficulty of producing formulations with acceptable taste characteristics. The pharmacological properties of ibuprofen make it an ideal model drug for the application of various sustained release technologies. An alternative approach that has been adopted by a number of workers is to mix the drug with various excipients and present it in the form of a beadlet, which is then coated with polymers that dissolve in the intestine so delaying the release. Liquid presentations of ibuprofen offer advantages to certain patients and consumers over conventional solid dose forms.
