Gastroretentive microballoons of olmesartan medoxomil: formulation and <i>in vitro-in vivo</i> evaluation

Olmesartan medoxomil, classified as BCS class II due to its poor water solubility, exhibits a low oral bioavailability of 28.6%. Microballoons of Olmesartan medoxomil were formulated using the ionotropic gelation technique and subjected to various evaluation parameters. The particles were found to be in the range of 85.11 to 312.6 µm. The prepared microballoons remained buSSoyant for more than 12 hours and showed percentage of cumulative drug release between 56.32–83.62%. <i>In vivo</i> studies showed significant reduction in Systolic blood pressure (SBP) in optimized formulation (OF). The formulated microballoons (hollow microspheres) emerged as a promising option for an oral gastro retentive controlled drug delivery system for Olmesartan medoxomil. Floating microballoons were formulated, optimized, and assessed to achieve improved bioavailability along with sustained release characteristics.