Suppressed Release of Clarithromycin from Tablets by Crystalline Phase Transition of Metastable Polymorph Form I

The pharmaceutical properties of clarithromycin (CAM) tablets containing the metastable form I of crystalline CAM were investigated. Although the dissolution rate of form I was higher than that of stable form II, the release of CAM from form I tablet was delayed. Disintegration test and liquid penetration test showed that the disintegration of the tablet delayed because of the slow penetration of an external solution into form I tablet. Investigation by scanning electron microscopy revealed that the surface of form I tablet was covered with fine needle-shaped crystals following an exposure to the external solution. These crystals were identified as form IV crystals by powder X-ray diffraction. The phenomenon that CAM releases from tablet was inhibited by fine crystals spontaneously formed on the tablet surface could be applied to the design of sustained-release formulation systems with high CAM contents by minimizing the amount of functional excipients.