MUPS is abbreviation for Multiple-Unit Pellet System. However, from pharmaceutical industry and research perspective, the term in general refers to MUPS compacted into tablets. Thus, the resulting tablets prepared by compaction of modified release coated multiparticulates or pellets are called as MUPS. It is the more recent and challenging technology that combines the advantages of both tablets and pellet-filled capsules in one dosage form.
Clinical advantage of omeprazole MUPS tablet compared to conventional modified-release omeprazole tablets and pellet-filled omeprazole capsules:
- Ensures greater bioavailability
- Ensures uniform emptying of micro pellets from stomach into small intestine facilitates rapid dissolution of enteric coating and drug release resulting in early Tmax and Cmax (peak time and peak plasma concentration)
- Ensures lesser possibility of dose dumping
- Is a combination of fast acting and sustained action
- Ensures uniform drug release
- Once daily dosing
- Ensures lesser chance of localized irritation
- Ensures better and more uniform drug absorption
- Better than capsules in reducing the esophageal residence time
- Minimizes fluctuation in plasma concentration of drug.
Pharmacodynamic advantage:
- MUPS ensure rapid and uniform gastric emptying and subsequently uniform drug dissolution of pellets in the gastrointestinal tract due to their small size and larger surface, uniform drug absorption is facilitated which results in consistent and controlled pharmacological action.
- A further reduction in inter-and intra-subject variability in drug absorption and clinical response is facilitated since the number of pellets per MUPS dosage form is much more than a conventional pellet-filled capsule and possibility of dose dumping(in stomach) and incomplete drug release is further minimized.