Patent ID: 8197839

Claim:
A sustained release apparatus comprising a plurality of sustained release mini tablet implants; each mini tablet implant comprising a pharmaceutically active composition comprising at least one pharmaceutically active component; and a carrier therefor; wherein the carrier is a sugar or mineral salt or mixture thereof, wherein each mini tablet implant is of the coated tablet type; each mini tablet implant being approximately 0.1 to 0.5 times the length and/or diameter of a single immediate release tablet capable of providing the desired threshold blood level depending on the pharmaceutically active component selected, and having a payload of approximately 30% to 70% by weight of the total payload of an equivalent immediate release treatment conducted for an equivalent period; the sustained release apparatus providing, in use, zero order release of pharmaceutically active component; each mini-tablet implant being of insufficient size and/or payload individually to provide a predetermined desired threshold blood level of pharmaceutically active component for treatment of a selected indication.