Patent ID: 7255877

Claim:
A method of preparing fenofibrate microparticles, comprising the steps of: (1) mixing the fenofibrate particles with (a) a natural or synthetic phospholipid and (b) at least one non-ionic, anionic, or cationic surfactant to form a mixture, prior to or during a reduction of particle size, said mixture comprising an alkyl aryl polyether sulfonate, a sorbitan fatty acid ester, a polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester, a polyoxyethylene stearate, a polyethylene glycol, benzalkonium chloride, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, lauryldimethylbenzylammonium chloride, or a combination of any thereof; and (2) subjecting the mixture of step (1) to size reduction by an energy input procedure selected from one or more of sonication, milling, homogenization, microfluidization, or precipitation from solution using antisolvent and solvent precipitation in the presence of the mixture to produce fenofibrate microparticles having a volume-weighted mean particle size that is about 50% smaller than particles produced without the presence of the surfactant using the same energy input procedure.