Patent ID: 8568785

Claim:
A process for producing spherical base granules comprising an easily water-soluble drug, which comprises spraying a layering liquid over pharmaceutically inert spherical core particles to thereby coat the particles with a drug-containing layer, wherein: (1) the spherical core particles have a microcrystalline cellulose content of 30 mass % or greater, a water absorbing capacity of 0.5 cm 3 /g or greater and a bulk density of about 0.5 to about 2.0 g/cm 3 ; (2) the layering liquid is an aqueous solution comprising at least from 5 to 30 mass % of the easily water-soluble drug and from 1 to 30 mass % of D-mannitol; (3) the easily water-soluble drug has a solubility of 1.5 g or greater in 1 cm 3 of water at 20° C; and (4) the easily water-soluble drug is at least one selected from the group consisting of ethyl L-cysteine hydrochloride, cloperastine hydrochloride, procainamide hydrochloride, ceftizoxime sodium, migrenin, and loxoprofen sodium.