Abstract: An oral composition which is adapted to be dispersed in an aqueous carrier substantially immediately prior to administration comprises a multiplicity of particles comprising an active substance, the particles being combined with one or more gelling or swelling agents capable of forming a viscous medium around the particles in an aqueous carrier as well as being provided with a masking surface layer when dispersed in the aqueous carrier. This serves to mask uneven surfaces on the particles and prevent them from adhering to oral mucosa when the composition is ingested and thus makes it easier to administer large dosages of an active substance. The masking surface layer is preferably provided by an increased viscosity of the viscous medium in the immediate vicinity of the particles relative to the viscosity of the surrounding aqueous carrier. A ready-to-use composition is prepared by mixing the composition with an aqueous carrier substantially immediately prior to administration of the composition.

Abstract: An oral composition which is adapted to be dispersed in an aqueous carrier substantially immediately prior to administration comprises a multiplicity of particles comprising an active substance, the particles being combined with one or more gelling or swelling agents capable of forming a viscous medium around the particles in an aqueous carrier as well as being provided with a masking surface layer when dispersed in the aqueous carrier. This serves to mask uneven surfaces on the particles and prevent them from adhering to oral mucosa when the composition is ingested and thus makes it easier to administer large dosages of an active substance. The masking surface layer is preferably provided by an increased viscosity of the viscous medium in the immediate vicinity of the particles relative to the viscosity of the surrounding aqueous carrier. A ready-to-use composition is prepared by mixing the composition with an aqueous carrier substantially immediately prior to administration of the composition.

Abstract: Plasmids useful as cloning vectors carrying an inserted regulatable promoter, transcription from the promoter regulating plasmid replication. Increased transcription leads to a substantially increased or uncontrolled plasmid copy number when host microorganisms containing the plasmid are cultivated under conditions securing such increased transcription. The regulatable promoter is preferably .lambda. P.sub.R, the activity of which is controlled by a temperature-sensitive .lambda. cl repressor. To obtain gene products of the plasmids, host microorganisms to which such plasmids have been transformed are desirably cultivated at about 30.degree. C. to secure a constant, low plasmid copy number during the seeding and multiplication stages of the microorganisms, after which the temperature is preferably shifted to about 36.degree.-42.degree. C. to obtain an uncontrolled plasmid copy number and an amplified amount of gene product.

Abstract: Plasmids which are in themselves unstably inherited or which have become unstable due to the insertion of a DNA fragment comprising one or more genes not naturally related to the plasmid are stablized by means of a partitioning function exerted by a par region, especially a plasmid R1 par region, inserted into the plasmid on a DNA fragment which may be the length of the wild-type R1 EcoR1-. A fragment, but which is preferably shorter than this fragment, and which may comprise the R1 par region A, the R1 par region B or both these R1 par regions. The stabilization obtained for several different types of plasmid, especially by employing both R1 par regions, approaches the stability level of wild-type plasmids, i.e. they typically have a frequency of loss of less than 5.times.10.sup.31 6 per cell per generation.

Abstract: In an oral pharmaceutical controlled release multiple-units formulation, individual units containing an active substance are coated with a substantially water-insoluble, but water-diffusible controlled release coating which includes(1) an inner film layer which causes adhesion between the units at elevated temperatures, comprising a water-dispersible film-forming agent, and(2) an outer film layer comprising a water-based film-forming agent which prevents adhesion between the units at elevated temperatures and imparts flowability to the units.The inner film layer may additionally comprise a substance which is capable of forming a continuous phase.By subjecting the thus coated units to heating to accelerate the formation of a continuous phase of the film-forming agent of the inner layer and optionally also of the additional substance, a coating is formed which substantially does not change its diffusion characteristics in the course of time.

Abstract: In an oral pharmaceutical controlled release multiple-units formulation, individual units containing an active substance are coated with a substantially water-insoluble, but water-diffusible controlled release coating which includes(1) an inner film layer comprising a homogeneous combination of a water-dispersible film-forming agent and a polymeric substance which imparts compressibility to the coating, and(2) optionally an outer film layer comprising a film-forming agent which prevents adhesion between the units at elevated temperatures and imparts flowability to the units.The coating possesses a sufficient plastic deformability to result in no significant changes in the release characteristics of compressed coated units relative to non-compressed coated units.

Abstract: Enterically administrable diagnostic compositions for investigating alimentary functions comprising multiple units of a size of at the most 5 mm, preferably between 0.5 and 1.3 mm, in particular between 0.7 and 1.0 mm, each unit comprising a tracer substance binding agent (such as an ion exchange resin) with which a radioactive tracer substance with a half-life of at the most 5 days, in particular .sup.99m Tc, .sup.113m ln, .sup.111 ln and .sup.129 Cs, is associated. The tracer substance binding agent is being formulated with pharmaceutically acceptable excipients, in particular granulating excipients, in such a way that the exposure of the gastrointestinal mucosa to the tracer substance binding agent is reduced and that the units do not disintegrate during the passage through the gastrointestinal tract.

Abstract: A pharmaceutical oral controlled release multiple-units formulation in which individual units comprise cross-sectionally substantially homogeneous cores containing particles of a sparingly soluble active substance, the cores being coated with a coating which is substantially resistant to gastric conditions, but which is erodable under the conditions prevailing in the small intestine, in particular an enteric coating which is substantially insoluble at a pH below 7 such as Eudragit.RTM.

Abstract: A pharmaceutical oral controlled release multiple-units formulation is prepared by mixing units containing an active substance and coated with a substantially water-insoluble, but water diffusable controlled release coating with particles of an active substance, the mean size of which is at least one power of 10 smaller than the coated units under conditions which will result in adherence of the smaller particles to the surface of the controlled release coating in a substantially uniform layer. The coated units have a mean size of between about 0.1 and 1.5 mm, in particular about 0.4 to 1.2 mm, and the fine particles have a mean particle size of from about 1 to about 50 .mu.m and are present in the composition in an amount of at the most 25 percent by weight, in particular at the most 5 percent by weight and preferably not more than 1 percent by weight, calculated on the weight of the coated units.

Abstract: A pharmaceutical oral multiple-units composition with controlled release, in which the individual units are coated units of an active substance, e.g. potassium chloride, which is subject to controlled release in consequence of the units being coated with a substantially water-insoluble, but with a water-diffusable coating, is prepared by applying on units comprising the active substance, a film-forming coating mixture comprising a solvent, a film-forming substance dissolved in the solvent and a hydrophobic substance, such as a wax, e.g. a paraffin wax, the film coating mixture being applied at a temperature higher than the melting point of the hydrophobic substance. The application is preferably performed in a fluidized bed.

Abstract: Gene products of plasmid DNA, such as proteins, are prepared in high yields by cultivating bacteria carrying a plasmid which shows a controlled constant plasmid copy number at one temperature and a much higher or totally uncontrolled copy number at a different temperature. The plasmid may be prepared by recombinant DNA technique using a cloning vector showing the temperature dependent plasmid copy number pattern.

Abstract: Gene products of plasmid DNA, such as proteins, are prepared in high yields by cultivating bacteria carrying a plasmid which shows a controlled constant plasmid copy number at one temperture and a much higher or totally uncontrolled copy number at a different temperature. The plasmid may be prepared by recombinant DNA technique using a cloning vector showing the temperature dependent plasmid copy number pattern.

Abstract: Gene products of plasmid DNA, such as proteins, are prepared in high yields by cultivating bacteria carrying a plasmid which shows a controlled constant plasmid copy number at one temperature and a much higher or totally uncontrolled copy number at a different temperature. The plasmid may be prepared by recombinant DNA technique using a cloning vector showing the temperature dependent plasmid copy number pattern.

Abstract: A controlled release multiple-units drug dose is described, which comprises a tablet or a capsule enclosing a plurality of subunits, each containing a therapeutically active agent and being enclosed in an insoluble membrane allowing for diffusion of the juices of the gastrointestinal tract, at least some of the subunits being of increased specific weight as compared with the specific weight of the active agent.

Abstract: Oral drug preparations are described, having a protracted effect and a suitable rate of release of the drug during its period of action, said preparations comprising a pharmaceutically active component to which has been admixed one or more buffers, and possibly other pharmaceutically acceptable adjuvants, the mixture having been shaped into small particles and subsequently been coated with a film-forming material allowing for diffusion of stomach juice and intestinal juice together with the drugs dissolved therein, but not being soluble in the said juices.