Taste masked dosage form containing roflumilast

1. Coated particles comprising a carrier and a coating layer surrounding the carrier, which coating layer comprises i) a coating polymer comprising basic butylated methacrylate copolymer, which is a copolymer based on dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate and neutral methacrylic esters, ii) stearic acid, iii) magnesium stearate, iv) sodiumlauryl sulfate, and v) an active ingredient, which is the sole active ingredient, and is selected from the group consisting of roflumilast, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of roflumilast, a solvate of roflumilast, a physiologically functional derivative of roflumilast and mixtures thereof, wherein the coated particles have a mean particle size less than or equal to 2 mm, or less than or equal to 1 mm.

2. Coated particle according to claim 1 , wherein the active ingredient is roflumilast.

3. Coated particle according to claim 1 , having a mean particle size in the range from 100 to 400 μm.

4. Coated particle according to claim 1 , wherein the carrier is based on excipients selected from the group consisting of mannitol, saccharose, lactose, glucose, erythritol, xylitol, cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, croscarmellose sodium, crospovidone and mixtures thereof.

5. Coated particle according to claim 4 , wherein the carrier is in the form of a powder, granule, small bead, particle, pellet, starter pellet or nonpareil.

6. Coated particle according to claim 2 , wherein roflumilast is suspended in the coating layer.

7. Coated particle according to claim 6 , wherein the mean particle size of roflumilast suspended in the coating layer is in the range from 0.1 to 100 μm.

8. Coated particle according to claim 7 , wherein the coating layer comprises further pharmaceutically acceptable excipients selected from the group consisting of permeability agents, plasticizers, wetting agents and surfactants, anti-adhesives, flavouring agents, coloring agents and mixtures thereof.

9. Coated particle according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio by weight of the active ingredient selected from the group consisting of roflumilast, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of roflumilast, a solvate of roflumilast, a physiologically functional derivative of roflumilast and mixtures thereof to the coating layer is in the range of 1:5 to 1:40.

10. Coated particle according to claim 1 additionally containing an outer overcoating.

11. A process for producing a coated particle according to claim 1 , comprising the following steps:

(a) providing a suspension or solution of the active ingredient in a coating polymer solution or dispersion, optionally containing other pharmaceutically acceptable excipients; and

(b) spraying the solution or dispersion of step (a) on the carrier; and

(c) optionally spraying a polymer solution or dispersion on the coated particles of step (b).

12. Process according to claim 11 , wherein in step (a) an aqueous suspension or solution is provided.

13. Process according to claim 11 , wherein spraying is carried out applying a fluidized bed process with a Wurster tube or top spray technique.

14. Dosage form comprising a therapeutically effective amount of an active ingredient selected from the group consisting of roflumilast, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of roflumilast, a solvate of roflumilast, a physiologically functional derivative of roflumilast and mixtures thereof in the form of coated particles according to claim 1 together with one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients.

15. Dosage form according to claim 14 , which is a tablet, a powder for oral administration or a suspension for oral administration.

16. Dosage form according to claim 14 , which is an orodispersible dosage form.

17. A method for the treatment of a disease regarded as treatable by PDE 4 inhibitors in a patient, comprising administering a dosage form as claimed in claim 14 to a patient in need thereof.

18. Coated particle according to claim 7 , wherein the mean particle size of roflumilast suspended in the coating layer is in the range from 1 to 10 μm.

19. Coated particle according to claim 9 , wherein the ratio by weight of the active ingredient selected from the group consisting of roflumilast, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of roflumilast, a solvate of roflumilast, a physiologically functional derivative of roflumilast and mixtures thereof to the coating layer is in the range of 1:10 to 1:25.

20. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the disease is selected from the group consisting of bronchitis, allergic bronchitis, bronchial asthma and COPD.

21. The method according to claim 20 , wherein the disease is COPD.