Ingestible formulations for transient, noninvasive reduction of gastric volume

1. An oral dosage form useful for gastric volume reduction comprising:

a polymer that (i) is formed of a dehydrated hydrophilic polymer that is initially in a tablet or capsule form that maintains the polymer in a packed mass and is configured to swell upon absorbing water from gastric fluid to increase to a diameter of about 6 cm sufficient to inhibit passage through a pyloric valve, thereby promoting its gastric retention, (ii) where the polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl alcohol, poly(ethyloxazoline), polyvinylacetate-polyvinylalcohol copolymers, poly(2-hydroxyethylacrylate), poly(2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate), polyacrylic acid, and copolymers thereof, polysaccharides, water soluble proteins, and polynucleic acids such that the polymer maintains its physical integrity in a stomach for at least 2 hours, and (iii) wherein the polymer includes one or more lipase-sensitive, fatty acid-like polymerizable groups or cross-linking groups such that the polymer is further degradable by an intestinal enzyme or exposure to an intestinal pH,

wherein the dosage form further has an acid-sensitive gelatin enteric coating which has a rate of degradation in a gastric environment which is higher than in an esophageal environment,

wherein the dosage form further has a stabilization agent selected from xanthan gum or propylene glycol alginate which maintains a solid form within the gastric environment and a viscous form at a pH of 8 within an intestinal environment whereby a rate of degradation in the intestinal environment is relatively more rapid than degradation in the gastric environment to substantially prevent a small bowel obstruction by the polymer, and

wherein the polymer is cross-linked with a cross-linker selected from the group consisting of oligoesters, diacids that form an alpha-omega ester linkage, diacid chloride, and polymers and copolymers of lactic acid, glycolic acid, trimethylene carbonate, and caprolactone.

2. The oral dosage form of claim 1 , wherein the polysaccharides is selected from the group consisting of carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, chitosan, hyaluronic acid, xanthan gum, starch, maltodextrins, corn syrup, and alginates.

3. The oral dosage form of claim 1 , wherein the protein is albumin or gelatin.

4. The oral dosage form of claim 1 , wherein the cross-linker is a homobifunctional cross-linker or a heterobifunctional cross-linker.

5. The oral dosage form of claim 4 , wherein the cross-linker contains a reactive group selected from the group consisting of glycidyl ethers, substituted and unsubstituted N-hydroxy-succinimides, isocyanates, acids, esters, acid chlorides, maleimides, and acrylates.

6. The oral dosage form of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is cross linked through a cross-linker which provides the polymer with a degradation susceptibility towards an intestinal enzyme or an intestinal pH.

7. The oral dosage form of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is non-covalently cross linked.

8. The oral dosage form of claim 1 , wherein the polymer degrades faster in an environment with intestinal pH than in an environment with gastric pH.

9. The oral dosage form of claim 1 , wherein the intestinal enzyme is selected from the group consisting of lipase, amylase, trypsin, chymotrypsin, elastase, carboxypeptidase, nucleases, aminopeptidases, disaccharidases, maltase, sucrase, and lactase.