Solid oral formulations having an iron sugar overcoat

1. A solid oral formulation including a capsule filling and an iron sugar shell; said capsule filling including at least one therapeutic ingredient, said capsule filling further surrounded by said iron sugar shell; said iron sugar shell including at least one form of bioavailable iron and at least one sugar, said at least one form of bioavailable iron and said at least one sugar each in an amount of at least 0.01 mg, said iron sugar shell making available at least some elemental iron content for gastrointestinal absorption prior to release of said at least one therapeutic ingredient of said capsule filling; said at least one sugar of said iron sugar shell further having some laxative effect that counteracts at least some constipation associated with oral iron consumption.

2. The at least one form of bioavailable iron of said iron sugar shell according to claim 1 further priming iron transporters in intestines prior to absorption of said at least one therapeutic ingredient of said capsule filling.

3. The at least one form of bioavailable iron of said iron sugar shell according to claim 1 further having at least one physical effect selected from the group consisting of reducing gastrointestinal bleeding, maintaining iron levels, replenishing iron levels, raising iron levels, preventing iron deficiency anemia, preventing iron deficiency, treating iron deficiency, and treating iron deficiency anemia.

4. The at least one form of bioavailable iron of said iron sugar shell according to claim 1 is selected from the group consisting of compounds and molecules containing ferrous iron, compounds and molecules containing ferric iron, iron salts, ferric maltol, ferric carboxymaltose, ferric sulfate, ferrous sulfate, ferrous fumarate, ferrous gluconate, sodium ferric gluconate, iron amino chelate, iron polymaltose complex, carbonyl iron, and heme derived iron.

5. The iron sugar shell according to claim 1 further having some sweet taste to mask the taste of said at least one form of bioavailable iron in said iron sugar shell.

6. The at least one sugar of said iron sugar shell according to claim 1 further selected from the class of sugars behaving as soluble fiber.

7. The at least one sugar of said iron sugar shell according to claim 1 further selected from the class of sugar alcohols.

8. The at least one sugar of said iron sugar shell according to claim 1 further selected from the class of less digestible/hard-to-digest sugars.

9. The iron sugar shell according to claim 1 further including at least one excipient.

10. The iron sugar shell according to claim 1 further including at least one excipient selected from surface modifying agents, solvents, and binders.

11. The iron sugar shell according to claim 1 further including at least one additional ingredient, an at least one pharmaceutically active ingredient other than a form of bioavailable iron or sugar laxative.

12. The capsule filling according to claim 1 structured as pellets/granules.

13. The capsule filling according to claim 1 further including at least one excipient.

14. The capsule filling according to claim 1 further including at least one excipient selected from fillers, binders, solvents, coating excipients, and release-modifying excipients.

15. The at least one therapeutic ingredient of said capsule filling according to claim 1 is selected from the group of inorganic and organic compounds including vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids.

16. The at least one therapeutic ingredient of said capsule filling according to claim 1 is a bioavailable form of iron selected from the group consisting of compounds and molecules containing ferrous iron, compounds and molecules containing ferric iron, iron salts, ferric maltol, ferric carboxymaltose, ferric sulfate, ferrous sulfate, ferrous fumarate, ferrous gluconate, sodium ferric gluconate, iron amino chelate, iron polymaltose complex, carbonyl iron, and heme derived iron.

17. The at least one therapeutic ingredient of said capsule filling according to claim 1 is a bioavailable form of iron in an amount of at least 0.1 mg and further having at least one physical effect selected from the group consisting of reducing gastrointestinal bleeding, maintaining iron levels, replenishing iron levels, raising iron levels, preventing iron deficiency anemia, preventing iron deficiency, treating iron deficiency, and treating iron deficiency anemia.

18. The at least one therapeutic ingredient of said capsule filling according to claim 1 is an active pharmaceutical ingredient and not a dietary supplement ingredient.

19. The at least one therapeutic ingredient of said capsule filling according to claim 1 is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug.

20. The at least one therapeutic ingredient of said capsule filling according to claim 1 is selected from anticholinergics.

21. A solid oral formulation including a capsule filling and an iron sugar shell; said capsule filling including at least one therapeutic ingredient, said capsule filling further surrounded by said iron sugar shell; said iron sugar shell including at least one form of bioavailable iron and at least one sugar, said at least one form of bioavailable iron and said at least one sugar each in an amount of at least 0.01 mg, said iron sugar shell making available at least some elemental iron content for gastrointestinal co-absorption with said at least one therapeutic ingredient of said capsule filling.

22. An at least two-phase method including a phase-one step of administering daily, for at least three weeks, an at least one dosage of a first solid oral formulation, said first solid oral formulation including a capsule filling and an iron sugar shell including at least one form of iron in an amount of at least 0.01 mg and at least one sugar in an amount of at least 0.01 mg having some laxative effect that counteracts at least some constipation associated with oral iron consumption, said first solid oral formulation including iron in a higher initial amount sufficient to be available for gastrointestinal absorption for treating iron deficiency/iron deficiency anemia;

said method further including a phase-two step of reducing said administering daily of said at least one dosage of said first solid oral formulation after the at least three weeks from when dosage administration of said first solid oral formulation began in phase-one; while concomitantly administering daily at least one dosage of a second solid oral formulation, said second solid oral formulation including a capsule filling and an iron sugar shell including at least one form of iron in an amount of at least 0.01 mg and at least one sugar in an amount of at least 0.01 mg having some laxative effect that counteracts at least some constipation associated with oral iron consumption, said second solid oral formulation including iron in a lower subsequent amount sufficient to be available for gastrointestinal absorption for replenishing/maintaining iron levels and preventing recurrence of iron deficiency/iron deficiency anemia; said second solid oral formulation having an elemental iron equivalent content less than that of said first solid oral formulation.