Ingestible aggregate and delivery system prepared therefrom

A method for treating hypercholesterolemia and related disorders comprising administering to a patient in need of treatment of said condition a therapeutically effective amount of a delivery system comprising an edible matrix and an ingestible aggregate consisting essentially of a pre-swelled substantially anhydrous hydrocolloid and a substrate, wherein the hydrocolloid at least partially entraps and binds the substrate, the substrate being selected from the group consisting of dietary fibers, drugs and mixtures thereof, wherein the substrate and the hydrocolloid are not the identical material and wherein the substrate contains cholestyramine.

A method of treating mineral deficiencies comprising administering to a patient in need of treatment of said condition a therapeutically effective amount of an ingestible aggregate composition comprising aggregate particles, produced by (a) preparing an aqueous composition of a hydrocolloid;

• (b) fluidizing substantially anhydrous substrate particles in an air stream;
• (c) contacting the substrate particles with the aqueous hydrocolloid composition to form the aggregates of the substrate and hydrocolloid;
• and (d) drying and collecting the aggregates, of a drug and a hydrocolloid wherein the hydrocolloid at least partially entraps the drug, and wherein the substrate is at least one drug selected from the group consisting of pharmaceutically acceptable salts of alkali metal and alkaline earth metals.