the bulk lipid - regulating agent can be prepared by any available method , as for example the compound fenofibrate may be prepared by the procedure disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 658 , 552 , or the procedure disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 739 , 101 , both herein incorporated by reference . the lipid - regulating agent is then dissolved in a surfactant solution , such as for example , docusate sodium , in a solvent , such as for example , acetone or methylene chloride , or a cosolvent such as acetone - water in amounts ranging from 1 part by weight surfactant solutions : 0 . 032 parts by weight fenofibrate to 1 part by weight surfactant solutions : 1 . 16 parts by weight fenofibrate . other suitable surfactants include sorbitan esters , polysorbates , lecithin , and all pharmaceutically - acceptable anionic , cationic , ampholytic , nonionic surfactants . other suitable solvents include ethanol , methanol , ether , ethyl acetate , isopropyl alcohol , and tetrahydofuran . a premix of excipients is prepared . suitable excipients include , for example , lactose , starch , polyvinyl pyrrolidone , magnesium stearate , or other pharmaceutically - acceptable excipients may be used . the lipid - regulating agent / surfactant solution and excipient premix are then mixed together . the resulting mixture is then granulated , for example , in a fluidized bed or a low or high shear mixer and dried by well - known solvent evaporation techniques , as for example , spray drying , fluid bed , spinning disk drying , or evaporation under reduced pressure . the resultant material may then be sized , if necessary and formulated into a finished dosage form , for example , a tablet or capsule by conventional techniques such as direct compression or other means . the invention will be understood more clearly from the following non - limiting representative examples : fenofibrate ( 12 g ) and docusate sodium ( 3 g ) were dissolved in 20 ml methylene chloride . lactose anhydrous ( 32 . 5 g ) and sodium starch glycolate ( 2 g ) were premixed . the premix was granulated with above solution . the wet granules were tray dried in an oven at 40 c . the dried granules were sieved through a 100 mesh screen and filled into a hard gelatin capsule . in vitro dissolution rate of the capsules were compared with that of the reference , lipanthyl , the marketed capsule product , which contains the same amount of the active . usp apparatus ii was used for testing . the test conditions were : paddle speed = 75 rpm ; dissolution medium = 100 mm sds solution ; temperature = 37 c . dissolution samples were analyzed by an hplc method . in vitro dissolution profiles of a capsule containing milled fenofibrate , the reference capsule ( lipanthyl ) and capsule from the current invention are shown in fig1 . the data indicates that the dissolution rate of the capsules of the present invention are higher than the reference capsules . based on u . s . pat . no . 4 , 895 , 726 , in vitro dissolution result can be correlated to the in vivo absorption in humans . thus , equivalent or increased dissolution in vitro can result in bioavailability equivalent to or improved over the reference in humans . fenofibrate ( 15 g ) and docusate sodium ( 3 g ) were dissolved in 45 ml acetone . lactose anhydrous ( 29 g ) and crospovidone ( 3 g ) were premixed . the premix was mixed with above solution . the wet mass was tray dried in an oven at 30 c . the dried solid was milled and sieved through a 100 mesh screen . the small particles were filled into a hard gelatin capsule . in vitro dissolution rate of the capsules were compared with that of the reference , lipanthyl , the marketed capsule product , which contains the same amount of the active . usp apparatus ii was used for testing . the test conditions were : paddle speed = 75 rpm ; dissolution medium = 100 mm sds solution ; temperature = 37 c . dissolution samples were analyzed by an hplc method . in vitro dissolution profiles of the reference capsules and capsules from the present invention are shown in fig2 . preliminary data indicate that dissolution rate of the capsules of the present invention are higher than the reference capsules . based on u . s . pat . no . 4 , 895 , 726 , in vitro dissolution result can be correlated to the in vivo absorption in humans . thus , equivalent or increased dissolution in vitro can result in bioavailability equivalent to or improved over the reference in humans .