TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - PHARMACEUTICALS - Preferred Process: In step (b), the composition is shaped to form the extended release matrix formulation in the form of tablet, where the composition is shaped by direct compression. In step (c), the extended release matrix formulation is subjected to a temperature of at least 60 degrees C, preferably 68-90 degrees C, for 1 minute to 5 hours, preferably 15 minutes. The step (c) is carried out in an oven with an inside temperature or in a convection curing device comprising an inlet air temperature, an exhaust air temperature and/or a temperature probe, where the temperature is the target inside temperature, inlet air temperature or exhaust air temperature, and the curing starts when the inside temperature, inlet air temperature or exhaust air temperature reaches the temperature, and the curing ends either when the heating is stopped or at least reduced and the inside temperature, inlet air temperature or exhaust air temperature subsequently drops below the temperature by more than 10 degrees C or below 62 degrees C, in a plateau-like temperature profile or when the inside temperature of the oven drops below the temperature in a parabolic or triangular temperature profile, where the temperature profile during the curing step shows a plateau-like form and the inside temperature is preferably at least 68 degrees C and the curing time is preferably 30 minutes to 20 hours, the inlet air temperature is preferably at least 72 degrees C and the curing time is preferably 15 minutes to 2 hours, the target exhaust air temperature is preferably at least 68 degrees C and the curing time is preferably 1 minute to 2 hours, or the target temperature is measured using the temperature probe, where the temperature is preferably at least 68 degrees C and the curing time is preferably 15 minutes to 2 hours. The curing step (c) takes place in a bed of free flowing extended release matrix formulations, preferably in a coating pan. The process further comprises coating the cured extended release matrix formulation. The process comprises subsequently cooling the bed of free flowing tablets to a temperature below 50 degrees C before coating the dosage form. In curing step (c), at least 20%, preferably 100% of the high molecular weight polyethylene oxide melts. The dosage form is subjected to a temperature of less than 80 degrees C or less than 77 degrees C. The curing step (c) leads to a decrease in the density of the extended release matrix formulation, where the density of the cured extended release matrix formulation in comparison to the density of the uncured extended release matrix formulation decreases by at least 0.5%, preferably at least 0.7%. The curing is conducted at atmospheric pressure, and magnesium stearate is added during or after the curing step. Preferred Components: The active agent is an opioid analgesic, which is codeine, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, morphine, oxycodone, oxymorphone (all preferred) alfentanil, allylprodine, alphaprodine, anileridine, benzylmorphine, bezitramide, buprenorphine, butorphanol, clonitazene, desomorphine, dextromoramide, dezocine, diampromide, diamorphine, dihydrocodeine, dihydromorphine, dimenoxadol, dimepheptanol, dimethylthiambutene, dioxaphetyl butyrate, dipipanone, eptazocine, ethoheptazine, ethylmethylthiambutene, ethylmorphine, etonitazene, etorphine, dihydroetorphine, fentanyl, hydroxypethidine, isomethadone, ketobemidone, levorphanol, levophenacylmorphan, lofentanil, meperidine, meptazinol, metazocine, methadone, metopon, myrophine, narceine, nicomorphine, norlevorphanol, normethadone, nalorphine, nalbuphine, normorphine, norpipanone, opium, papaveretum, pentazocine, phenadoxone, phenomorphan, phenazocine, phenoperidine, piminodine, piritramide, proheptazine, promedol, properidine, propoxyphene, sufentanil, tilidine, tramadol, or their salts, hydrates or solvates. The opioid analgesic is: oxycodone hydrochloride, and the dosage form comprises 5-500 mg, preferably 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg, 20 mg, 30 mg, 40 mg, 45 mg, 60 mg, or 80 mg, 90 mg, 120 mg or 160 mg of oxycodone hydrochloride, where the oxycodone hydrochloride has a 14-hydroxycodeinone level of less than 25 ppm, preferably less than 5 ppm; oxymorphone hydrochloride and the dosage form comprises 1-500 mg, preferably 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg, 20 mg, 30, mg, 40 mg, 45 mg, 60 mg, 80 mg, 90 mg, 120 mg or 160 mg of oxymorphone hydrochloride; or hydromorphone hydrochloride and the dosage form comprises 1-100 mg, preferably 2 mg, 4 mg, 8 mg, 12 mg, 16 mg, 24 mg, 32 mg, 48 mg or 64 mg of hydromorphone hydrochloride. Preferred Composition: The composition further comprises at least one polyethylene oxide (PEO2) having, based on rheological measurements, a molecular weight of less than 1000000, preferably 100000, where the overall content of polyethylene oxide in the composition is at least 85 wt.%, 80 wt.%, 65 wt.%, 60 wt.%, 94 wt.%, 92 wt.% or 90 wt.%. The composition comprises at least 10 wt.% or at least 20 wt.% of polyethylene oxide (PEO2). The composition comprises more than 5 wt.% of oxycodone hydrochloride or hydromorphone hydrochloride. The thickness of the tablet or the individual multiparticulate after the flattening is no more than 16% of the thickness of the tablet or the individual multiparticulate before flattening, and where: the flattened tablet or the multiparticulates provide an in vitro dissolution rate of no more than 15% points from the corresponding in vitro dissolution rate of a non-flattened reference tablet or reference multiparticulates, when measured in USP Apparatus 1 (basket) at 100 rpm in 900 ml SGF at 37 degrees C; or the flattened tablet or the flattened multiparticulates and the non-flattened reference tablet or reference multiparticulates provide an in vitro dissolution rate of 5-40 (preferably 10-18) wt.% active agent released after 0.5 hours, when measured in a USP Apparatus 1 (basket) at 100 rpm in 900 ml SGF at 37 degrees C; or the flattened or non-flattened tablet or the flattened or non-flattened multiparticulates provide an in vitro dissolution rate of no more than 20% active agent released at 0.5 hours, when measured in a USP Apparatus 1 (basket) at 100 rpm in 900 ml SGF comprising 40% ethanol at 37 degrees C, as compared to corresponding in vitro dissolution rate measured in a USP Apparatus 1 (basket) at 100 rpm in 900 ml SGF at 37 degrees C without ethanol, using a flattened and non-flattened reference tablet or flattened and non-flattened reference multiparticulates, respectively; or the flattened or non-flattened tablet or the individual multiparticulates provide an in vitro dissolution rate, when measured in a USP Apparatus 1 (basket) at 100 rpm in 900 ml simulated gastric fluid without enzymes (SGF) comprising 40% ethanol at 37 degrees C, of no more than 15% points from the corresponding in vitro dissolution rate measured in a USP Apparatus 1 (basket) at 100 rpm in 900 ml SGF at 37 degrees C without ethanol, using a flattened and a non-flattened reference tablet or reference multiparticulates, respectively; or the flattened or non-flattened tablet or the flattened or non-flattened multiparticulates provide an in vitro dissolution rate, which when measured in a USP Apparatus 1 (basket) at 100 rpm in 900 ml SGF comprising 40% or 0% ethanol at 37 degrees C, of 5-40 (preferably 10-18) wt.% active agent released after 0.5 hours. The extended release matrix formulation after having been stored at 25 degrees C and 60% relative humidity (RH) for at least 1 month provides a dissolution rate, when measured in a USP Apparatus 1 (basket) at 100 rpm in 900 ml SGF at 37 degrees C, characterized by the percent amount of active agent released at 1, 4 and 12 hours of dissolution that deviates no more than 15% (preferably no more than 10%) points from the corresponding in vitro dissolution rate of a reference formulation prior to storage, where the extended release matrix formulation has been stored at 40 degrees C and 75% RH. The dosage provides a dissolution rate, which when measured in a USP Apparatus 1 (basket) at 100 rpm in 900 ml SGF at 37 degrees C, of 12.5-55 wt.% active released after 1 hour, 25-65 wt.% active released after 2 hours, 45-85 wt.% active released after 4 hours and 55-95 wt.% active released after 6 hours. The active agent is oxycodone hydrochloride and the dosage form when tested in a comparative clinical study is bioequivalent to the commercial product OxyContin (RTM: Time-release oral oxycodone). The active agent is oxycodone hydrochloride, and a dosage form comprising 10 mg of oxycodone hydrochloride when tested in a comparative clinical study is bioequivalent to a reference tablet containing 10 mg of oxycodone hydrochloride in a matrix formulation containing (in mg/tablet): oxycodone hydrochloride (10); lactose (spray-dried) (69.25); povidone (5); Eudragit RS 30D (RTM: Copolymer of ethyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate and a low content of methacrylic acid ester with quaternary ammonium groups) (10); Triacetin (RTM: 1,2,3-Triacetoxypropane) (2); stearyl alcohol (25); talc (2.5); magnesium stearate (1.25), where the reference tablet is prepared by: combining Eudragit RS 30D (RTM: Copolymer of ethyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate and a low content of methacrylic acid ester with quaternary ammonium groups) and Triacetin (RTM: 1,2,3-Triacetoxypropane) while passing through a 60 mesh screen, and mixing under low shear for 5 minutes or until a uniform dispersion is observed, placing oxycodone hydrochloride, lactose and povidone into a fluid bed granulator/dryer bowl, and spraying the suspension onto the powder in the fluid bed; after spraying, passing the granulation through a #12 screen if necessary to reduce lumps; placing the dry granulation in a mixer; melting the required amount of stearyl alcohol at 70 degrees C, in the mean time; incorporating the melted stearyl alcohol into the granulation while mixing; transferring the waxed granulation to a fluid bed granulator/dryer or trays and cooling to room temperature or below; passing the cooled granulation through a #12 screen; placing the waxed granulation in a mixer/blender and lubricating with the required amounts of talc and magnesium stearate for 3 minutes; and compressing the granulate into 125 mg tablets on a tableting machine. The extended release dosage form is in the form of a: tablet, which is over coated with polyethylene oxide powder layer to form a tablet that has a core tablet and a layer of polyethylene oxide surrounding the core tablet; or stacked bi or multilayered tablet, where one of the layers contains an extended release formulation and one of the other layers contains an immediate release formulation, where the extended release formulation and the immediate release formulation contain the same or different active agents, in which the extended release formulation comprises an opioid analgesic and the immediate release formulation comprises a non-opioid analgesic.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The polyethylene oxide (PEO1) has the molecular weight of 2000000-8000000. ACTIVITY - Analgesic.    MECHANISM OF ACTION - Opioid receptor agonist.