Molecular interactions in remdesivir-cyclodextrin systems.

ABSTRACT

Remdesivir (REM) is the first antiviral drug (Veklury™) approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the therapy of COVID-19. Due to its poor water solubility, the preparation of Veklury™ requires a suitable solubilizing excipient at pH 2 conditions. For this purpose, the final formulation contains the randomly substituted sulfobutylether-ß-cyclodextrin (SBEßCD) as a complexing agent. Herein, extensive NMR spectroscopic study with various cyclodextrin (CD) derivatives were conducted to understand the interactions in SBEßCD - REM systems at the molecular level. The pKa value of REM has been determined experimentally for the first time, as the protonation state of the aminopyrrolo-triazine moiety can play a key role in CD-REM inclusion complex formation as SBEßCD has permanent negative charges. The UV-pH titration experiments yielded a pKa of 3.56, thus the majority of REM bears a positive charge at pH 2.0. NMR experiments were performed on ß- and γCD derivatives to determine complex stabilities, stoichiometries and structures. The stability constants were determined by nonlinear curve fitting based on 1H NMR titrations at pH 2.0, while Job's method was used to determine the stoichiometries. ßCD complexes were one order of magnitude more stable than their γCD counterparts. Sulfobutylation resulted in a significant increase in stability and the single isomer derivatives showed unexpectedly high stability values (logK = 4.35 for REM - per-6-SBEßCD). In the case of ßCDs, the ethylbutyl-moiety plays a key role in complexation immersing into the ßCD cavity, while the phenoxy-moiety overtakes and drives the inclusion of REM in the case of γCDs. This is the first comprehensive study of REM-CD complexation, allowing the design of new CD derivatives with tailored stabilities, thereby aiding the formulation or production and even the analytical characterization of REM.