Cyclodextrin-water soluble polymer ternary complexes enhance the solubility and dissolution behaviour of poorly soluble drugs. Case example: itraconazole.

The aim of the present series of experiments was to improve the solubility and dissolution/precipitation behaviour of a poorly soluble, weakly basic drug, using itraconazole as a case example. Binary inclusion complexes of itraconazole with two commonly used cyclodextrin derivatives and a recently introduced cyclodextrin derivative were prepared. Their solubility and dissolution behaviour was compared with that of the pure drug and the marketed formulation Sporanox®. Ternary complexes were prepared by addition of Soluplus®, a new highly water soluble polymer, during the formation of the itraconazole/cyclodextrin complex. A solid dispersion made of itraconazole and Soluplus® was also studied as a control. Solid state analysis was performed for all formulations and for pure itraconazole using powder X-ray diffraction (pX-RD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Solubility tests indicated that with all formulation approaches, the aqueous solubility of itraconazole formed with hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin (HP-ß-CD) or hydroxybutenyl-ß-cyclodextrin (HBen-ß-CD) and Soluplus® proved to be the most favourable formulation approaches. Whereas the marketed formulation and the pure drug showed very poor dissolution, both of these ternary inclusion complexes resulted in fast and extensive release of itraconazole in all test media. Using the results of the dissolution experiments, a newly developed physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) in silico model was applied to compare the in vivo behaviour of Sporanox® with the predicted performance of the most promising ternary complexes from the in vitro studies. The PBPK modelling predicted that the bioavailability of itraconazole is likely to be increased after oral administration of ternary complex formulations, especially when itraconazole is formulated as a ternary complex comprising HP-ß-CD or HBen-ß-CD and Soluplus®.

Miniaturized transfer models to predict the precipitation of poorly soluble weak bases upon entry into the small intestine.

For poorly soluble weak bases, the possibility of drug precipitation upon entry into the small intestine may affect the amount of drug available for uptake through the intestinal mucosa. A few years ago, a transfer model was introduced which has been developed to simulate the transfer of a dissolved drug out of the stomach into the small intestine. However, this setup requires the use of clinically relevant doses of the drug, which are typically not available in the early stages of formulation development. The present series of tests was performed to check whether it is possible to create a miniaturized but physiologically relevant transfer model that can be applied in the early formulation development. Experiments were performed with two miniaturized setups: a 96-well plate model and a mini-paddle transfer system. Itraconazole and tamoxifen were used as model drugs. An appropriate amount of each drug formulation was dissolved in simulated gastric fluid and then transferred into an acceptor phase consisting of fasted/fed state simulated small intestinal fluid. The amount of drug dissolved in the acceptor phase was monitored over a period of 4 h. Results from both setups were very similar. The tamoxifen preformulation did not precipitate, whereas the itraconazole formulation precipitated to the same extent in both setups. Due to the possibility of generating physiologically relevant results but using smaller sample sizes and smaller volumes of media, both miniaturized transfer systems offer various advantages in terms of substance and analytical and material cost savings when evaluating the precipitation potential of poorly soluble weakly basic drug candidates.

Improving glyburide solubility and dissolution by complexation with hydroxybutenyl-beta-cyclodextrin.

OBJECTIVES: Glyburide, an important drug for type 2 diabetes, has extremely poor aqueous solubility and resulting low bioavailability. This study describes the ability of hydroxybutenyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HBenBCD) to form complexes with glyburide, with enhanced solubility and dissolution rate in vitro. METHOD: Glyburide and glyburide-HBenBCD were evaluated in various test media known to simulate human gastrointestinal conditions in the fasted and fed states, respectively. KEY FINDINGS: At approximately 14 wt% drug load, in the presence of HBenBCD, an almost 400-fold increase in glyburide aqueous solubility was observed. In the presence of HBenBCD, glyburide solubility was also significantly improved in all physiologically relevant test media. Subsequent dissolution experiments confirmed the solubility study results; the dissolution rate and total amount of drug released were significantly increased. CONCLUSIONS: Complexation with HBenBCD may be an effective way to increase the bioavailability of glyburide.

Inhibiting efflux with novel non-ionic surfactants: Rational design based on vitamin E TPGS.

Tocopheryl Polyethylene Glycol Succinate 1000 (TPGS 1000) can inhibit P-glycoprotein (P-gp); TPGS 1000 was not originally designed to inhibit an efflux pump. Recent work from our laboratories demonstrated that TPGS activity has a rational PEG chain length dependency. In other recent work, inhibition mechanism was investigated and appears to be specific to the ATPase providing P-gp energy. Based on these observations, we commenced rational surface-active design. The current work summarizes new materials tested in a validated Caco-2 cell monolayer model; rhodamine 123 (10microM) was used as the P-gp substrate. These results demonstrate that one may logically construct non-ionic surfactants with enhanced propensity to inhibit in vitro efflux. One new surfactant based inhibitor, Tocopheryl Polypropylene Glycol Succinate 1000 (TPPG 1000), approached cyclosporine (CsA) in its in vitro efflux inhibitory potency. Subsequently, TPPG 1000 was tested for its ability to enhance the bioavailability of raloxifene - an established P-gp substrate -in fasted male rats. Animals dosed with raloxifene and TPPG 1000 experienced an increase in raloxifene oral bioavailability versus a control group which received no inhibitor. These preliminary results demonstrate that one may prepare TPGS analogs that possess enhanced inhibitory potency in vitro and in vivo.

Pharmacokinetics of saquinavir after intravenous and oral dosing of saquinavir: hydroxybutenyl-beta-cyclodextrin formulations.

The current research evaluated the ability of hydroxybutenyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HBenBCD) to enhance saquinavir in vitro solubility and in vivo oral bioavailability; both the base and mesylate salt forms of saquinavir were investigated. HBenBCD was effective and significantly improved saquinavir solubility in aqueous media. In the presence of 10 wt % HBenBCD, saquinavir base solubility in water was increased to ca. 5.5 +/- 0.4 mg/mL and represents a 27-fold increase from that observed in water (207 +/- 5 microg/mL) in the absence of HBenBCD. Saquinavir-HBenBCD formulations were found to have rapid dissolution over a wide pH range (1.2-6.8), and saquinavir solubility in these media was maintained throughout the experiments. When saquinavir-HBenBCD formulations were administered to Wistar-Hannover rats, saquinavir was rapidly absorbed and rapidly eliminated. Rapid saquinavir elimination was particularly pronounced when saquinavir-HBenBCD formulations were given as an oral aqueous gavage. Saquinavir oral bioavailability in rats obtained from saquinavir mesylate capsules (2.0% +/- 0.7%) was increased (9 +/- 4)-fold (18.6% +/- 7.3%) when dosed with saquinavir base-HBenBCD capsules. Clearly, HBenBCD can significantly improve the solubility and oral bioavailability of saquinavir; however, further formulation studies are required to optimize saquinavir oral delivery using this technology.

Pharmacokinetics of raloxifene in male Wistar-Hannover rats: influence of complexation with hydroxybutenyl-beta-cyclodextrin.

Raloxifene is a highly insoluble, highly metabolized serum estrogen receptor modulator approved for use in the treatment of osteoporosis. Hydroxybutenyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HBenBCD) is a novel solubility enhancer previously demonstrated to increase the oral bioavailability of tamoxifen, letrozole, and itraconazole. The current study evaluated the pharmacokinetics of raloxifene in oral and intravenous formulations with HBenBCD in male Wistar-Hannover rats. Analytical methodology to measure raloxifene and its metabolites was developed by measuring raloxifene metabolism in vitro. Formulation with HBenBCD significantly increased raloxifene oral bioavailability. Mean+/-S.D. oral bioavailabilities were 2.6+/-0.4% for raloxifene formulated with microcrystalline cellulose, 7.7+/-2.1% for a solid capsule formulation of raloxifene:HBenBCD complex, and 5.7+/-1.3% for a liquid-filled capsule formulation containing raloxifene:HBenBCD/PEG400/H(2)O. Relative to raloxifene/microcrystalline filled capsules, the presence of HBenBCD in the solid capsule formulation afforded: (i) a decrease in raloxifene T(max) (2.5+/-0.5h versus 4.0+/-0.5h); (ii) a two-fold increase in raloxifene C(max) and a three-fold increase in raloxifene AUC; and (iii) a 12-fold increase in raloxifene glucuronide C(max) and a 6.5-fold increase in raloxifene glucuronide AUC. Hence, these studies demonstrate that raloxifene formulations containing HBenBCD significantly increased the oral bioavailability in rats relative to formulations that did not contain HBenBCD.

Pharmacokinetics of itraconazole after intravenous and oral dosing of itraconazole-cyclodextrin formulations.

The current research evaluated and compared the efficacy of hydroxybutenyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HBenBCD) and hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HPBCD) as enhancers of itraconazole solubility and oral bioavailability. At 10 wt% cyclodextrin, 17-fold and 3.8-fold increases in itraconazole aqueous solubility were observed in the presence of HBenBCD and HPBCD, respectively. Significant differences in the dissolution of itraconazole in the presence of these two cyclodextrins were also observed. Itraconazole pharmacokinetics is known to exhibit a significant food effect. However, testing in biorelevant media indicated that no food effects should be observed after oral administration of itraconazole:HBenBCD complexes. Formulations of itraconazole with HBenBCD were prepared and these complexes, along with the commercial forms of itraconazole with and without HPBCD (Sporanox) were administered to male Sprague-Dawley rats by oral and intravenous routes. Intravenous administration of itraconazole formulated with HBenBCD resulted in a higher AUC relative to Sporanox. When administered as oral solutions, the itraconazole:HBenBCD formulation provided higher oral bioavailability than the Sporanox oral solution. When administered as solid formulations, the itraconazole:HBenBCD solid formulation provided a 2x increase in oral bioavailability relative to the Sporanox solid formulation. No food effects were observed with the itraconazole:HBenBCD solid dosage forms. Drug/metabolite ratios were dependent upon the dosage form.

Pharmacokinetics of letrozole in male and female rats: influence of complexation with hydroxybutenyl-beta cyclodextrin.

Cyclodextrins (CDs) are one of the most successful solutions to the problem of poor drug solubility. In this study, we examined the in-vitro effects of three CDs on the solubility of letrozole, a breast cancer drug that is practically insoluble in water. The most promising, hydroxybutenyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HBenbetaCD), was used for in-vivo studies in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. Letrozole is a drug with dramatic gender-based differences in pharmacokinetics. For example, the terminal half-life (t(1/2)) of letrozole following intravenous administration in male rats was 11.5 +/- 1.8 h (n = 3), while in female rats it was 42.3 +/- 2.9 h (n = 3). HBenbetaCD increased the solubility and enhanced the dissolution rate of letrozole. Complexation of letrozole with HBenbetaCD improved oral absorption in male rats and maximized absorption in female rats. Regardless of gender, the presence of HBenbetaCD in the formulation increased the in-vivo rate of absorption. When administered in a capsule formulation with letrozole, HBenbetaCD resulted in a higher C(max) (61% in male rats, 42% in female), shorter T(max) values (8.4 to 6.3 h in male, 16.4 h to 5.4 h in female) and increased absolute oral bioavailability (46 +/- 2 vs 38 +/- 3 in male, 101 +/- 3 vs 95 +/- 2 in female). Thus, solubility limits both rate and extent of letrozole absorption in male rats, but limits only the rate of absorption in female rats.

Pharmacokinetics of tamoxifen after intravenous and oral dosing of tamoxifen-hydroxybutenyl-beta-cyclodextrin formulations.

Oral and intravenous administration of tamoxifen base and tamoxifen citrate formulated with hydroxybutenyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HBenBCD) to Sprague-Dawley rats significantly increased the oral bioavailability of tamoxifen relative to that of parent drug (no HBenBCD). When formulated with HBenBCD, the form of tamoxifen (base vs. salt) made no difference in the oral bioavailability of tamoxifen. Liquid formulations (PG:PEG400:H2O) provided higher oral bioavailability than solid formulations dissolved and dosed as aqueous oral solutions. The oral bioavailability of tamoxifen was significantly influenced by both dietary status and time of dosing of the animals. Tamoxifen metabolite plasma concentrations were not affected by complexation of tamoxifen with HBenBCD. Collectively, the data indicated that dosing of fasted animals in the morning with tamoxifen:HBenBCD formulations provided a very significant increase in tamoxifen oral bioavailability (up to 10- to 14-fold).

Solubilization and dissolution of tamoxifen-hydroxybutenyl cyclodextrin complexes.

The solubility and dissolution of tamoxifen base and tamoxifen citrate with and without hydroxybutenyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HBenBCD) in aqueous and organic media were examined. The solubility of tamoxifen was greatly enhanced by complexation with HBenBCD; pH of the medium, and choice of buffer significantly impacted the amount of drug that could be solubilized. Different tamoxifen:HBenBCD formulations were prepared, including liquid fill capsule formulations, and their dissolution profiles were obtained. These dissolution studies demonstrated that enhanced solubilization of tamoxifen with HBenBCD was effective across a wide variety of formulation options. By complexation of tamoxifen base with HBenBCD, it was possible to obtain solubility and dissolution profiles for tamoxifen base that were essentially identical to that of tamoxifen citrate.

Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry method development for drug metabolism studies: Examining lipid matrix ionization effects in plasma.

Glycerophosphocholines (GPCho's) are known to cause liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) matrix ionization effects during the analysis of biological samples (i.e. blood, plasma). We have developed a convenient new method, which we refer to as "in-source multiple reaction monitoring" (IS-MRM), for detecting GPCho's during LC-MS/MS method development. The approach uses high energy in-source collisionally induced dissociation (CID) to yield trimethylammonium-ethyl phosphate ions (m/z 184), which are formed from mono- and disubstituted GPCho's. The resulting ion is selected by the first quadrupole (Q1), passed through the collision cell (Q2) in the presence of collision gas at low energy to minimize fragmentation, and m/z 184 selected by the third quadrupole. This approach can be combined with standard multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) transitions with little compromise in sensitivity during method development and sample analysis. Hence, this approach was used to probe ionization matrix effects in plasma samples. The resulting information was employed to develop LC-MS/MS analyses for drugs and their metabolites with cycle times less than 5 min.

Synthesis and characterization of water-soluble hydroxybutenyl cyclomaltooligosaccharides (cyclodextrins).

We have examined the synthesis of hydroxybutenyl cyclomaltooligosaccharides (cyclodextrins) and the ability of these cyclodextrin ethers to form guest-host complexes with guest molecules. The hydroxybutenyl cyclodextrin ethers were prepared by a base-catalyzed reaction of 3,4-epoxy-1-butene with the parent cyclodextrins in an aqueous medium. Reaction byproducts were removed by nanofiltration before the hydroxybutenyl cyclodextrins were isolated by co-evaporation of water-EtOH. Hydroxybutenyl cyclodextrins containing no unsubstituted parent cyclodextrin typically have a degree of substitution of 2-4 and a molar substitution of 4-7. These hydroxybutenyl cyclodextrins are randomly substituted, amorphous solids. The hydroxybutenyl cyclodextrin ethers were found to be highly water soluble. Complexes of HBen-beta-CD with glibenclamide and ibuprofen were prepared and isolated. In both cases, the guest content of the complexes was large, and a significant increase in the solubility of the free drug was observed. Dissolution of the complexes in pH 1.4 water was very rapid, and significant increases in the solubility of the free drugs were observed. Significantly, after reaching equilibrium concentration, a decrease in the drug concentration over time was not observed.