Enteric-coating of pulsatile-release HPC capsules prepared by injection molding.

Capsular devices based on hydroxypropyl cellulose (Klucel® LF) intended for pulsatile release were prepared by injection molding (IM). In the present work, the possibility of exploiting such capsules for the development of colonic delivery systems based on a time-dependent approach was evaluated. For this purpose, it was necessary to demonstrate the ability of molded cores to undergo a coating process and that coated systems yield the desired performance (gastric resistance). Although no information was available on the coating of IM substrates, some issues relevant to that of commercially-available capsules are known. Thus, preliminary studies were conducted on molded disks for screening purposes prior to the spray-coating of HPC capsular cores with Eudragit® L 30 D 55. The ability of the polymeric suspension to wet the substrate, spread, start penetrating and initiate hydration/swelling, as well as to provide a gastroresistant barrier was demonstrated. The coating of prototype HPC capsules was carried out successfully, leading to coated systems with good technological properties and able to withstand the acidic medium with no need for sealing at the cap/body joint. Such systems maintained the original pulsatile release performance after dissolution of the enteric film in pH 6.8 fluid. Therefore, they appeared potentially suitable for the development of a colon delivery platform based on a time-dependent approach.

Pharmacokinetics and tolerability of oral sildenafil in adults with cystic fibrosis lung disease.

RATIONALE: Airway inflammation is central to cystic fibrosis (CF) pathophysiology. Pre-clinical models have shown that phosphodiesterase inhibitors (PDEi) like sildenafil have anti-inflammatory activity. PDEi have not been studied in CF subjects. OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the pharmacokinetics, tolerability, and safety of sildenafil in subjects with CF. Sputum biomarkers were used to explore efficacy. METHODS: An open-label pilot study of oral sildenafil administration was conducted in adults with mild to moderate CF lung disease. Subjects received oral sildenafil 20 or 40 mg p.o. t.i.d. for 6 weeks. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Twenty subjects completed the study. Estimated elimination rate constants were statistically different in subjects with CF compared to previously published non-CF subjects. Side effects were generally mild. There were no drug-related serious adverse events. Sputum neutrophil elastase activity decreased. CONCLUSIONS: Subjects with CF may eliminate sildenafil at a faster rate than non-CF subjects. Sildenafil administration was safe in subjects with CF and decreased sputum elastase activity. Sildenafil warrants further study as an anti-inflammatory in CF.

A nondestructive technique to determine the rate of oxygen permeation into solid dosage forms.

The current study investigated the use of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy as a nondestructive method to quantify the partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) in tablets and hard shell capsules. Lithium phthalocyanine crystals (LiPC) were placed inside the dosage forms. The peak-to-peak linewidth of the first derivative of the LiPC EPR spectra was measured and, by calibration tables, the oxygen partial pressure, pO2, within the dosage form was determined. The intra-dosage form pO2 was followed as a function of time after changing the exterior gas stream composition. Results showed initial oxygen concentrations comparable to atmospheric levels in all tablets and capsules investigated. Oxygen rapidly permeated into unsealed gelatin and cellulosic hard shell capsules. Banding at the cap/body joint significantly reduced the oxygen permeation rate. Oxygen also rapidly permeated into tablet compacts, regardless of the compressional force used during tableting, while application of a polymeric film significantly decreased the rate of oxygen permeation. This EPR technique was shown to be a suitable nondestructive method to study oxygen permeation kinetics in solid dosage forms.

Influence of curing on the adhesive and thermomechanical properties of an applied acrylic polymer.

The objective of the current study was to investigate the relationship between polymer adhesion and post-coating thermal treatment. A novel adhesion technique was used to quantify the adhesive properties of applied acrylic films. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to determine the glass transition temperature of the applied polymer. Post-coating thermal treatment, or curing, was found to significantly influence the adhesive and thermomechanical properties of the applied film coating. Adhesion of triethyl citrate-plasticized films to tablets increased during storage at elevated temperatures, equilibrating within four hours. The glass transition temperature of the applied triethyl citrate-plasticized coatings also increased during curing. Equilibration of polymer properties was found to be dependent on the hydrophobicity of the plasticizer incorporated into the coating formulation, with longer curing times required for films containing the hydrophobic plasticizer tributyl citrate. The curing temperature was shown to influence polymer properties, with stronger film-tablet adhesion and higher glass transition temperatures resulting when the coated tablets were stored at higher temperatures. Substrate hydrophobicity was also found to influence the curing process, suggesting that the mechanisms involved in film formation and polymer-substrate adhesion may contribute to the internal stresses within the film.

Influence of surfactants in aqueous-based polymeric dispersions on the thermomechanical and adhesive properties of acrylic films.

Good adhesion between a polymeric film and the surface of a solid substrate is critical to the performance of coated pharmaceutical products. Previous research has shown that tablet wettability by an organic-based cellulosic solution could predict the extent of film-tablet adhesion. Using an aqueous-based acrylic polymeric dispersion, the current study investigated the relationship between film adhesion and tablet wettability. Up to 10% (w/w based on dry polymer weight) polysorbate 80 or sorbitan monooleate was incorporated into the film-coating formulations. While the contact angle between the polymeric dispersion and the tablet surface was dependent on the type and concentration of surfactants added to the coating formulation, no correlation between tablet wettability and polymer adhesion could be established. The addition of surfactants to formulations containing the hydrophobic plasticizer tributyl citrate (TBC) caused lowering of the glass transition temperature of the polymer. Increased force of adhesion, elongation at adhesive failure, and adhesive toughness, however, were noted only in the TBC-plasticized films containing polysorbate 80. These findings demonstrate that our understanding of the mechanisms involved in film-tablet adhesion is still quite limited.

Adhesion of polymeric films to pharmaceutical solids.

The two major forces influencing polymer adhesion include the strength of the interfacial bonds between the polymeric film and the surface of the solid and the internal stresses within the film coating. While good adhesion between the polymer and the substrate is desirable for pharmaceutical products, the small size of the dosage form and the non-uniform surface roughness have created difficulties in assessing polymer adhesion. In this review, the experimental devices and procedures used to quantitate polymer adhesion are addressed. The affects of the physical and chemical properties of the substrate, including surface roughness and tablet hydrophobicity, on adhesion of a polymer to either tablets or capsules are discussed. The influence of the plasticizers, pigments, and solvents in film coating formulations on polymer adhesion, and the effects of aging of the coated solids on adhesion of polymers to tablets and capsules are also discussed.

Influence of pigment concentration and particle size on adhesion of an acrylic resin copolymer to tablet compacts.

The effects of the particle size and the concentration of pigments in aqueous polymeric dispersions on the adhesive properties of an acrylic resin copolymer were investigated. Aqueous polymeric dispersions containing up to 20% (v/v) pigment were coated onto hydrophilic and hydrophobic tablet compacts, and polymer adhesion was assessed using a novel butt adhesion technique. An inverse relationship was found between the particle size of the pigment present in the aqueous polymeric dispersion and film-tablet adhesion. As the particle size of the pigment increased, the adhesive strength of the polymer to the tablet compact decreased. Increased concentrations of the opacifying agent titanium dioxide in the acrylic dispersion resulted in stronger film-tablet adhesion. No clear relationship could be established between the wettability of the tablet compact by the pigmented polymeric dispersion and the strength of film-tablet adhesion. The hydrophobicity of the tablet compact was found to affect the glass transition temperature of the polymeric film to a greater extent than the particle size, morphology, or concentration of the pigment incorporated into the acrylic dispersion.

Influence of tablet hardness and hydrophobicity on the adhesive properties of an acrylic resin copolymer.

The adhesive properties--including the force of adhesion, elongation at adhesive failure, the modulus of adhesion, and the adhesive toughness--of an acrylic resin copolymer were determined using the butt adhesion technique. Flat-faced tablets containing up to 30% hydrogenated castor oil were coated with an aqueous dispersion of Eudragit L30D-55. Using data obtained from a Chatillon digital force gauge attached to a motorized test stand, force-deflection profiles, similar to stress-strain curves generated in the tensile testing of free films, were constructed. The surface characteristics of the tablets significantly influenced polymer-substrate interaction. The force of adhesion, the elongation at adhesive failure, and the adhesive toughness decreased as the surface of the tablet became more hydrophobic through the addition of wax to the tablet formulation. Lower adhesive properties were found with increasing tablet hardness, due to a decrease in the effective area of contact between the film coating and the tablet surface. Increased polymer loading resulted in stronger adhesion, indicating a relationship between the mechanical and adhesive properties of the polymer. The present study demonstrated that the area under the force-deflection profile in conjunction with the force of adhesion was more representative of the adhesive properties of the polymer.