Poly(ethylene carbonate)-containing polylactic acid microparticles with rifampicin improve drug delivery to macrophages.

OBJECTIVE: Pulmonary delivery of antibiotics will decrease the required dose for efficient treatment of lung infections and reduce systemic side effects of the drug. The objective was to evaluate the applicability of poly(ethylene carbonate) (PEC) for the preparation of inhalable, antibiotic-containing particles. METHODS: Rifampicin (RF)-loaded microparticles were prepared by electrospraying a carrier matrix of polylactic acid (PLA) with 0%, 5% and 10% PEC. KEY FINDINGS: Prepared particles had an aerodynamic diameter between 4 and 5 µm. Within 60 min, PEC-containing particles released 35-45% of RF, whereas PLA particles released only 15% of RF. Irrespective of particle composition, uptake of RF by macrophages was improved to 40-60% when formulated in microparticles compared to 0.4% for RF in solution, and intracellular localisation of particles was confirmed using confocal microscopy. Effect on macrophage and alveolar cell viability was similar for all particles whereas the minimal inhibitory concentrations against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli for RF-containing PEC particles were twofold lower than for PLA particles, explained by the faster release of RF from PEC-containing particles. CONCLUSIONS: The inclusion of PEC in PLA microparticles increased the release of RF and the inhibitory effect against two bacteria species while displaying physical particle properties similar to PLA particles.

Amorphous is not always better-A dissolution study on solid state forms of carbamazepine.

Poor aqueous solubility is a major concern for many new drugs. One possibility to overcome this issue is to formulate the drug as a high energy form, i.e. a metastable polymorph, an amorphous neat drug or a glass solution with polymers. In this study the dissolution properties of different solid state forms of carbamazepine, crystalline or amorphous drug, with or without either polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) or hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) and glass solutions of the drug with both polymers (2:1, 4:1 and 10:1 (w/w) drug-to-polymer ratio) were tested with respect to their dissolution behaviour in a biorelevant gastric medium (for 30min) and subsequently in intestinal conditions (for 2h). Carbamazepine form III in the absence of polymer dissolved to a drug concentration of 540µg/ml, but the concentration decreased after around 70min due to precipitation of the dihydrate form, and reached 436µg/ml after 2.5h dissolution testing. The presence of PVP led to a similar dissolution profile with a slightly earlier onset of decrease in drug concentration, while in the presence of HPMC no decline in dissolved drug concentration was observed. Surprisingly, amorphous carbamazepine did not result in any supersaturation and the drug concentration was lower than that measured for crystalline carbamazepine. The addition of polymers further decreased the concentration of dissolved drug (290-310µg/ml, depending on polymer type and concentration). Amorphous drug converted quickly into the dihydrate form and thus no supersaturation was achieved. Glass solutions of carbamazepine with PVP reached drug concentrations between 348 and 408µg/ml after 2.5h, i.e. lower than for the crystalline drug, whilst glass solutions with HPMC reached concentrations similar to the crystalline drug.

Amorphization within the tablet: Using microwave irradiation to form a glass solution in situ.

In situ amorphization is a concept that allows to amorphize a given drug in its final dosage form right before administration. Hence, this approach can potentially be used to circumvent recrystallization issues that other amorphous formulation approaches are facing during storage. In this study, the feasibility of microwave irradiation to prepare amorphous solid dispersions (glass solutions) in situ was investigated. Indomethacin (IND) and polyvinylpyrrolidone K12 (PVP) were tableted at a 1:2 (w/w) ratio. In order to study the influence of moisture content and energy input on the degree of amorphization, tablet formulations were stored at different relative humidity (32, 43 and 54% RH) and subsequently microwaved using nine different power-time combinations up to a maximum energy input of 90kJ. XRPD results showed that up to 80% (w/w) of IND could be amorphized within the tablet. mDSC measurements revealed that with increasing microwaving power and time, the fractions of crystalline IND and amorphous PVP reduced, whereas the amount of in situ formed IND-PVP glass solution increased. Intrinsic dissolution showed that the dissolution rate of the microwaved solid dispersion was similar to that of a quench cooled, fully amorphous glass solution even though the microwaved samples contained residual crystalline IND.

Refining stability and dissolution rate of amorphous drug formulations.

INTRODUCTION: Poor aqueous solubility of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) is one of the main challenges in the development of new small molecular drugs. Additionally, the proportion of poorly soluble drugs among new chemical entities is increasing. The transfer of a crystalline drug to its amorphous counterpart is often seen as a potential solution to increase the solubility. However, amorphous systems are physically unstable. Therefore, pharmaceutical formulations scientists need to find ways to stabilise amorphous forms. AREAS COVERED: The use of polymer-based solid dispersions is the most established technique for the stabilisation of amorphous forms, and this review will initially focus on new developments in this field. Additionally, newly discovered formulation approaches will be investigated, including approaches based on the physical restriction of crystallisation and crystal growth and on the interaction of APIs with small molecular compounds rather than polymers. Finally, in situ formation of an amorphous form might be an option to avoid storage problems altogether. EXPERT OPINION: The diversity of poorly soluble APIs formulated in an amorphous drug delivery system will require different approaches for their stabilisation. Thus, increased focus on emerging techniques can be expected and a rational approach to decide the correct formulation is needed.

Inhibition of surface crystallisation of amorphous indomethacin particles in physical drug-polymer mixtures.

Surface coverage may affect the crystallisation behaviour of amorphous materials. This study investigates crystallisation inhibition in powder mixtures of amorphous drug and pharmaceutical excipients. Pure amorphous indomethacin (IMC) powder and physical mixtures thereof with Eudragit(®) E or Soluplus(®) in 3:1, 1:1 and 1:3 (w/w) ratios were stored at 30 °C and 23 or 42% RH. Samples were analysed during storage by X-ray powder diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). IMC Eudragit(®) mixtures showed higher physical stability than pure IMC whereas IMC Soluplus(®) mixtures did not. Water uptake was higher for mixtures containing Soluplus(®) than for amorphous IMC or IMC Eudragit(®) mixtures. However, the Tg of amorphous IMC was unaffected by the presence (and nature) of polymer. SEM revealed that Eudragit(®) particles aggregated on the surface of IMC particles, whereas Soluplus(®) particles did not. The drug particles developed multiple crystallites at their surface with subsequent crystal growth. The intimate contact between the surface agglomerated Eudragit(®) particles and drug is believed to inhibit crystallisation through reduced IMC surface molecular mobility. Polymer particles may also mechanically hinder crystal growth outwards from the surface. This work highlights the importance of microparticulate surface coverage of amorphous drug particles on their stability.

In situ amorphisation of indomethacin with Eudragit® E during dissolution.

In this study, the possibility of utilising in situ crystalline-to-amorphous transformation for the delivery of poorly water soluble drugs was investigated. Compacts of physical mixtures of γ-indomethacin (IMC) and Eudragit® E in 3:1, 1:1 and 1:3 (w/w) ratios were subjected to dissolution testing at pH 6.8 at which IMC but not the polymer is soluble. Compacts changed their colour from white to yellow indicating amorphisation of IMC. X-ray powder diffractometry (XRPD) confirmed the amorphisation and only one glass transition temperature was observed (58.1 °C, 54.4 °C, and 50.1 °C for the 3:1, 1:1 and 1:3 (w/w) drug-to-polymer ratios, respectively). Furthermore, principal component analysis of infrared spectra resulted in clustering of in situ transformed samples together with quench cooled glass solutions for each respective ratio. Subsequent dissolution testing of in situ transformed samples at pH 4.1, at which the polymer is soluble but not IMC, led to a higher dissolution rate than for quench cooled glass solution at 3:1 and 1:1 ratios, but not for the 1:3 ratio. This study showed that crystalline drug can be transformed into amorphous material in situ in the presence of a polymer, leading to the possibility of administering drugs in the amorphous state without physical instability problems during storage.

Determination of methylphenidate in Calliphorid larvae by liquid-liquid extraction and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry--forensic entomotoxicology using an in vivo rat brain model.

The aim of this study was to examine the potential forensic utilisation of blowfly larvae (Diptera: Calliphoridae) as an alternative toxicological specimen for the detection of the psychotropic model drug methylphenidate (MPH). MPH was extracted from biological matrices (rat brain, serum and Calliphorid larvae) by liquid-liquid extraction with recovery of >80%, and quantified using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The LC-MS/MS assay was validated for entomotoxicological use and initially applied to male Sprague-Dawley rats (n=6) that were dosed with MPH (20mg/kg) ante-mortem. MPH could be detected in Calliphorid larvae (n=15) reared on the rat brains at 3.2±1.6 ng/g. Secondly, MPH-spiked porcine brain tissue (450 mg/kg) was used to investigate drug concentration in larvae over a period of 72 h. After larvae had feed for 60 h, MPH was detected at 19.8±1.4 µg/g in the feeding larvae and at 3.5±0.1 µg/g in the MPH-spiked porcine brain tissue. It could be advantageous to use Calliphorid larvae as an alternative toxicological specimen to detect alkaline labile drugs, such as MPH.