Effects of dissolving microneedle fabrication parameters on the activity of encapsulated lysozyme.

Dissolving microneedle (DMN) is referred to a microscale needle that encapsulates drug(s) within a biodegradable polymer matrix and delivers it into the skin in a minimally invasive manner. Although vast majority of studies have emphasized DMN as an efficient drug delivery system, the activity of DMN-encapsulated proteins or antigens can be significantly affected due to a series of thermal, physical and chemical stress factors during DMN fabrication process and storage period. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of DMN fabrication parameters including polymer type, polymer concentration, fabrication and storage temperature, and drying conditions on the activity of the encapsulated therapeutic proteins by employing lysozyme (LYS) as a model protein. Our results indicate that a combination of low temperature fabrication, mild drying condition, specific polymer concentration, and addition of protein stabilizer can maintain the activity of encapsulated LYS up to 99.8 ±â€¯3.8%. Overall, findings of this study highlight the importance of optimizing DMN fabrication parameters and paves way for the commercialization of an efficient delivery system for therapeutics.

Exendin-4-encapsulated dissolving microneedle arrays for efficient treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Dissolving microneedles (DMNs) are microscopic needles capable of delivering encapsulated compounds and releasing them into the skin in a minimally invasive manner. Most studies indicate that encapsulating therapeutics in DMNs is an efficacious approach; however, the importance of evaluating the activity of encapsulated compounds, during the fabrication process, has not been examined in detail. Conducting an analysis of thermal, chemical, and physical stress factors, including temperature, pH, and the interaction of the polymer and therapeutics mixture during preparation, is essential for retaining the activity of encapsulated therapeutics during and after fabrication. Here, we optimised the thermal, chemical, and physical parameters for the fabrication of exendin-4 (Ex-4)-encapsulated DMNs (Ex-4 DMNs). Ex-4, a peptide agonist of glucagon-like peptide (GLP) receptor, is used for glycaemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. Our findings indicate that optimising the parameters involved in DMN fabrication retained the activity of Ex-4 by up to 98.3 ± 1.5%. Ex-4 DMNs reduced the blood-glucose level in diabetic mice with efficiency similar to that of a subcutaneous injection. We believe that this study paves way for the commercialisation of an efficient and minimally invasive treatment for patients with type 2 diabetes.

Prandial effect on the systemic exposure of amisulpride.

A substituted benzamide, amisulpride is an atypical antipsychotic and a specific antagonist for dopamine D2 and D3 receptors. The prandial effect on amisulpride absorption remains unclear, therefore, this study was designed to investigate the effect of food on the systemic exposure to amisulpride in healthy volunteers. The study was a randomized, two-way crossed trial in which a single oral dose of amisulpride was administered on two occasions, with 7-days washout period between each drug administration. The volunteers were randomly divided into two groups and received amisulpride (50 mg) with Korean traditional food or under fasting state. Blood was serially taken, and the plasma amisulpride concentrations were measured by LC/MS/MS. At fasting state, amisulpride reached the first peak (37.1 ± 13.3 ng/ml) at ~2.3 h, and decreased down to 19.4 ± 4.3 ng/ml until 3.5 h, and then again went up to the second peak (25.3 ± 5.8 ng/ml) at 5 h followed by a slow decay with 10.6 h of half-life. In contrast, no double peaks were shown when the drug was given with meal. The maximum concentration of amisulpride (56.0 ± 12.7 ng/ml) was increased by a 1.5-fold compared with that under fasting (p > 0.05), and the time to peak shortened a little (1.7 ± 0.6 h).