Hospital Production of Sterile 2% Propofol Nanoemulsion: Proof of Concept.

In the context of essential drug shortages, this article reports a proof of concept for the hospital preparation of a 2% propofol injectable nanoemulsion. Two processes for propofol were assessed: mixing propofol with the commercial Intralipid® 20% emulsion and a "de novo" process performed using separate raw materials (i.e., oil, water, and surfactant) and optimized for droplet size reduction with a high-pressure homogenizer. A propofol HPLC-UV stability-indicating method was developed for process validation and short-term stability. In addition, free propofol in the aqueous phase was quantified by dialysis. To envision routine production, sterility and endotoxin tests were validated. Only the "de novo" process using high-pressure homogenization gave satisfactory physical results similar to commercialized Diprivan® 2%. Both terminal heat sterilization processes (121 °C, 15 min and 0.22 µm filtration) were validated, but an additional pH adjustment was required prior to heat sterilization. The propofol nanoemulsion was monodisperse with a 160 nm mean droplet size, and no droplets were larger than 5µm. We confirmed that free propofol in the aqueous phase of the emulsion was similar to Diprivan 2%, and the chemical stability of propofol was validated. In conclusion, the proof of concept for the in-house 2% propofol nanoemulsion preparation was successfully demonstrated, opening the field for the possible production of the nanoemulsion in hospital pharmacies.

Remdesivir for Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19 Severe Pneumonia: A National Cohort Study (Remdeco-19).

BACKGROUND: Given the rapidly evolving pandemic of COVID-19 in 2020, authorities focused on the repurposing of available drugs to develop timely and cost-effective therapeutic strategies. Evidence suggested the potential utility of remdesivir in the framework of an early access program. REMDECO-19 is a multicenter national cohort study assessing the ability of remdesivir to improve the outcome of patients hospitalized with COVID-19. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective real-life study that included all patients from the early access program of remdesivir in France. The primary endpoint was the clinical course evolution of critically ill and hospitalized COVID-19 patients treated with remdesivir. Secondary endpoints were the SOFA score evolution within 29 days following the admission and mortality at 29 and 90 days. RESULTS: Eighty-five patients were enrolled in 22 sites from January to April 2020. The median WHO and SOFA scores were respectively reduced by two and six points between days 1 and 29. Improvement in the WHO-CPS and the SOFA score were observed in 83.5% and 79.3% of patients, respectively, from day 10. However, there was no effect of remdesivir on the 90-day survival based on the control cohort for hospitalized COVID-19 patients with invasive ventilation. CONCLUSIONS: SOFA score appeared to be an attractive approach to assess remdesivir efficacy and stratify its utilization or not in critically ill patients with COVID-19. This study brings a new clinical benchmark for therapeutic decision making and supports the use of remdesivir for some hospitalized COVID-19 patients.