Characterisation of a novel, multifunctional, co-processed excipient and its effect on release profile of paracetamol from tablets prepared by direct compression

Objective: To characterise a novel multifunctional pharmaceutical excipient and investigate its ef ect on paracetamol release from tablets prepared by direct compression.Methods: The excipient was prepared by co-processing gelatinized maize starch with sodium carboxymethyl cellulose and microcrystalline cellulose in a ratio of 2:1:1, dried and pulverized into powder. The excipient formulated was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and dif erential scanning calorimetry. The excipient was used to prepare batches of tablets by direct compression with drug-excipient ratios of 1:1, 1:2, 1:3 and 1:4. Parameters evaluated on tablets include crushing strength, friability and in vitro dissolution studies. Results: Differential scanning calorimetry analysis revealed a crystalline excipient while Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed no interaction between the excipient and paracetamol. Tablets from all the batches gave average crushing strength values between 3.47 and 4.88 kp. The 1:1 and 1:2 tablet batches were comparable to each other while 1:3 and 1:4 were also comparable to one another in their dissolution proi les. The dissolution parameters of the 1:4 batch was faster with- m∞(90.5%), t50%(3.5 min), t70%(11.6 min) while that of ratio 1:1 was the least with- m∞(48.6%), m5min(23.8%). Their release kinetics followed a KorsmeyerPeppas model with a super case-II transport mechanism.Conclusions: The drug-excipient ratios of 1:3 and 1:4 gave pharmaceutically acceptable tablets that met the British Pharmacopoeia specii cations. The t50% value of the 1:4 batch of tablets may i nd its usefulness in formulating drugs for which a fast onset of action is desired.

Effects of particle size on the triboelectrification phenomenon in pharmaceutical excipients:Experiments and multi-scale modeling

Particle sizes play a major role to mediate charge transfer, both between identical and different material surfaces. The study probes into the probable mechanism that actuates opposite polarities between two different size fractions of the same material by analyzing the charge transfer patterns of two different sizes of microcrystalline cellulose(MCC). Quantum scale calculations confirmed alteration of charge transfer capacities due to variation of moisture content predicted by multiple surface and bulk analytical techniques. Discrete Element Method(DEM) based multi-scale computational models pertinent to predict charge transfer capacities were further implemented, and the results were in accordance to the experimental charge profiles.

Risk evaluation of impurities in topical excipients:The acetol case

Pharmaceutical excipients for topical use may contain impurities, which are often neglected from a toxicity qualification viewpoint. The possible impurities in the most frequently used topical excipients were evaluated in-silico for their toxicity hazard. Acetol, an impurity likely present in different topical pharmaceutical excipients such as propylene glycol and glycerol, was withheld for the evaluation of its health risk after dermal exposure. 〈br〉 An ex-vivo in-vitro permeation study using human skin in a Franz Diffusion Cell set-up and GC as quantification methodology showed a significant skin penetration with an overall Kp value of 1.82 ？ 10 ？ 3 cm/h. Using these data, limit specifications after application of a dermal pharmaceutical product were estimated. Based on the TTC approach of Cramer class I substances, i.e. 1800 mg/（day？person）, the toxicity-qualified specification limits of acetol in topical excipients were calculated to be 90 mg/mL and 180 mg/mL for propylene glycol and glycerol, respectively.

Drug-Excipient Interactions: Case Studies and Overview of Drug Degradation Pathways

The objective of the current research article is to provide a comprehensive review of excipients impact on the stability of the drug product and their implications during the product development. Recent developments in the understanding of the degradation pathways further impact methodologies used in the pharmaceutical industry for potential stability assessment. The formation of drug excipient adducts was very common based on the sensitive chemical moieties in the drugs and the excipients. The formation of the impurities was not limited to drug related impurities but there were several possibilities of the drug-excipient adduct formations as well as excipient impurities reaction with Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients. Identification of drug degradation in presence of excipients/excipient impurities requires extensive knowledge and adequate analytical characterization data. Systematic literature review and understanding about the drug formulation process, give you a smooth platform in establishing the finished product in the drug market. This paper discusses mechanistic basis of known drug-excipient interactions with case studies and provides an overview of common underlying themes in solid, semisolid and parenteral dosage forms.

Drug-Excipient Interaction of Methylphenidate with Glycerin in Methylphenidate Oral Solution and Identification of its Transesterification Products by UPLC-MS/MS

Reactions between active drug substances and excipients are of interest in the drug formulation process should be checked for the interactions during the storage conditions. Some excipients react with certain chemical groups in drug substances which will form new impurities in the finished product formulations. In the present paper transesterification reaction of methylphenidate with glycerin to form different structural isomeric products was described. These impurities identified in forced degradation studies, excipient compatibility studies and stability analysis of the finished product. Stability samples were analyzed and observed that about ~0.6% of the Methylphenidate content was transformed into methylphenidate-glycerin isomers within 3 Months at 40°C/75% RH and 18 Months at 25°C/60% RH conditions. Analysis of two lots of marketed preparations having expiry dates in 2012 and 2013 showed content of the Methylphenidate esters corresponding to ~0.6% of the declared Methylphenidate content. The samples of this impurity were investigated by HPLC, UPLC-MS/MS to generate the mechanism of the impurity formation.

Effects of polyol excipient stability during storage and use on the quality of biopharmaceutical formulations

Biopharmaceuticals are formulated using a variety of excipients to maintain their storage stability.However,some excipients are prone to degradation during repeated use and/or improper storage,and the impurities generated by their degradation are easily overlooked by end users and are usually not strictly monitored,affecting the stability of biopharmaceuticals.In this study,we evaluated the degradation profile of polyol excipient glycerol during repeated use and improper storage and identified an unprecedented cyclic ketal impurity using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry(GC-MS).The other polyol excipient,mannitol,was much more stable than glycerol.The effects of degraded glycerol and mannitol on the stability of the model biopharmaceutical pentapeptide,thymopentin,were also evaluated.The thymopentin content was only 66.4% in the thymopentin formulations with degraded glycerol,compared to 95.8% in other formulations after the stress test.Most glycerol impurities(i.e.,aldehydes and ketones)reacted with thymopentin,affecting the stability of thymopentin formulations.In conclusion,this work suggests that more attention should be paid to the quality changes of excipients during repeated use and storage.Additional testing of excipient stability under real or accelerated conditions by manufacturers would help avoid unexpected and painful results.

Effect of Excipients on Stability and Structure of rhCuZn-SOD Encapsulated in PLGA Microspheres

When a protein is encapsulated into poly( DL -lactide-co-glycolide)(PLGA) microspheres by means of the double-emulsion method,the harsh microspheres formation process including ultrasonification,exposure to an organic solvent and a polymer may cause the denaturation of the protein. In this study,we investigated the enzymatic activity change and the effect of the excipients on the stability of recombinant human Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase(rhCu,Zn-SOD) during the emulsification. The specific activity recovery was found to be concentration dependent and the excipients involved such as PEG 600 and Tween 20,and trehalose were shown to increase the stability of rhCu,Zn-SOD. The protein structural integrity within the microspheres was analyzed by FTIR. The structure of rhCu,Zn-SOD within PLGA microspheres containing trehalose was found to be similar to that of the native solid state,whereas the protein encapsulated during the preparation in the absence of any excipient changed due to the possible hydrophobic interaction with the polymer. The results suggest that a rational stability strategy for protein to be encapsulated into microspheres should aim at different processes.

Three-dimensional aspects of formulation excipients in drug discovery:a critical assessment on orphan excipients,matrix effects and drug interactions

Formulation/pharmaceutical excipients play a major role in formulating drug candidates,with the objectives of ease of administration,targeted delivery and complete availability.Many excipients used in pharmaceutical formulations are orphanized in preclinical drug discovery.These orphan excipients could enhance formulatability of highly lipophilic compounds.Additionally,they are safe in preclinical species when used below the LD50 values.However,when the excipients are used in formulating compounds with diverse physico-chemical properties,they pose challenges by modulating study results through their bioanalytical matrix effects.Excipients invariably present in study samples and not in the calibration curve standards cause over-/under-estimation of exposures.Thus,the mechanism by which excipients cause matrix effects and strategies to nullify these effects needs to be revisited.Furthermore,formulation excipients cause drug interactions by moderating the pathways of drug metabolizing enzymes and drug transport proteins.Although it is not possible to get rid of excipient driven interactions,it is always advised to be aware of these interactions and apply the knowledge to draw meaningful conclusions from study results.In this review,we will comprehensively discuss a)orphan excipients that have wider applications in preclinical formulations,b)bioanalytical matrix effects and possible approaches to mitigating these effects,and c)excipient driven drug interactions and strategies to alleviate the impacts of drug interactions.

Investigation of the potential application of sodium bentonite as an excipient in formulation of sustained release tablets

In this study, the application of sodium bentonite(SB) in formulation of tablets prepared by direct compression for oral administration was tested. Three different model drugs with different solubilities: paracetamol, diclofenac sodium and metformin HCl were tested. Each drug was mixed with SB at ratio of 50% and the mixtures were subsequently compressed.Compatibility studies were conducted using both Deferential Scanning Calorimeter(DSC)and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy(FTIR). The dissolution profile for each drug was determined in USP-buffers at different time intervals. Diclofenac sodium in pH 6.8 buffer and paracetamol in both pH 6.8 and pH 4.5 buffers showed extended release. However,metformin HCl showed immediate release at the different pH values. The study showed that using SB was possible to prepare tablets with different release profiles. However, these profiles differ depending on dissolution media and drug type.

Effect of Excipients on Recombinant Interleukin-2 Stability in Aqueous Buffers

In order to retain structural and functional integrity, protein medicines are frequently stabilized with excipients in aqueous solutions. The goal of this investigation was to see how stable IL-2 is with excipients that are acceptable for cell therapy. We investigated the time-dependent stability of commercially available recombinant IL-2 in aqueous solutions (CTS, RPMI, PBS, and water) at different temperatures [2°C - 8°C, room temperature (20°C ± 2°C) and 37°C] in the presence of excipients (EDTA, methionine, histidine, and glycine) over a period of up to 30 days. To detect and quantify IL-2, reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography was employed. Electrophoresis on a sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel was used to assess conformational stability. We discovered that IL-2 stability was improved in aqueous solutions including excipients, and that it may have retained its biological activity and sterility in these conditions.

Azocalixarenes: a scaffold of universal excipients with high efficiency

Excipients are important components of pharmaceutical preparations that affect their quality, safety, and efficacy. Macrocyclic receptors are a family of supramolecular excipients with several advantages, including molecular-level protection, small sizes,fast kinetics of host-guest recognition, and modular construction. With the continuous advances in the medical field, personalized and precision medicine requires the development of excipients with low dosages, integrated modifying effects, universality,and controlled release. To meet these requirements, we have developed a new family of macrocyclic excipients based on calixarenes by integrating their covalent(broad chemical design space) and noncovalent(wide range of substrates) advantages.Accordingly, azocalixarenes(Azo CAs) were designed, showing high binding affinities to a broad spectrum of active pharmaceutical ingredients(APIs), selectivity to interferents, and responsiveness to hypoxic microenvironments. Due to their highly efficient and controllable recognition, Azo CAs serve as low-dose excipients for 30 APIs. Molecular encapsulation by Azo CAs results in the integrated modification of the physicochemical properties of APIs, including solubility, stability, bioavailability,and biocompatibility. Moreover, Azo CAs can be reduced by azoreductases overexpressed in hypoxic microenvironments,leading to the controlled release of APIs. Collectively, Azo CA excipients have broad application prospects for a series of diseases such as enteritis, arthritis, stroke, cancer, bacterial infection and kidney injury, with diverse therapeutic modalities,including chemotherapy, photodynamic therapy, photothermal therapy, immunotherapy, boron neutron capture therapy, radiotherapy, fluorescence imaging, and their combinations.

Microcalorimetric Investigation of Toxic Effects of Three Injectable Solubilizing Excipients on Tetrahymena thermophila BF5 Growth

Using microcalorimetry, thermal metabolic curves of Tetrahymena thermophila BF5 （T. thermophila BFs） growth at 28℃ affected by three injectable solubilizing excipients （ISE） including tween 80, hydroxypro- pyl-β-cyclodextrin （HP-β-CD） and poloxamer 188 were measured. Meanwhile, the toxicities of three ISE were evaluated by dynamic parameters of thermal metabolic curves. In addition, the irritative effects of the ISE on myoblast L6cells were investigated to show their cytotoxicities by biochemical method. The results indicated that the effects of the ISE on T. thermophila BF5 varied for different ISE. 5% inhibition concentration values （IC5） of the ISE were 1.33, 1.83 and 1.64 mg/mL for tween 80, HP-β-CD and poloxamer 188, respectively. By the principal component analysis （PCA）, the total quantity of heat （Q）, growth rate constant （k） and second maximum power （P2） were selected as the main characteristic parameters to present their toxicities, there were good linear relationships between Q, k, P2 and concentrations c, suggesting that the toxicities of the ISE on T. thermophila BF5 were closely linked to their concentrations. The results of creatine kinase （CK） bioassay of myoblast L6 cells indicated that the sequence of irritative effects of the ISE was HP-β-CD〈poloxamer 188〈tween 80, which added to the results ob- tained from microcalorimetry.

Effect of bioadhesive excipients on absorption of total flavonids from Puerariae Lobatae Radix transporting across Caco-2 cell monolayer

Objective: Pueraria total flavonids(PTF) can treat cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, but it has poor membrane permeability and oral bioavailability. Some excipients, such as carbomer, chitosan, and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, can improve the oral bioavailability. Traditional in vitro evaluation techniques, including the rat intestinal perfusion and cell line models, cannot evaluate PTF absorption and holistic transporters.Methods: This study evaluated excipients' adhesiveness and effect on PTF transport across Caco-2 cell monolayer. cDNA microarrays identified gene expression changes in Caco-2 cells exposed to PTF and PTF with excipients, and revealed the mechanism underlying the effect of excipients on PTF absorption.Results: In vitro adhesion and transport experiments across Caco-2 showed that excipients had higher adhesiveness to gastric mucosa and transport efficiency across Caco-2 cells than PTF alone. The interaction of PTF with excipients significantly changed the expression of some genes, which might influence the absorption rate of PTF.Conclusion: Different bioadhesive polymers can improve intestinal absorption of PTF, which was related to some genes affiliated to the ATP-binding cassette(ABC) and solute carrier transporter(SLC) to some extent.

Issues in Freeze Drying of Aqueous Solutions

Freeze drying or lyophilization of aqueous solutions is widely used in pharmaceutical industry. The in-creased importance Of the process is gaining a worldwide interest of research. A growing body of literature has demonstrated that the scientific approach can result in improved product quality with minimum trial and error em-piricism. Formulation and process development need a systematical understanding of the physical chemistry of freezing and freeze drying, material science and mechanisms of heat and mass transfer. This paper presents an overview on freeze ding of aqueous solutions based on publications in the past few decades. The important issuesof the process are analyzed.

Development of biodegradable radiopaque microsphere for arterial embolization-a pig study

AIM: To develop a new type of calibrated, biodegradable, and imaging detectable microsphere and evaluated its embolization safety and efficacy on pig's liver and spleen. METHODS: Six kinds of pharmaceutical excipient were combined and atomized to form our microsphere. Twenty-four male Lanyu pigs weighing 25-30 kg were used. The arteries of spleen and liver were embolized with Gelfoam, Embosphere, or our microsphere. The serum biochemical tests, computed tomography(CT), liver perfusion scan, and tissue microscopy examination were done to evaluate the safety and efficacy of embolization. RESULTS: Radiopaque microspheres with a size ranging from 300 to 400 μm were produced. Embolization of hepatic and splenic artery of pigs with our microsphere significantly reduced the blood flow of liver and resulted in splenic infarction. The follow-up CT imaging and the microscopic examination showed intraarterial degradation of Gelfoam and microsphere. The blood testsdemonstrated insignificant changes with regards to liver and renal functions. CONCLUSION: Our microspheres, with the unique characteristics, can be used for transcatheter arterial embolization with effects equivalent to or better than Gelfoam and Embosphere in pigs.

Challenges and trends in apomorphine drug delivery systems for the treatment of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease(PD) is a chronic debilitating disease affecting approximately 1% of the population over the age of 60. The severity of PD is correlated to the degree of dopaminergic neuronal loss. Apomorphine has a similar chemical structure as the neurotransmitter dopamine and has been used for the treatment of advanced PD patients. In PD patients,apomorphine is normally administered subcutaneously with frequent injections because of the compound's extensive hepatic first-pass metabolism. There is, hence, a large unmet need for alternative administrative routes for apomorphine to improve patient compliance.The present review focuses on the research and development of alternative delivery of apomorphine, aiming to highlight the potential of non-invasive apomorphine therapy in PD,such as sublingual delivery and transdermal delivery.

Formulation strategies in immunotherapeutic pharmaceutical products

Development of immunologic-based biopharmaceutical products have strikingly increased in recent years and have made evident contributions to human health.Antibodies are the leading entity in immunotherapy,while chimeric antigen receptor T cells therapies are the advent of a novel strategy in this area.In order to enable antibody candidates or cells available as products,formulation is critical in terms of stabilize molecules or cells to achieve practical shelf life,storage and handling conditions.Here we provide a concise and contemporary review of ongoing formulation strategies and excipients used in approved antibodies and cellular therapeutic products.Excipients are categorized,and their function in formulations are discussed.

Neonates need tailored drug formulations

Drugs are very strong tools used to improve outcome in neonates. Despite this fact and in contrast to tailored perfusion equipment, incubators or ventilators for neonates, we still commonly use drug formulations initially developed for adults. We would like to make the point that drug formulations given to neonates need to be tailored for this age group. Besides the obvious need to search for active compounds that take the pathophysiology of the newborn into account, this includes the dosage and formulation. The dosage or concentration should facilitate the administration of low amounts and be flexible since clearance is lower in neonates with additional extensive between-individual variability. Formulations need to be tailored for dosage variability in the low ranges and also to the clinical characteristics of neonates. A specific focus of interest during neonatal drug development therefore is a need to quantify and limit excipient exposure based on the available knowledge of their safety or toxicity. Until such tailored vials and formulations become available, compounding practices for drug formulations in neonates should be evaluated to guarantee the correct dosing, product stability and safety.

Hot-melt sub-and outercoating combined with enteric aqueous coating to improve the stability of aspirin tablets

Aspirin is apt to hydrolyze. In order to improve its stability, a new method has been developed involving the application of hot-melt sub-and outercoating combined with enteric aqueous coating. The main aim was to investigate the influence of these factors on the stability of ASA and understand how they work. Satisfactory storage stability were obtained when the aspirin tablet core coated with Eudragit L30D55 film was combined with glycerin monostearate(GMS) as an outercoat. Hygroscopicity testing indicated that the moisture penetrating into the tablet may result in a significant change in the physical properties of the coating film observed by scanning electron microscopy. Investigation of the compatibility between the drug and film excipients shows that the talc and methacrylic acid had a significant catalytic effect on ASA. A hypothesis was proposed that the hydrolysis of ASA enteric coated tablets(ASA-ECT) was mostly concentrated in the internal film and the interfaces between the film and tablet core. In conclusion, hot-melt coating technology is an alternative to subcoating or outercoating. Also, GMS sub-coating was a better choice for forming a stable barrier between the tablet core and the polymer coating layer, and increases the structure and chemical stability.