In vivo studies investigating the inhalative efficacy of biotherapeutics, such as nucleic acids, usually do not perform an aerosolization step, rather the solution is directly administered into the lungs e.g. intratracheally. In addition, there is currently very little information on the behavior of nucleic acid solutions when subjected to the physical stress of the nebulization process. In this study, the aim was to assess the technical suitability of Locked Nucleic Acids (LNAs), as a model antisense oligonucleotide, towards nebulization using two commercially available nebulizers. A jet nebulizer (Pari LC Plus) and a vibrating mesh nebulizer (Aerogen Solo) were employed and solutions of five different LNAs investigated in terms of their physical and chemical stability to nebulization and the quality of the generated aerosols. The aerosol properties of the Aerogen Solo were mainly influenced by the viscosity of the solutions with the output rate and the droplet size decreasing with increasing viscosity. The Pari LC Plus was less susceptible to viscosity and overall the droplet size was smaller. The LNAs tolerated both nebulization processes and the integrity of the molecules was shown. Chemical stability of the molecules from the Aerogen Solo was confirmed, whereas aerosol generation with the Pari LC Plus jet nebulizer led to a slight increase of phosphodiester groups in a fully phosphorothiolated backbone of the LNAs. Overall, it could be shown that nebulization of different LNAs is possible and inhalation can therefore be considered a potential route of administration.

This study assessed the influence of the composition of drug-free SNEDDS co-dosed with aqueous suspensions of carvedilol (CAR), cinnarizine (CIN) or R3040 on drug solubilization in a two-compartment in vitro lipolysis model. Correlation of drug logP or solubility in SNEDDS with drug solubilization during in vitro lipolysis in the presence of drug-free SNEDDS was assessed. SNEDDS with varying ratios of soybean oil:Maisine 35-1 (1:1, w/w) and Kolliphor RH40, with ethanol at 10% (w/w) were used. SNEDDS were named F65, F55 and F20 (numbers refer to the percentage of lipids) and aqueous suspensions without drug-free SNEDDS (F0) were also analyzed. While the ranking order of drug solubilization was F65=F55=F20>F0 for CAR; F65=F55>F20>F0 for CIN and F65=F55=F20>F0 for R3040 - with higher CAR solubilization than for R3040 and CIN - the ranking of S eq of CAR, CIN and R3040 in SNEDDS was F65F20 and F65>F55>F20, respectively. Therefore, the composition of SNEDDS influenced the solubilization of CIN, but not CAR and R3040. Furthermore, high S eq in SNEDDS did not reflect high drug solubilization. As CAR (logP 3.8) showed higher solubilization than CIN (logP 5.8) and R3040 (logP 10.4), a correlation between drug logP and drug solubilization was observed.

Oligonucleotide-based therapeutics have been implemented as a new therapeutic modality in biotech industry, which offers the opportunity to develop formulation platforms for robust parenteral formulations. The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of stabilizing/de-stabilizing effects of different formulation parameters on unconjugated and N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) conjugated single stranded oligonucleotides with locked nucleic acid modifications (LNA SSO), as model oligonucleotides. Various buffer systems, pH levels and different excipients were evaluated to optimize conditions for LNA SSO in liquid formulations. LNA SSO were exposed to different temperature conditions, mechanical stress as well as oxidative conditions, and the maximum feasible LNA SSO concentrations regarding handling and processing were determined. Finally, options for terminal sterilization of LNA SSO were evaluated. Results show that the tested LNA SSO were most stable under slightly alkaline conditions. A decrease in viscosity was best accomplished in the presence of spermine and lysine. Heat treatment and gamma irradiation caused high levels of degradation of the LNA SSO. Crucial formulation parameters, as identified in this study, should contribute to a significant increase in future productivity in drug product development for single-stranded oligonucleotides.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the influence of drug load and physical form of cinnarizine (CIN) in self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS) on absorption in rats. Further, the predictivity of the dynamic in vitro lipolysis model was evaluated. The following dosing regimens were assessed: (1) CIN dissolved in SNEDDS at 80% of equilibrium solubility (Seq) (SNEDDS 80%); (2) supersaturated SNEDDS with CIN dissolved at 200% Seq (super-SNEDDS solution); (3) SNEDDS suspension with CIN added at 200% Seq (CIN partially dissolved and partially suspended) (super-SNEDDS suspension); (4) drug-free SNEDDS co-dosed with aqueous CIN suspension (Chasing principle), and (5) CIN aqueous suspension. The CIN dose was kept constant for all dosing regimens. Therefore, the super-SNEDDS solution and super-SNEDDS suspension contained 2.5-fold less SNEDDS pre-concentrate than SNEDDS 80% and the Chasing principle. In vivo, a higher AUC after dosing CIN in SNEDDS 80% and the Chasing principle was obtained when compared to the super-SNEDDS solution, super-SNEDDS suspension, and aqueous suspension. In vitro, a higher extent of CIN in the aqueous phase was observed for all SNEDDS-containing dosing regimens, compared to the aqueous suspension. Since the drug level in the aqueous phase is traditionally considered as the fraction available for absorption, a lack of in vitro-in vivo relation was observed. This study revealed that the physical form of CIN in the current SNEDDS does not affect CIN absorption and solubilization, whereas the drug load, or amount of co-dosed lipid, significantly influenced CIN bioavailability.

In this work, the influence of drug load and physical state of R3040 in self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS) on R3040 absorption in rats was assessed. Furthermore, an in vitro lipolysis model simulating rat conditions (rat lipolysis model) was compared to a human lipolysis model in regard to the prediction of the in vivo data. The formulations were SNEDDS 80%, containing R3040 at 80% of its equilibrium solubility in SNEDDS (Seq); super-SNEDDS solution with R3040 supersaturated at 200% Seq; super-SNEDDS suspension containing R3040 at 200% Seq; Chasing principle (drug-free SNEDDS followed by R3040 aqueous suspension) and R3040 aqueous suspension. The pharmacokinetic profiles of R3040 in SNEDDS 80% and super-SNEDDS solution 200% were superimposed and higher than for super-SNEDDS suspension 200%, Chasing principle and aqueous suspension. Therefore, dosing R3040 dissolved in SNEDDS increased R3040 absorption irrespective of the drug load. While the human lipolysis model could not predict the rank order of absorption of the formulations, the rat lipolysis model predicted the similar absorption of R3040 in SNEDDS 80% and super-SNEDDS solution 200%. Thus, the rat lipolysis model showed to be an important step towards predictive in vitro models for rat studies.

Water solubility is a key parameter in drug formulation since it highly influences drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. In the past decades, the challenge with poorly water soluble drugs has been growing continuously. As a matter of fact, poorly soluble compounds represent 40% of the top 200 oral drugs marketed in the US, 33% of drugs listed in the US Pharmacopeia, 75% of compounds under development and 90% of new chemical entities. The present article presents and discusses the pharmaceutical strategies available to overcome poor water solubility in light of final drug product examples. First, chemical modifications based on the adjustment of the pH and the design of prodrugs are presented and discussed. Physical modifications based on modified solid states of the drug, small drug particles, cosolvents, surfactants, lipids and cyclodextrins are discussed in a second part. Finally, the option of modifying the route of administration is briefly presented. © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Before pursuing the laborious route of amorphous solid dispersion formulation and development, which is the topic of many of the subsequent chapters in this book, the formulation scientist would benefit from a priori knowledge whether the amorphous route is a viable one for a given drug and how much solubility improvement, and hence increase in bioavailability, can be expected, and what forms of solid dispersion have been developed in the past. In this chapter, we therefore initially define the various forms of solid dispersions, and then go on to discuss properties of pure drugs with respect to their glass-forming ability and glass stability. In the main parts of this chapter, we review theoretical approaches to determine amorphous drug polymer miscibility and crystalline drug polymer solubility, as a prerequisite to develop amorphous solid dispersions (glass solutions).

The transformation to an amorphous form is one of the most promising approaches to address the low solubility of drug compounds, the latter being an increasing challenge in the development of new drug candidates. However, amorphous forms are high energy solids and tend to recrystallize. New formulation principles are needed to ensure the stability of amorphous drug forms. The formation of solid dispersions is still the most investigated approach, but additional approaches are desirable to overcome the shortcomings of solid dispersions. Spatial separation by either coating or the use of micro-containers has shown potential to prevent or delay recrystallization. Another recent approach is the formation of co-amorphous mixtures between either two drugs or one drug and one low molecular weight excipient. Molecular interactions between the two molecules provide an energy barrier that has to be overcome before single molecules are available for the formation of crystal nuclei, thus stabilizing the amorphous form.

The recrystallisation of amorphous indomethacin (IMC) has been investigated using NIR and Raman spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Two methods were used to prepare the amorphous state (ball-milling, and melting and quench-cooling) and samples were stored under three sets of conditions (25°C dry, 40°C dry and 40°C at 75% RH). The recrystallisation of amorphous IMC was quantified by DSC and compared to trends observed using Raman and NIR data. It was found that the multivariate analysis of Raman data agreed better with DSC data than univariate NIR or Raman analyses, or multivariate NIR analyses. The quenched-cooled samples were spiked with crystalline seeds (0 and 5%) and the rates of recrystallisation compared with ball-milled samples. It was found that the ball-milled samples rapidly recrystallised (within 20 days) but quench-cooled samples retained amorphous content for 20 days, even when spiked with γ-IMC to 5% (w/w) level.

Amorphous forms of indomethacin have previously been prepared using various preparation techniques and it could be demonstrated that the way the material was prepared influenced the physicochemical properties of the amorphous form of the drug. The aim of this study was to use one preparation technique (transformation via the melt) to prepare amorphous indomethacin and to investigate the influence of the cooling rate (as a processing parameter) on the physical stability of the resulting amorphous form. The amorphous materials obtained were analysed for their structural characteristics using Raman spectroscopy in combination with multivariate data analysis. The onset of crystallisation was determined as an indicator of the physical stability of the materials using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarising light microscopy. The Johnson-Mehl-Avrami (JMA) model and Sestak-Berggren (SB) model were used in this study to describe the non-isothermal crystallisation behaviour. All differently cooled samples were completely X-ray amorphous. Principal component analysis of the Raman spectra of the various amorphous forms revealed that the samples clustered in the scores plot according to the cooling rate, suggesting structural differences between the differently cooled samples. The minimum cooling rate required to obtain amorphous indomethacin was 1.2 K min(-1), as assessed from the time-temperature-transformation (TTT) diagram. The physical stability of the samples was found to increase as a function of cooling rate in the order of 30 K min(-1) > 20 K min(-1) > 10 K min(-1) > 5 K min(-1) > 3 K min(-1) ≈ 1.2 K min(-1) and was in agreement with calculated descriptors for the glass forming ability (GFA), including the reduced glass transition temperature (T(rg)) and the reduced temperature (T(red)). The JMA model could not be applied to describe the crystallisation process for the differently cooled melts of indomethacin in this study. The kinetic exponent M from the autocatalytic SB model however, showed a positive correlation with glass stability.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether amorphous indomethacin samples prepared using different preparative techniques and processing parameters exhibit different structural and thermodynamic characteristics and whether these differences can be correlated to their dissolution behaviour. Samples were prepared either by cooling the drug melt at different cooling rates or by cryo-milling the drug for different milling times. The resulting amorphous materials were characterised using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and polarising light microscopy. All samples were entirely X-ray amorphous, except for the sample cryo-milled for 15 min, which exhibited residual crystallinity. The shape of the halos in the diffractograms, however, varied depending on the preparation method and processing parameters, suggesting structural variations in the near order of the molecules between the prepared amorphous forms. This finding was supported by principal component analysis of the Raman spectra, as the samples clustered in the scores plot according to processing parameters for both of the preparative methods used. When investigating the dissolution behaviour, the samples cooled at different cooling rates showed no significant differences in their dissolution profiles and dissolution rates (≈0.55 μg/ml/cm(2)). In contrast, for cryo-milled samples, dissolution rate depended on the milling time, with samples milled for 120, 180 and 240 min, showing significantly increased dissolution rates of 0.28, 0.48 and 0.59 μg/ml/cm(2), respectively, when compared to crystalline indomethacin (≈0.06 and 0.05 μg/ml/cm(2) for α and γ-indomethacin, respectively). The milling processes appear to continue to affect the degree of disorder in the solid material, enhancing its dissolution rate, although all samples milled for > 30 min were X-ray amorphous. Thus, choosing the right preparation technique and parameters for preparing amorphous solids is critical for producing materials with enhanced dissolution profiles.

The aim of this study was to investigate if amorphous indomethacin samples, prepared using different preparation methods, exhibit different structural and kinetic characteristics and if these differences can be correlated to their physical stability (time to crystallisation). Samples were prepared by melt quenching, spray drying, ball milling, and cryo-milling. The resulting amorphous materials were characterised using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. All freshly prepared samples were completely X-ray amorphous (with a halo being the only feature in the diffractograms). The shape of the halos in the diffractograms, however, varied depending on the preparation method, suggesting structural variations in the near order of the molecules between the differently prepared amorphous forms. Principal component analysis of the Raman spectra of the various amorphous forms revealed that the samples clustered in the scores plot according to preparation method, again suggesting structural differences due to preparation method. The range of vibrations associated with the largest spectral differences in the loadings plot showed that these differences were due to a range of molecular conformations and intermolecular interactions. The ranking of the samples with respect to stability was: quench cooled amorphous samples > cryo-milled (alpha-form) > spray dried > ball milled (alpha-form) > ball milled (gamma-form) = cryo-milled (gamma-form). This ranking was not correlated with the diffractogram shapes or sample distribution in the scores plot of the Raman spectra, suggesting that physical stability was not directly affected by structural variation in the samples. However, ranking of stability of the differently prepared amorphous forms of the drug could be predicted by determining the relaxation time values, for all amorphous samples. The relaxation times, calculated by using the Adam Gibbs and Kohlrausch-Williams-Watts equations, were in accordance with the experimentally determined stability order.This study showed that correlation of physical stability with calculated relaxation time is possible for the same amorphous systems prepared by different methods. This could aid in selecting the most appropriate preparation techniques in situations where there are a variety of suitable methods. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Configurational entropy is an important parameter in amorphous systems. It is involved in the thermodynamic considerations, plays an important role in the molecular mobility calculations through its appearance in the Adam-Gibbs equation and provides information on the solubility increase of an amorphous form compared to its crystalline counterpart. This paper presents a calorimetric method which enables the scientist to quickly determine the values for the configurational entropy at any temperature and obtain the maximum of information from these measurements.

Poor physical stability is one of the single most important factors limiting the widespread use of the amorphous state in pharmaceutics. The purpose of this study is to move away from the case study approach by investigating thermodynamic and kinetic parameters as potential predictors of physical stability of amorphous drugs for a larger sample set (12 drugs). The relaxation time, fragility index and configurational thermodynamic properties (enthalpy, entropy and Gibbs free energy) were calculated and correlated to the actual stability behaviour, obtained for 12 drugs. Below the glass transition temperature the relaxation time and fragility showed no correlation with the observed physical stability. All drugs were calculated to be 'fragile'. However, variation in the fragility index existed, with values spanning from 8.9 to 21.3, manifesting themselves as differences in the temperature dependencies of the relaxation times. A reasonable correlation between the thermodynamic parameters and the stability above T(g) was found, with the configurational entropy exhibiting the strongest correlation (r(2)=0.685). However, it could also be shown that below T(g) no clear relationship between the various factors determined and physical stability exists, indicating that stability predictions on the basis of relaxation time alone may be inadequate.

Converting drugs from the crystalline to the amorphous state has gained increasing interest in the past decades as a potential method to overcome solubility issues of poorly water soluble drugs. A variety of techniques exist to convert the crystalline state of a drug to its amorphous form, including solution based, heat based and solid - solid conversion based methods. Inherent to the amorphous state, regardless of its preparation technique, is its physical instability and tendency to recrystallize. In this study, quench-cooled and cryo-milled simvastatin were compared with regards to their configurational thermodynamic parameters (entropy, enthalpy and Gibbs free energy) and mobility (relaxation times calculated using the Adam-Gibbs and Kohlrausch-Williams-Watts method). Stability studies showed quench-cooled simvastatin to be more stable than cryo-milled simvastatin. This was reflected in the calculated parameters although their absolute values did not agree with the stability behaviour. Relaxation time parameters of tau = 6.9 x 10(4) s for quench-cooled and tau = 1.7 x 10(4) s for cryo-milled simvastatin were calculated. The results from this study suggested that differences in the physical stability of amorphous forms prepared by different techniques are reflected in their mobility and thermodynamic parameters. Even though the predictive capabilities of these parameters for a set of different drugs may be limited, they can serve as a predictive tool for physical stability assessment if differently prepared amorphous forms of the same drug are investigated.

The purpose of this work was to investigate possible differences in physicochemical properties and stability between amorphous forms of simvastatin prepared by (a) cryo-milling and (b) melting and quench-cooling. Both methods resulted in X-ray amorphous forms and HPLC analysis indicated a small percentage of chemical degradation during the preparation processes. Modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MTDSC) results showed significantly different onset temperatures of recrystallization and recrystallization enthalpies for both amorphous forms. Raman spectra of the amorphous forms showed differences in the intensities of the methylene bands for the cryo-milled and quench-cooled forms. Upon storage at 20 degrees C, the cryo-milled samples recrystallized within one day, whereas the quench-cooled samples showed no signs of recrystallization, even when stored at 40 degrees C for 3 days. Principal component analysis was carried out to further analyze any differences in the Raman spectra. The results indicate the existence of an amorphous form for the cryo-milled simvastatin that is spectrally distinguishable from the quench-cooled amorphous form. The thermodynamic parameters suggest that this form is less disordered compared to the quench-cooled form.