Evaluation of droplet size distributions using univariate and multivariate approaches

Pharmaceutically relevant material characteristics are often analyzed based on univariate descriptors instead of utilizing the whole information available in the full distribution. One example is droplet size distribution, which is often described by the median droplet size and the width of the distribution. The current study was aiming to compare univariate and multivariate approach in evaluating droplet size distributions. As a model system, the atomization of a coating solution from a two-fluid nozzle was investigated. The effect of three process parameters (concentration of ethyl cellulose in ethanol, atomizing air pressure, and flow rate of coating solution) on the droplet size and droplet size distribution using a full mixed factorial design was used. The droplet size produced by a two-fluid nozzle was measured by laser diffraction and reported as volume based size distribution. Investigation of loading and score plots from principal component analysis (PCA) revealed additional information on the droplet size distributions and it was possible to identify univariate statistics (volume median droplet size), which were similar, however, originating from varying droplet size distributions. The multivariate data analysis was proven to be an efficient tool for evaluating the full information contained in a distribution.

Fast-track to a solid dispersion formulation using multi-way analysis of complex interactions

Several factors with complex interactions influence the physical stability of solid dispersions, thus highlighting the need for efficient experimental design together with robust and simple multivariate model. Design of Experiments together with ANalysis Of VAriance (ANOVA) model is one of the central tools when establishing a design space according to the Quality by Design (QbD) approach. However, higher order interaction terms are often significant in these ANOVA models, making the final model difficult to interpret and understand. As this is ordinarily the purpose of applying ANOVA, it poses an obvious problem. In the current study, the GEneralized Multiplicative ANOVA (GEMANOVA) model is proposed as an alternative for the ANOVA model. Two complex multivariate data sets obtained by monitoring the physical stability of a solid dispersion with image analysis and X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) as responses were subjected to GEMANOVA analysis. The results showed that the obtained GEMANOVA model was easier to interpret and understand than the additive ANOVA model. Furthermore, the GEMANOVA model has additional advantages such as the possibility of readily including multivariate responses (e.g., an entire spectral data set), model uniqueness, and curve resolution abilities.

Real-time dissolution behavior of furosemide in biorelevant media as determined by UV imaging

The potential of UV imaging as a new small scale flow-through dissolution testing platform and its ability to incorporate biorelevant media was tested. Furosemide was utilized as a model poorly soluble drug, and dissolution media simulating conditions in the small intestine (5/1.25 mM and 40/10 mM bile salt/phospholipid, pH 6.5) together with corresponding blank buffer were employed. Dissolution rates as a function of flow rate (0.2-1.0 mL/min) were determined directly from UV images, and by analysis of collected effluent using UV spectrophotometry. A good agreement in dissolution rates was observed, however repeatability of data based on measurement of collected effluent was superior to that obtained by UV imaging in the utilized prototypic flow cell. Both methods indicated that biorelevant media did not markedly increase the dissolution rate of furosemide as compared to buffer. Qualitatively, UV images indicated that uncontrolled swelling/precipitation of furosemide on the compact surface was occurring in some samples. In situ Raman spectroscopy together with X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that the observations were not due to a solid form transformation of furosemide. The presented results highlight the complementary features of the utilized techniques and, in particular, the detailed information related to dissolution behavior which can be achieved by UV imaging.

Structural elucidation of rapid solution-mediated phase transitions in pharmaceutical solids using in situ synchrotron SAXS/WAXS

In situ elucidation of kinetics of solution-mediated phase transformations using direct structural determination has been achieved using synchrotron SAXS/WAXS radiation. Using theophylline as a model drug with known phase transformation from anhydrate to monohydrate form in aqueous conditions within a few minutes, the kinetics of the structural transition were resolved at the second scale, and the results achieved agreed well with those determined using indirect approaches such as Raman spectroscopy. The recrystallization of the monohydrate in situ (due to its lower solubility) from dissolved anhydrate solution (higher solubility) is demonstrated directly, highlighting a major issue for such compounds in application. The technique has the additional benefit of having the potential to identify intermediate structures which are not readily achievable with in situ spectroscopic techniques, as well as being amenable to high throughput approaches.

Complementing high-throughput X-ray powder diffraction data with quantum-chemical calculations: Application to piroxicam form III

High-throughput crystallisation and characterisation platforms provide an efficient means to carry out solid-form screening during the pre-formulation phase. To determine the crystal structures of identified new solid phases, however, usually requires independent crystallisation trials to produce single crystals or bulk samples of sufficient quantity to carry out high-quality X-ray diffraction measurements. This process could be made more efficient by a robust procedure for crystal structure determination directly from high-throughput X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) data. Quantum-chemical calculations based on dispersion-corrected density functional theory (DFT-D) have now become feasible for typical small organic molecules used as active pharmaceutical ingredients. We demonstrate how these calculations can be applied to complement high-throughput XRPD data by determining the crystal structure of piroxicam form III. These combined experimental/quantum-chemical methods can provide access to reliable structural information in the course of an intensive experimentally based solid-form screening activity or in other circumstances wherein single crystals might never be viable, for example, for polymorphs obtained only during high-energy processing such as spray drying or milling.

Crystal morphology modification by the addition of tailor-made stereocontrolled poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide)

The use of additives in crystallization of pharmaceuticals is known to influence the particulate properties critically affecting downstream processing and the final product performance. Desired functionality can be build into these materials, e.g. via optimized synthesis of a polymeric additive. One such additive is the thermosensitive polymer poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM). The use of PNIPAM as a crystallization additive provides a possibility to affect viscosity at separation temperatures and nucleation and growth rates at higher temperatures. In this study, novel PNIPAM derivatives consisting of both isotactic-rich and atactic blocks were used as additives in evaporative crystallization of a model compound, nitrofurantoin (NF). Special attention was paid to possible interactions between NF and PNIPAM and the aggregation state of PNIPAM as a function of temperature and solvent composition. Optical light microscopy and Raman and FTIR spectroscopy were used to investigate the structure of the NF crystals and possible interaction with PNIPAM. A drastic change in the growth mechanism of nitrofurantoin crystals as monohydrate form II (NFMH-II) was observed in the presence of PNIPAM; the morphology of crystals changed from needle to dendritic shape. Additionally, the amphiphilic nature of PNIPAM increased the solubility of nitrofurantoin in water. PNIPAMs with varying molecular weights and stereoregularities resulted in similar changes in the crystal habit of the drug regardless of whether the polymer was aggregated or not. However, with increased additive concentration slower nucleation and growth rates of the crystals were observed. Heating of the crystallization medium resulted in phase separation of the PNIPAM. The phase separation had an influence on the achieved crystal morphology resulting in fewer, visually larger and more irregular dendritic crystals. No proof of hydrogen bond formation between PNIPAM and NF was observed, and the suggested mechanism for the observed dendritic morphology is related to the steric hindrance phenomenon. PNIPAM can be used as a crystallization additive with an obvious effect on the growth of NF crystals.

Strategic funding priorities in the pharmaceutical sciences allied to Quality by Design (QbD) and Process Analytical Technology (PAT)

Substantial changes in Pharmaceutical R&D strategy are required to address existing issues of low productivity, imminent patent expirations and pressures on pricing. Moves towards personalized healthcare and increasing diversity in the nature of portfolios including the rise of biopharmaceuticals however have the potential to provide considerable challenges to the establishment of cost effective and robust supply chains. To guarantee product quality and surety of supply for essential medicines it is necessary that manufacturing science keeps pace with advances in pharmaceutical R&D. In this position paper, the EUFEPS QbD and PAT Sciences network make recommendations that European industry, academia and health agencies focus attention on delivering step changes in science and technology in a number of key themes. These subject areas, all underpinned by the sciences allied to QbD and PAT, include product design and development for personalized healthcare, continuous-processing in pharmaceutical product manufacture, quantitative quality risk assessment for pharmaceutical development including life cycle management and the downstream processing of biopharmaceutical products. Plans are being established to gain commitment for inclusion of these themes into future funding priorities for the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI).

Behaviour of HPMC compacts investigated using UV-imaging

The aim of the study was to visualize the behaviour of the hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) in a buffer solution using UV imaging. The obtained results were related to rheological measurements in order to gain insight into critical polymer properties affecting drug release. Two viscosity grades of HPMC, 15cP and 50 cP, were used. The behaviour of the polymer at the surface of the compact was observed by UV-imaging at 214 nm for 90 min in a stagnant buffer solution and in presence of flow. Steady shear and oscillatory shear measurements were conducted to determine the rheological characteristics. Three distinctive phases could be detected by real-time UV-imaging of the HPMC; gel formation due to water penetration, further expansion of the gel into solution and finally steady conditions, where a critical polymer concentration that can withstand the shear forces without eroding was observed. The critical concentration corresponded to the rheologically determined gel point, which is the lowest concentration where a 3D-network is obtained. Higher viscosity grade HPMC swelled more rapidly and lead to a thicker gel layer, which was more resistant towards the shear forces due to the applied flow. The results showed that UV imaging is suitable for obtaining both qualitative and quantitative information on polymer behaviour.

Atomic pairwise distribution function analysis of the amorphous phase prepared by different manufacturing routes

Amlodipine besilate, a calcium channel antagonist, exists in several solid forms. Processing of anhydrate and dihydrate forms of this drug may lead to solid state changes, and is therefore the focus of this study. Milling was performed for the anhydrate form, whereas the dihydrate form was subjected to quench cooling thereby creating an amorphous form of the drug from both starting materials. The milled and quench cooled samples were, together with the crystalline starting materials, analyzed with X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), Raman spectroscopy and atomic pair-wise distribution function (PDF) analysis of the XRPD pattern. When compared to XRPD and Raman spectroscopy, the PDF analysis was superior in displaying the difference between the amorphous samples prepared by milling and quench cooling approaches of the two starting materials.

Influence of solvent evaporation rate and formulation factors on solid dispersion physical stability

New chemical entities (NCEs) often show poor water solubility necessitating solid dispersion formulation. The aim of the current study is to employ design of experiments in investigating the influence of one critical process factor (solvent evaporation rate) and two formulation factors (PVP:piroxicam ratio (PVP:PRX) and PVP molecular weight (P(MW))) on the physical stability of PRX solid dispersion prepared by the solvent evaporation method. The results showed the rank order of an increase in factors contributing to a decrease in the extent of PRX nucleation being evaporation rate>PVP:PRX>P(MW). The same rank order was found for the decrease in the extent of PRX crystal growth in PVP matrices from day 0 up to day 12. However, after 12days the rank became PVP:PRX>evaporation rate>P(MW). The effects of an increase in evaporation rate and PVP:PRX ratio in stabilizing PRX were of the same order of magnitude, while the effect from P(MW) was much smaller. The findings were confirmed by XRPD. FT-IR showed that PRX recrystallization in the PVP matrix followed Ostwald's step rule, and an increase in the three factors all led to increased hydrogen bonding interaction between PRX and PVP. The present study showed the applicability of the Quality by Design approach in solid dispersion research, and highlights the need for multifactorial analysis.

Investigations on the effect of different cooling rates on the stability of amorphous indomethacin

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.

Insights into the early dissolution events of amlodipine using UV imaging and Raman spectroscopy

Traditional dissolution testing determines drug release to the bulk, but does not enable an understanding of the events happening close to the surface of a solid or a tablet. UV imaging is a new imaging approach that can be used to study the dissolution behavior of chemical compounds. The UV imaging instrumentation offers recording of absorbance maps with a high spatial and temporal resolution which facilitates the abundant collection of information regarding the evolving solution concentrations. In this study, UV imaging was used to visualize the dissolution behavior of amlodipine besylate (amorphous and dihydrate forms) and amlodipine free base. The dissolution of amlodipine besylate was faster from the amorphous form than from the crystalline forms. The UV imaging investigations suggested that a solvent mediated phase transformation occurred for the amorphous amlodipine besylate and the amlodipine free base samples. Raman spectroscopy was used to confirm and probe the changes at the solid surface occurring upon contact with the dissolution media and verified the recrystallization of the amorphous form to the monohydrate. The combination of UV imaging and Raman spectroscopy is an efficient tool to obtain a deeper insight into the early events of the dissolution process.

Monitoring lidocaine single-crystal dissolution by ultraviolet imaging

Dissolution critically affects the bioavailability of Biopharmaceutics Classification System class 2 compounds. When unexpected dissolution behaviour occurs, detailed studies using high information content technologies are warranted. In the present study, an evaluation of real-time ultraviolet (UV) imaging for conducting single-crystal dissolution studies was performed. Using lidocaine as a model compound, the aim was to develop a setup capable of monitoring and quantifying the dissolution of lidocaine into a phosphate buffer, pH 7.4, under stagnant conditions. A single crystal of lidocaine was placed in the quartz dissolution cell and UV imaging was performed at 254 nm. Spatially and temporally resolved mapping of lidocaine concentration during the dissolution process was achieved from the recorded images. UV imaging facilitated the monitoring of lidocaine concentrations in the dissolution media adjacent to the single crystals. The concentration maps revealed the effects of natural convection due to density gradients on the dissolution process of lidocaine. UV imaging has great potential for in vitro drug dissolution testing.