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Švára D, Filipová B, Jelínek P, Mikeš P, Kluk A, Šoóš M. The impact of polymer mixture composition on the properties of electrospun membranes for drug delivery applications. Int J Pharm 2023; 647:123548. [PMID: 37890644 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2023.123548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Orally dispersible films (ODFs) prepared by an electrospinning are a novel type of pharmaceutical formulation. This dosage form has the potential to be beneficial for small children and the elderly, who can have problems with administration of classical tablets due to the increased risk of choking and difficulty with swallowing. Due to the highly porous nanofiber morphology, the ODFs examined in this study achieve rapid disintegration into drug microparticles when in contact with saliva. The suspension is then easier to swallow. In this study, we focus on the impact of film composition (polymer matrix composition) on the properties of electrospun membranes. In particular, we prepared ODFs composed of a mixture of PEG 100 000 with HPMC E5 and PVP k90 with HPMC E5. We found significant differences in the structure of electrospinned membranes, where samples containing PEG 100 000 and HPMC E5 exhibited much narrower distribution of fibers. Furthermore, nanofibers containing PVP k90 exhibit a faster disintegration rate, while dissolution of the drug was faster in the case of PEG 100 000 containing ODFs. The improvement was caused by both the structure and composition of the membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Švára
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Chemistry and Technology, Technická 3, 166 28 Prague 6 - Dejvice, Czech Republic
| | - Barbora Filipová
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Humanities and Education, Technical University of Liberec, Studentská 1402/2, 461 17 Liberec, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Jelínek
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Chemistry and Technology, Technická 3, 166 28 Prague 6 - Dejvice, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Mikeš
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Humanities and Education, Technical University of Liberec, Studentská 1402/2, 461 17 Liberec, Czech Republic
| | - Anna Kluk
- Zentiva, k.s., U Kabelovny 130, 102 00 Prague 10, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Šoóš
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Chemistry and Technology, Technická 3, 166 28 Prague 6 - Dejvice, Czech Republic.
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Rogers FJM, Radhanpura K, Horvat J, Farrant D. On the use of a volume constraint to account for thermal expansion effects on the low-frequency vibrations of molecular crystals. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:10408-10419. [PMID: 35441620 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp05718a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
A volume-constraint method is presented as a means to capture the influence of thermal expansion on the low-frequency vibrations in molecular crystals. In particular, the room-temperature terahertz absorption spectra of L-tartaric acid, α-lactose monohydrate, and α-para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) have been simulated using dispersion-corrected, solid-state density functional theory (DFT-D). By comparing the normal modes obtained with a unit cell optimised without constraints to those obtained with a unit cell optimised while constrained to keep its experimental volume, wholesale improvements to the resultant spectrum is achieved when using the constrained geometry by inhibiting cell contraction. These improvements are demonstrated over a range of popular density functionals and basis sets up to triple-zeta complexity. A correlation method is then presented as a means to quantitatively compare the vibrational pattern of normal modes obtained from both unit cells. This analysis reveals that thermal expansion can effect the character and relative frequency of normal modes, with the choice of geometry ultimately affecting the assignment of the experimental absorptions. The sensibility of using the experimental volume as an approximation is then discussed, where it is speculated that large basis sets or hybrid functionals are necessary to ensure that the thermal expansion effect is not overestimated. The low-frequency absorption spectrum of PABA is then fully characterised using the PBE-D3BJ/6-311G(2d,2p) method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fergus J M Rogers
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia
| | - Krunal Radhanpura
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Lindfield, NSW 2070, Australia
| | - Joseph Horvat
- School of Physics and Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
| | - David Farrant
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Lindfield, NSW 2070, Australia
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Abstract
We investigate fabrication of compacts using polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polyethylene (PE), and the effect of compaction conditions on their terahertz transmission properties. The conditions used to fabricate compressed powder samples for terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) can impact the accuracy of the measurements and hence the interpretation of results. This study investigated the effect of compaction conditions on the accuracy of the THz-TDS analysis. Two polymers that are commonly used as matrix materials in terahertz spectroscopy studies were explored using a compaction simulator and a hydraulic press for sample preparation. THz-TDS was used to determine the refractive index and loss coefficient to compare the powder compacts (pellets) to the values of solid material. Sample porosity, axial relaxation and tensile strength were measured to assess the material’s suitability for terahertz spectroscopy. It was found that PTFE is the preferable material for creating THz-TDS samples due to its low porosity and high tensile strength. PE was found to show significant porosity at all compaction pressures, making it an unsuitable material for the accurate determination of optical parameters from THz-TDS spectroscopy measurements. The larger particle sizes of PE resulted in compacts that exhibited significantly lower tensile strength than those made from PTFE making handling and storage difficult.
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Visualising liquid transport through coated pharmaceutical tablets using Terahertz pulsed imaging. Int J Pharm 2022; 619:121703. [PMID: 35351529 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2022.121703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Dissolution of pharmaceutical tablets is a complex process, especially for coated tablets where layered structures form an additional barrier for liquid transport into the porous tablet matrix. A better understanding of the role of the coating structure in the mass transport processes that govern drug release, starting with the wetting of the coating layer by the dissolution medium, can benefit the formulation design and optimisation of the production. For this study, terahertz pulsed imaging was used to investigate how dissolution medium can penetrate coated tablets. In order to focus on the fundamental process, the model system for this proof-of-principle study consisted of tablet cores made from pure microcrystalline cellulose compacted to a defined porosity coated with Opadry II, a PVA-based immediate release coating blend. The coating was applied to a single side of flat-faced tablets using vacuum compression moulding. It was possible to resolve the hydration of the coating layer and the subsequent liquid ingress into the dry tablet core. The analysis revealed a discontinuity in density at the interface between coating and core, where coating polymer could enter the pore space at the immediate surface of the tablet cores during the coating process. This structure affected the liquid transport of the dissolution medium into the core. We found evidence for the formation of a gel layer upon hydration of the coating polymer. The porosity of the tablet core impacted the quality of coating and thus affected its dissolution performance (r = 0.6932 for the effective liquid penetration rate RPeff and the core porosity). This study established a methodology and can facilitate a more in-depth understanding of the role of coating on tablet dissolution.
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Dong R, DiNunzio JC, Regler BP, Wasylaschuk W, Socia A, Zeitler JA. Insights into the Control of Drug Release from Complex Immediate Release Formulations. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:933. [PMID: 34201663 PMCID: PMC8308816 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13070933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The kinetics of water transport into tablets, and how it can be controlled by the formulation as well as the tablet microstructure, are of central importance in order to design and control the dissolution and drug release process, especially for immediate release tablets. This research employed terahertz pulsed imaging to measure the process of water penetrating through tablets using a flow cell. Tablets were prepared over a range of porosity between 10% to 20%. The formulations consist of two drugs (MK-8408: ruzasvir as a spray dried intermediate, and MK-3682: uprifosbuvir as a crystalline drug substance) and NaCl (0% to 20%) at varying levels of concentrations as well as other excipients. A power-law model is found to fit the liquid penetration exceptionally well (average R2>0.995). For each formulation, the rate of water penetration, extent of swelling and the USP dissolution rate were compared. A factorial analysis then revealed that the tablet porosity was the dominating factor for both liquid penetration and dissolution. NaCl more significantly influenced liquid penetration due to osmotic driving force as well as gelling suppression, but there appears to be little difference when NaCl loading in the formulation increases from 5% to 10%. The level of spray dried intermediate was observed to further limit the release of API in dissolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Runqiao Dong
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge CB3 0AS, UK;
| | - James C. DiNunzio
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Merck, Rahway, NJ 07065, USA; (J.C.D.); (B.P.R.); (W.W.); (A.S.)
| | - Brian P. Regler
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Merck, Rahway, NJ 07065, USA; (J.C.D.); (B.P.R.); (W.W.); (A.S.)
| | - Walter Wasylaschuk
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Merck, Rahway, NJ 07065, USA; (J.C.D.); (B.P.R.); (W.W.); (A.S.)
| | - Adam Socia
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Merck, Rahway, NJ 07065, USA; (J.C.D.); (B.P.R.); (W.W.); (A.S.)
| | - J. Axel Zeitler
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge CB3 0AS, UK;
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Al-Sharabi M, Markl D, Vivacqua V, Bawuah P, MacLean N, Bentley M, York AP, Marigo M, Huang K, Zeitler JA. Terahertz pulsed imaging as a new method for investigating the liquid transport kinetics of α-alumina powder compacts. Chem Eng Res Des 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cherd.2020.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Al-Sharabi M, Markl D, Mudley T, Bawuah P, Karttunen AP, Ridgway C, Gane P, Ketolainen J, Peiponen KE, Rades T, Zeitler JA. Simultaneous investigation of the liquid transport and swelling performance during tablet disintegration. Int J Pharm 2020; 584:119380. [PMID: 32407939 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2020.119380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Fast disintegrating tablets have commonly been used for fast oral drug delivery to patients with swallowing difficulties. The different characteristics of the pore structure of such formulations influence the liquid transport through the tablet and hence affect the disintegration time and the release of the drug in the body. In this work, terahertz time-domain spectroscopy and terahertz pulsed imaging were used as promising analytical techniques to quantitatively analyse the impact of the structural properties on the liquid uptake and swelling rates upon contact with the dissolution medium. Both the impact of porosity and formulation were investigated for theophylline and paracetamol based tablets. The drug substances were either formulated with functionalised calcium carbonate (FCC) with porosities of 45% and 60% or with microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) with porosities of 10% and 25%. The terahertz results reveal that the rate of liquid uptake is clearly influenced by the porosity of the tablets with a faster liquid transport observed for tablets with higher porosity, indicating that the samples exhibit structural similarity in respect to pore connectivity and pore size distribution characteristics in respect to permeability. The swelling of the FCC based tablets is fully controlled by the amount of disintegrant, whereas the liquid uptake is driven by the FCC material and the interparticle pores created during compaction. The MCC based formulations are more complex as the MCC significantly contributes to the overall tablet swelling. An increase in swelling with increasing porosity is observed in these tablets, which indicates that such formulations are performance-limited by their ability to take up liquid. Investigating the effect of the microstructure characteristics on the liquid transport and swelling kinetics is of great importance for reaching the next level of understanding of the drug delivery, and, depending on the surface nature of the pore carrier function, in turn controlling the performance of the drug mainly in respect to dissolution in the body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Al-Sharabi
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0AS, UK
| | - Daniel Markl
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, 161 Cathedral Street, G4 0RE Glasgow, UK; EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Continuous Manufacturing and Crystallisation, University of Strathclyde, 99 George Street, G1 1RD Glasgow, UK
| | - Theona Mudley
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0AS, UK
| | - Prince Bawuah
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0AS, UK
| | - Anssi-Pekka Karttunen
- School of Pharmacy, Promis Centre, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Cathy Ridgway
- Omya International AG, Forschackerstrasse 6, CH 4622 Egerkingen, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Gane
- Aalto University, School of Chemical Engineering, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland
| | - Jarkko Ketolainen
- School of Pharmacy, Promis Centre, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Kai-Erik Peiponen
- Institute of Photonics, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland
| | - Thomas Rades
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - J Axel Zeitler
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0AS, UK.
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Non-destructive prediction of enteric coating layer thickness and drug dissolution rate by near-infrared spectroscopy and X-ray computed tomography. Int J Pharm 2017; 525:282-290. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2017.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Revised: 03/23/2017] [Accepted: 04/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Markl D, Sauerwein J, Goodwin DJ, van den Ban S, Zeitler JA. Non-destructive Determination of Disintegration Time and Dissolution in Immediate Release Tablets by Terahertz Transmission Measurements. Pharm Res 2017; 34:1012-1022. [PMID: 28155076 PMCID: PMC5382185 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-017-2108-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2016] [Accepted: 01/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The aim of this study was to establish the suitability of terahertz (THz) transmission measurements to accurately measure and predict the critical quality attributes of disintegration time and the amount of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) dissolved after 15, 20 and 25 min for commercial tablets processed at production scale. METHODS Samples of 18 batches of biconvex tablets from a production-scale design of experiments study into exploring the design space of a commercial tablet manufacturing process were used. The tablet production involved the process steps of high-shear wet granulation, fluid-bed drying and subsequent compaction. The 18 batches were produced using a 4 factor split plot design to study the effects of process changes on the disintegration time. Non-destructive and contactless terahertz transmission measurements of the whole tablets without prior sample preparation were performed to measure the effective refractive index and absorption coefficient of 6 tablets per batch. RESULTS The disintegration time (R 2 = 0.86) and API dissolved after 15 min (R 2 = 0.96) linearly correlates with the effective refractive index, n eff, measured at terahertz frequencies. In contrast, no such correlation could be established from conventional hardness measurements. The magnitude of n eff represents the optical density of the sample and thus it reflects both changes in tablet porosity as well as granule density. For the absorption coefficient, α eff, we observed a better correlation with dissolution after 20 min (R 2 = 0.96) and a weaker correlation with disintegration (R 2 = 0.83) compared to n eff. CONCLUSION The measurements of n eff and α eff provide promising predictors for the disintegration and dissolution time of tablets. The high penetration power of terahertz radiation makes it possible to sample a significant volume proportion of a tablet without any prior sample preparation. Together with the short measurement time (seconds), the potential to measure content uniformity and the fact that the method requires no chemometric models this technology shows clear promise to be established as a process analyser to non-destructively predict critical quality attributes of tablets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Markl
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge, CB3 0AS, UK
| | - Johanna Sauerwein
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge, CB3 0AS, UK
| | - Daniel J Goodwin
- GSK Research and Development, New Frontiers Science Park, 3rd Avenue, Harlow, CM19 5AW, UK
| | | | - J Axel Zeitler
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge, CB3 0AS, UK.
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Markl D, Zeitler JA. A Review of Disintegration Mechanisms and Measurement Techniques. Pharm Res 2017; 34:890-917. [PMID: 28251425 PMCID: PMC5382187 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-017-2129-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 183] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2017] [Accepted: 02/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Pharmaceutical solid dosage forms (tablets or capsules) are the predominant form to administer active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to the patient. Tablets are typically powder compacts consisting of several different excipients in addition to the API. Excipients are added to a formulation in order to achieve the desired fill weight of a dosage form, to improve the processability or to affect the drug release behaviour in the body. These complex porous systems undergo different mechanisms when they come in contact with physiological fluids. The performance of a drug is primarily influenced by the disintegration and dissolution behaviour of the powder compact. The disintegration process is specifically critical for immediate-release dosage forms. Its mechanisms and the factors impacting disintegration are discussed and methods used to study the disintegration in-situ are presented. This review further summarises mathematical models used to simulate disintegration phenomena and to predict drug release kinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Markl
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge, CB3 0AS, UK
| | - J Axel Zeitler
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge, CB3 0AS, UK.
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