Unusual solubility and dissolution behavior of pharmaceutical hydrochloride salts in chloride-containing media

Prediction of Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation at the Dissolving Drug Salt Particle Surface

During the dissolution of drug salt particles, liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of a free form can occur within the unstirred water layer (UWL) of the particles (UWL-LLPS). Theoretically, UWL-LLPS occurs when the free form concentration at the salt particle surface (C₀) exceeds the intrinsic LLPS concentration (S₀^LLPS) of the free form. In the present study, we attempted to predict UWL-LLPS based on the intrinsic physicochemical properties of drugs. Cyproheptadine hydrochloride (CPH-HCl), diclofenac sodium (DCF-Na), papaverine hydrochloride (PAP-HCl), and propafenone hydrochloride (PRF-HCl) were selected as model drug salts. The pH₀ and C₀ values at pHs 4.0-9.5 (citric acid, phosphoric acid, and boric acid, buffer capacity = ca. 4 mM/ΔpH) were calculated using the pK_a, solubility product (K_sp), and diffusion coefficient (D) of a drug. S₀^LLPS was measured using the pH-shift method. UWL-LLPS was predicted to occur when C₀ ≥ S₀^LLPS. The prediction result was then compared with UWL-LLPS observed at each pH by polarized light microscopy (PLM). The pH-LLPS concentration (S_pH^LLPS) profile of each drug was also measured. UWL-LLPS was approximately correctly predicted for CPH-HCl, DCF-Na, and PRF-HCl. However, UWL-LLPS was not observable when C₀ was close to S₀^LLPS. Furthermore, UWL-LLPS was not accurately predicted in the case of PAP-HCl. The pH-S_pH^LLPS profile of PAP did not follow the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation, probably because of the formation of cationic aggregates. In conclusion, UWL-LLPS was approximately predictable for drug salts using their intrinsic physicochemical properties (K_sp, pK_a, D, and S₀^LLPS), except for PAP-HCl.

Impact of mixed counter ion on saturation solubility of esylate salt of a weak basic drug to formulate physically stable and non-hemolytic ready to use injectable solution

Current work investigates a typical issue in formulating a physically stable solution especially when more than one counter ions exist in the composition. The impact of different counter ions on solubilization of monohydrate esylate salt of a free base GSK-497,[BH⁺:C₂H₅SO₃^-:H₂O] (1:1) (pKa value 8.0) was investigated to formulate ready to use small volume injectable solution. The concentration dependent aggregation was also appeared to be responsible for hemolytic nature of the drug, therefore a careful investigation was needed to select appropriate counter ion solution without compromising solubilization and leading into higher order aggregation. The esylate salt's native pH in water was closer to pH_max, thus it was risky to render the solution unbuffered. Generally, it is recommended to formulate at least two pH unit away from pH_max to prevent disproportionation related physical instability. This was achieved by buffering solution away from pH_max, using a lactate counter ion (other than esylate salt of API salt) that did not compromise solubility of the given phase and did not appear to promote higher order of aggregation. The rationale for selecting second counter ion was primarily based on the comparison of esylate salt's solubility product (K_sp), with the K_sp value generated from equilibrium solubility of the free base combined with several different counter ions (chloride, lactate, aspartate, citrate and tartrate) at equimolar molar ratio. This approach suggested that the use of a counter ion with higher K_sp (lactate and aspartate) value did not compromise the solubility of original esylate salt but a higher extent of aggregation was possible if aspartate is used to achieve higher solubility. In contrary, use of a counter ion with lower K_sp (citrate, tartrate, chloride) reduced the solubility hence did not favor higher order of aggregation. Thus, based on K_sp comparison a rationale of selecting second counter ion to buffer the salt solution is discussed in this work and optimal formulation concentration is determined based on drug aggregation threshold in solution.

Influence of Dissolution Vessel Geometry and Dissolution Medium on In Vitro Dissolution Behaviour of Triamterene-Coated Model Stents in Different Test Setups

The aim of this study was to investigate if the geometry of the dissolution vessel, the dissolution medium volume and composition might contribute to the variation in drug release from drug-eluting stents (DES) in different test setups, which has been observed in previous in vitro studies. Therefore, DES containing triamterene as model substance were produced via fluidised-bed technology. Dissolution testing was carried out using different incubation setups, the reciprocating holder (USP Apparatus 7) and two flow-through methods, a method similar to the USP Apparatus 4 (FTC) and the vessel-simulating flow-through cell (vFTC) equipped with a hydrogel as a second compartment simulating the blood vessel wall. The results indicate that dissolution vessel geometry and medium volume had no influence on the release behaviour and only the flow-through cell methods yielded a lower dissolution rate than the incubation setups (80.6 ± 2.0% released in the FTC after 14 days compared to > 90% for all incubation setups). The composition of the hydrogel used in the vFTC also affected the dissolution rate (53.9 ± 4.5% within 14 days with a hydrogel based on phosphate-buffered saline compared to 78.2 ± 1.2% obtained with a hydrogel based on water) possibly due to different solubility of triamterene in the release media as well as interactions between the coating polymer and the release medium. Hence, the introduction of a hydrogel as a second compartment might lead to a more biorelevant test setup.

Hot melt extrusion versus spray drying: hot melt extrusion degrades albendazole

The purpose of this study was to enhance the dissolution properties of albendazole (ABZ) by the use of amorphous solid dispersions. Phase diagrams of ABZ-polymer binary mixtures generated from Flory-Huggins theory were used to assess miscibility and processability. Forced degradation studies showed that ABZ degraded upon exposure to hydrogen peroxide and 1 N NaOH at 80 °C for 5 min, and the degradants were albendazole sulfoxide (ABZSX), and ABZ impurity A, respectively. ABZ was chemically stable following exposure to 1 N HCl at 80 °C for one hour. Thermal degradation profiles show that ABZ, with and without Kollidon^® VA 64, degraded at 180 °C and 140 °C, respectively, which indicated that ABZ could likely be processed by thermal processing. Following hot melt extrusion, ABZ degraded up to 97.4%, while the amorphous ABZ solid dispersion was successfully prepared by spray drying. Spray-dried ABZ formulations using various types of acids (methanesulfonic acid, sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid) and polymers (Kollidon^® VA 64, Soluplus^® and Eudragit^® E PO) were studied. The spray-dried ABZ with methanesulfonic acid and Kollidon^® VA 64 substantially improved non-sink dissolution in acidic media as compared to bulk ABZ (8-fold), physical mixture of ABZ:Kollidon^® VA 64 (5.6-fold) and ABZ mesylate salt (1.6-fold). No degradation was observed in the spray-dried product for up to six months and less than 5% after one-year storage. In conclusion, amorphous ABZ solid dispersions in combination with an acid and polymer can be prepared by spray drying to enhance dissolution and shelf-stability, whereas those made by melt extrusion are degraded.

Strategies to address low drug solubility in discovery and development

Drugs with low water solubility are predisposed to low and variable oral bioavailability and, therefore, to variability in clinical response. Despite significant efforts to "design in" acceptable developability properties (including aqueous solubility) during lead optimization, approximately 40% of currently marketed compounds and most current drug development candidates remain poorly water-soluble. The fact that so many drug candidates of this type are advanced into development and clinical assessment is testament to an increasingly sophisticated understanding of the approaches that can be taken to promote apparent solubility in the gastrointestinal tract and to support drug exposure after oral administration. Here we provide a detailed commentary on the major challenges to the progression of a poorly water-soluble lead or development candidate and review the approaches and strategies that can be taken to facilitate compound progression. In particular, we address the fundamental principles that underpin the use of strategies, including pH adjustment and salt-form selection, polymorphs, cocrystals, cosolvents, surfactants, cyclodextrins, particle size reduction, amorphous solid dispersions, and lipid-based formulations. In each case, the theoretical basis for utility is described along with a detailed review of recent advances in the field. The article provides an integrated and contemporary discussion of current approaches to solubility and dissolution enhancement but has been deliberately structured as a series of stand-alone sections to allow also directed access to a specific technology (e.g., solid dispersions, lipid-based formulations, or salt forms) where required.

Activity of bromhexine and ambroxol, semi-synthetic derivatives of vasicine from the Indian shrub Adhatoda vasica, against Mycobacterium tuberculosis in vitro

The benzylamines, bromhexine and ambroxol, widely used as mucolytics, have a pH-dependent growth-inhibitory effect on Mycobacterium tuberculosis. As these compounds are concentrated in macrophages, they might exert a clinically useful effect on intracellular tubercle bacilli. This, combined with indirect effects including enhancement of lysozyme levels in bronchial secretions and levels of rifampicin in lung tissue and sputum, and possibly clearance of bacilli-laden mucus from cavities and bronchi, suggests a potentially useful adjunctive function for these agents in the therapy of tuberculosis, and adds credibility to early reports of the beneficial effect of benzylamines in this disease.

Solubilities and intrinsic dissolution rates of sulphamethoxazole and trimethoprim

The influence of pH on the dissolution rates and solubilities of sulphamethoxazole and trimethoprim have been examined. Sulphamethoxazole was evaluated in buffers of ionic strength 0.5 mol dm-3 over the pH range 0.45-7.8 and at 25, 32 and 37 degrees C. The minimum solubility of sulphamethoxazole was 28.1 mg/100 mL at pH 3.22 and 25 degrees C. Solubilities increased significantly with both increased and decreased pH. Intrinsic dissolution rates demonstrated a linear relationship with the solubility data. Trimethoprim solubility was both buffer- and pH-dependent. In both water and hydrochloric acid solution at 32 degrees C the solubility of trimethoprim increased from 50 mg/100 mL in water at pH 8.54 to a maximum of 1550 mg/100 mL at pH 5.5. This maximum solubility was in excess of that predicted theoretically and may be due to supersaturation. Below pH 2 the solubility of protonated trimethoprim diminished from 1125 mg/100 mL with decreasing pH. This was due to the common ion effect. Intrinsic dissolution rates increased as pH was decreased with hydrochloric acid from 6.00 to 1.78, but decreased at pH 1.48 due to the common ion effect. Dissolution profiles of trimethoprim showed complex patterns dependent upon pH. The profile was zero-order at pH 6.00 and became distinctly stepwise at pH 5.5, this effect becoming less pronounced at lower pH values. This was reconciled in terms of the rate of formation of trimethoprim hydrochloride on the surface of the disc and the differing dissolution rates of this species and trimethoprim. A simple relationship between solubility and dissolution rate was not observed.

Effect of diffusion layer pH and solubility on the dissolution rate of pharmaceutical bases and their hydrochloride salts. I: Phenazopyridine

The pH-solubility profile of phenazopyridine as determined by the addition of HCl or NaOH solutions to its aqueous suspension was identical to that of its hydrochloride salt except during phase transition from base to salt. With the addition of HCl to a suspension of the base, the pH dropped to a certain point and then remained constant until a supersaturated solution was formed. Only after a high supersaturation did precipitation of the hydrochloride salt occur. The solubility of the salt decreased at low pH due to a common ion effect. Unlike solubility profiles, the pH-intrinsic dissolution rate profiles of the base and its salt differed greatly. At low pH, the dissolution rate of the hydrochloride salt decreased with an increase in HCl concentration, whereas the dissolution rate of the base increased. The self-buffering action of the base and the increase in solubility, leading to a supersaturation of the diffusion layer was responsible for the increase in its dissolution rate with a lowering of the pH of the medium. Good conformity with the Noyes-Whitney equation was demonstrated when the solubility values under pH conditions such that the diffusion layer thickness approaches zero (Cs,h = 0) were used rather than solubilities under pH conditions of the bulk media (Cs). Supersaturation of the dissolution medium was observed during dissolution of the hydrochloride salt at pH 7.

Effect of diffusion layer pH and solubility on the dissolution rate of pharmaceutical acids and their sodium salts. II: Salicylic acid, theophylline, and benzoic acid

The pH-solubility profiles of salicylic acid and theophylline, as determined by the addition of HCl or NaOH to their aqueous suspensions, were identical with those of their sodium salts except during phase transitions from acid to salt or vice versa. Supersaturated solutions were formed during phase transitions. Unlike the solubility profiles, the pH-intrinsic dissolution rate profiles of an acid and its salt differed greatly. Good conformity with the Noyes-Whitney equation was demonstrated when the solubility values under pH conditions as the diffusion layer thickness, h, approaches zero (Cs,h = 0) were used rather than solubilities under pH conditions of the bulk media (Cs). The pH when h approaches zero (pHh = 0) was estimated by equilibration of a dissolution medium with an excess of material. Good correlation was shown between the pHh = 0 values of benzoic acid estimated according to this method and the pHh = 0 values reported in the literature. The intrinsic dissolution rate constant, the ratio of the diffusion coefficient to the diffusion layer thickness (D/h), may be assumed constant when comparing the dissolution rates of salicylic acid, theophylline and sodium theophylline. On the other hand, D/h decreased significantly during dissolution of sodium salicylate due to a large increase in Cs,h = 0 and the consequent increase in viscosity in the diffusion layer. A simple method of predicting the dissolution rate of an acid or a salt at different pH values has been developed.

Common ion equilibria of hydrochloride salts and the Setschenow equation

A simple equation was derived to describe the relationship between the aqueous solubility of sparingly soluble salts (S0) and the empirical Setschenow salting-out constant (k): k = 0.217/S0. This relationship and the Setschenow equation were found to be valid only at low concentrations of added salt. This equation agreed with recently published data when compared for the effect of the chloride ion on the solubility of a series of drug hydrochloride salts. The theoretical treatment also predicts the curvature which has been reported in literature Setschenow plots at higher salt concentrations. As the concentration of added salt increases, the apparent k value is not constant but is dependent on solubility and the rate of change of solubility with added salt concentration. It was concluded that the Setschenow treatment is generally inappropriate for description and analysis of common ion equilibria.

Precaution on use of hydrochloride salts in pharmaceutical formulation

Previous reports suggested that the formation of hydrochloride salts does not always enhance solubility due to the common ion effect. The extent of the common ion effect seems to be related to aqueous solubility, with slightly soluble hydrochlorides being more sensitive to the common ion, i.e., chloride ion. The relationship between solubility in water and the extent of the common ion effect was examined, and a high correlation was found, suggesting that hydrochlorides possessing solubilities in water at least of the order observed for papaverine and demeclocycline hydrochlorides (approximately 32 mg/ml at 25 degrees and 42 mg/ml at 37 degrees) are less soluble than the corresponding free base at gastric pH.