1
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Steiner D, Meyer A, Immohr LI, Pein-Hackelbusch M. Critical View on the Qualification of Electronic Tongues Regarding Their Performance in the Development of Peroral Drug Formulations with Bitter Ingredients. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:658. [PMID: 38794320 PMCID: PMC11125162 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16050658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
In this review, we aim to highlight the advantages, challenges, and limitations of electronic tongues (e-tongues) in pharmaceutical drug development. The authors, therefore, critically evaluated the performance of e-tongues regarding their qualification to assess peroral formulations containing bitter active pharmaceutical ingredients. A literature search using the keywords 'electronic', 'tongue', 'bitter', and 'drug' in a Web of Science search was therefore initially conducted. Reviewing the publications of the past decade, and further literature where necessary, allowed the authors to discuss whether and how e-tongues perform as expected and whether they have the potential to become a standard tool in drug development. Specifically highlighted are the expectations an e-tongue should meet. Further, a brief insight into the technologies of the utilized e-tongues is given. Reliable protocols were found that enable (i) the qualified performance of e-tongue instruments from an analytical perspective, (ii) proper taste-masking assessments, and (iii) under certain circumstances, the evaluation of bitterness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Steiner
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, University of Muenster, Corrensstraße 48, 48149 Muenster, Germany;
| | - Alexander Meyer
- Institute for Life Science Technologies (ILT.NRW), Ostwestfalen-Lippe University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Campusallee 12, 32657 Lemgo, Germany
| | | | - Miriam Pein-Hackelbusch
- Institute for Life Science Technologies (ILT.NRW), Ostwestfalen-Lippe University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Campusallee 12, 32657 Lemgo, Germany
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2
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Clapham D, Belissa E, Inghelbrecht S, Pensé-Lhéritier AM, Ruiz F, Sheehan L, Shine M, Vallet T, Walsh J, Tuleu C. A Guide to Best Practice in Sensory Analysis of Pharmaceutical Formulations. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2319. [PMID: 37765288 PMCID: PMC10535428 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15092319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
It is well established that treatment regime compliance is linked to the acceptability of a pharmaceutical formulation, and hence also to therapeutic outcomes. To that end, acceptability must be assessed during the development of all pharmaceutical products and especially for those intended for paediatric patients. Although acceptability is a multifaceted concept, poor sensory characteristics often contribute to poor patient acceptability. In particular, poor taste is often cited as a major reason for many patients, especially children, to refuse to take their medicine. It is thus important to understand and, as far as possible, optimise the sensory characteristics and, in particular, the taste/flavour/mouthfeel of the formulation throughout the development of the product. Sensory analysis has been widely practiced, providing objective data concerning the sensory aspects of food and cosmetic products. In this paper, we present proposals concerning how the well-established principles of sensory analysis can best be applied to pharmaceutical product development, allowing objective, scientifically valid, sensory data to be obtained safely. We briefly discuss methodologies that may be helpful in reducing the number of samples that may need to be assessed by human volunteers. However, it is only possible to be sure whether or not the sensory characteristics of a pharmaceutical product are non-aversive to potential users by undertaking sensory assessments in human volunteers. Testing is also required during formulation assessment and to ensure that the sensory characteristics remain acceptable throughout the product shelf life. We provide a risk assessment procedure to aid developers to define where studies are low risk, the results of a survey of European regulators on their views concerning such studies, and detailed guidance concerning the types of sensory studies that can be undertaken at each phase of product development, along with guidance about the practicalities of performing such sensory studies. We hope that this guidance will also lead to the development of internationally agreed standards between industry and regulators concerning how these aspects should be measured and assessed throughout the development process and when writing and evaluating regulatory submissions. Finally, we hope that the guidance herein will help formulators as they seek to develop better medicines for all patients and, in particular, paediatric patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Clapham
- Independent Researcher, Bishop’s Stortford CM23 4FQ, UK
| | | | | | | | - Fabrice Ruiz
- ClinSearch, 92240 Malakoff, France; (F.R.); (T.V.)
| | - Liz Sheehan
- SRL Pharma, T12 XF62 Cork, Ireland; (L.S.); (M.S.)
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3
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Yoo O, von Ungern-Sternberg BS, Lim LY. Paediatric Medicinal Formulation Development: Utilising Human Taste Panels and Incorporating Their Data into Machine Learning Training. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2112. [PMID: 37631326 PMCID: PMC10459634 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15082112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
This review paper explores the role of human taste panels and artificial neural networks (ANNs) in taste-masking paediatric drug formulations. Given the ethical, practical, and regulatory challenges of employing children, young adults (18-40) can serve as suitable substitutes due to the similarity in their taste sensitivity. Taste panellists need not be experts in sensory evaluation so long as a reference product is used during evaluation; however, they should be screened for bitterness taste detection thresholds. For a more robust evaluation during the developmental phase, considerations of a scoring system and the calculation of an acceptance value may be beneficial in determining the likelihood of recommending a formulation for further development. On the technological front, artificial neural networks (ANNs) can be exploited in taste-masking optimisation of medicinal formulations as they can model complex relationships between variables and enable predictions not possible previously to optimise product profiles. Machine learning classifiers may therefore tackle the challenge of predicting the bitterness intensity of paediatric formulations. While advancements have been made, further work is needed to identify effective taste-masking techniques for specific drug molecules. Continuous refinement of machine learning algorithms, using human panellist acceptability scores, can aid in enhancing paediatric formulation development and overcoming taste-masking challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Okhee Yoo
- Pharmacy, School of Allied Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia;
| | - Britta S. von Ungern-Sternberg
- Perioperative Medicine Team, Perioperative Care Program, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, WA 6009, Australia;
- Department of Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine, Perth Children’s Hospital, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Lee Yong Lim
- Pharmacy, School of Allied Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia;
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4
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Hu S, Liu X, Zhang S, Quan D. An Overview of Taste-Masking Technologies: Approaches, Application, and Assessment Methods. AAPS PharmSciTech 2023; 24:67. [PMID: 36788171 DOI: 10.1208/s12249-023-02520-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
It is well-known that plenty of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) inherently possess an unpleasant taste, which influences the acceptance of patients, especially children. Therefore, manufacturing taste-masked dosage forms has attracted a lot of attention. This review describes in detail the taste-masking technologies based on the difference in the taste transmission mechanism which is currently available. In particular, the review highlights the application of various methods, with a special focus on how to screen the appropriate masking technology according to the properties of API. Subsequently, we overviewed how to assess taste-masking efficacy, guiding researchers to rationally design taste-masking formulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuqin Hu
- Institute of Advanced Drug Delivery Technology, No.10 Xinghuo Avenue Jiangbei New Area, Nanjing, 210032, People's Republic of China.,China Pharmaceutical University, No. 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211198, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoxuan Liu
- China Pharmaceutical University, No. 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211198, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuangshuang Zhang
- Institute of Advanced Drug Delivery Technology, No.10 Xinghuo Avenue Jiangbei New Area, Nanjing, 210032, People's Republic of China
| | - Danyi Quan
- Institute of Advanced Drug Delivery Technology, No.10 Xinghuo Avenue Jiangbei New Area, Nanjing, 210032, People's Republic of China.
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5
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Margulis E, Slavutsky Y, Lang T, Behrens M, Benjamini Y, Niv MY. BitterMatch: recommendation systems for matching molecules with bitter taste receptors. J Cheminform 2022; 14:45. [PMID: 35799226 PMCID: PMC9261901 DOI: 10.1186/s13321-022-00612-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Bitterness is an aversive cue elicited by thousands of chemically diverse compounds. Bitter taste may prevent consumption of foods and jeopardize drug compliance. The G protein-coupled receptors for bitter taste, TAS2Rs, have species-dependent number of subtypes and varying expression levels in extraoral tissues. Molecular recognition by TAS2R subtypes is physiologically important, and presents a challenging case study for ligand-receptor matchmaking. Inspired by hybrid recommendation systems, we developed a new set of similarity features, and created the BitterMatch algorithm that predicts associations of ligands to receptors with ~ 80% precision at ~ 50% recall. Associations for several compounds were tested in-vitro, resulting in 80% precision and 42% recall. The encouraging performance was achieved by including receptor properties and integrating experimentally determined ligand-receptor associations with chemical ligand-to-ligand similarities. BitterMatch can predict off-targets for bitter drugs, identify novel ligands and guide flavor design. The novel features capture information regarding the molecules and their receptors, which could inform various chemoinformatic tasks. Inclusion of neighbor-informed similarities improves as experimental data mounts, and provides a generalizable framework for molecule-biotarget matching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eitan Margulis
- The Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Robert H Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Yuli Slavutsky
- Department of Statistics and Data Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Tatjana Lang
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Maik Behrens
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Yuval Benjamini
- Department of Statistics and Data Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Masha Y Niv
- The Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Robert H Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
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6
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Lopalco A, Manni A, Keeley A, Haider S, Li W, Lopedota A, Altomare CD, Denora N, Tuleu C. In Vivo Investigation of (2-Hydroxypropyl)-β-cyclodextrin-Based Formulation of Spironolactone in Aqueous Solution for Paediatric Use. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14040780. [PMID: 35456614 PMCID: PMC9029429 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14040780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Spironolactone (SPL), a potent anti-aldosterone steroidal drug used to treat several diseases in paediatric patients (e.g., hypertension, primary aldosteronism, Bartter’s syndrome, and congestive heart failure), is not available in child-friendly dosage forms, and spironolactone liquids have been reported to be unpalatable. Aiming to enhance SPL solubility in aqueous solution and overcome palatability, herein, the effects of (2-hydroxypropyl)-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CyD) were thoroughly investigated on solubilisation in water and on masking the unpleasant taste of SPL in vivo. Although the complexation of SPL with HP-β-CyD was demonstrated through phase solubility studies, Job’s plot, NMR and computational docking studies, our in vivo tests did not show significant effects on taste aversion. Our findings, on the one hand, suggest that the formation of an inclusion complex of SPL with HP-β-CyD itself is not necessarily a good indicator for an acceptable degree of palatability, whereas, on the other hand, they constitute the basis for investigating other cyclodextrin-based formulations of the poorly water-soluble steroidal drug, including solid dosage forms, such as spray-dried powders and orodispersible tablets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Lopalco
- Department of Pharmacy-Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70125 Bari, Italy; (A.L.); (A.L.); (C.D.A.)
| | - Annachiara Manni
- School of Pharmacy, University College of London, 29/39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK; (A.M.); (A.K.); (S.H.); (C.T.)
- Food and Drug Department, University of Parma, Parco Area Delle Scienze 27/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Alexander Keeley
- School of Pharmacy, University College of London, 29/39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK; (A.M.); (A.K.); (S.H.); (C.T.)
| | - Shozeb Haider
- School of Pharmacy, University College of London, 29/39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK; (A.M.); (A.K.); (S.H.); (C.T.)
| | - Wenliang Li
- Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK;
- Cranfield Water Science Institute, School of Water, Environment and Energy, Cranfield University, Cranfield MK43 0AL, UK
| | - Angela Lopedota
- Department of Pharmacy-Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70125 Bari, Italy; (A.L.); (A.L.); (C.D.A.)
| | - Cosimo Damiano Altomare
- Department of Pharmacy-Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70125 Bari, Italy; (A.L.); (A.L.); (C.D.A.)
| | - Nunzio Denora
- Department of Pharmacy-Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70125 Bari, Italy; (A.L.); (A.L.); (C.D.A.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-080-544-2767
| | - Catherine Tuleu
- School of Pharmacy, University College of London, 29/39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK; (A.M.); (A.K.); (S.H.); (C.T.)
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7
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Evaluating the Taste Masking Ability of Two Novel Dispersible Tablet Platforms Containing Zinc Sulfate and Paracetamol Reconstituted in a Breast Milk Substitute. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14020420. [PMID: 35214152 PMCID: PMC8878340 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14020420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Milk is often used as a dispersion medium for medicines administration in young children but its taste-masking ability is unknown. A human taste panel was conducted to assess the potential of infant formula milk (Aptamil® 1) to mask the taste of two model WHO priority medicines, zinc sulfate and paracetamol, manufactured as dispersible tablets. Simultaneously, the palatability of powder blends of the tablet platforms was assessed. Twenty healthy adult volunteers performed a swirl-and-spit assessment of placebos and API-containing blends in either a lactose-based or a mannitol-based dispersible tablet platform, reconstituted in 10 mL of either water or Aptamil® 1. Eighteen samples were rated for aversion using a 100-mm Visual Analogue Scale, grittiness using a 5-point Likert scale, and “acceptability-as-a-medicine” evaluated as: “Would you find this sample acceptable to swallow as a medicine?” with binary answers of Yes/No. The API-containing formulations were more aversive than the placebos; the paracetamol-containing samples being more aversive than zinc sulfate samples. The platforms themselves were not aversive. Non-gritty samples had four-fold greater odds of being acceptable as a medicine. Aptamil® 1 masked the taste of zinc sulfate in the mannitol-based formulation but did not mask the taste of paracetamol in either platform, suggesting a limited taste-masking ability, which may be API and formulation dependent.
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8
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Boniatti J, Tappin MRR, da S Teixeira RG, de A V Gandos T, Rios LPS, Ferreira IAM, Oliveira KC, Calil-Elias S, Santana AKM, da Fonseca LB, Shimizu FM, Carr O, Oliveira ON, Dantas FML, Amendoeira FC, Viçosa AL. In Vivo and In Vitro Taste Assessment of Artesunate-Mefloquine, Praziquantel, and Benznidazole Drugs for Neglected Tropical Diseases and Pediatric Patients. AAPS PharmSciTech 2021; 23:22. [PMID: 34907488 DOI: 10.1208/s12249-021-02162-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The assessment of drug taste is crucial for pediatric treatments so that formulations can be developed to enhance their effectiveness. In this study, in vivo and in vitro methods were applied to evaluate the taste of tablets of three drugs administered to children without taste-masking excipients to treat tropical diseases, namely artesunate-mefloquine (ASMQ), praziquantel (PZQ), and benznidazole (BNZ). In the first method, a model of rat palatability was adapted with recirculation to ensure sample dispersion, and the data were analyzed using ANOVA (single factor, 95%). The taste assessment results (in vivo) indicated an aversion to the three medicines, denoted by the animals retracting themselves to the bottom of the box after the first contact with the drugs. For the placebo samples, the animals behaved normally, indicating that taste perception was acceptable. The second method was based on the in vitro analysis of capacitance data from a homemade impedimetric electronic tongue. Consistent with the in vivo taste assessment results, the data points obtained with PZQ, ASMQ, and BNZ were far away from those of their placebos in a map built with the multidimensional projection technique referred to as Interactive Document Mapping (IDMAP). A combined analysis of the results with the two methods allowed us to confirm the bitterness of the three drugs, also pointing to electronic tongues as a promising tool to replace in vivo palatability tests.
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Quodbach J, Bogdahn M, Breitkreutz J, Chamberlain R, Eggenreich K, Elia AG, Gottschalk N, Gunkel-Grabole G, Hoffmann L, Kapote D, Kipping T, Klinken S, Loose F, Marquetant T, Windolf H, Geißler S, Spitz T. Quality of FDM 3D Printed Medicines for Pediatrics: Considerations for Formulation Development, Filament Extrusion, Printing Process and Printer Design. Ther Innov Regul Sci 2021; 56:910-928. [PMID: 34826120 PMCID: PMC9492703 DOI: 10.1007/s43441-021-00354-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
3d printing is capable of providing dose individualization for pediatric medicines and translating the precision medicine approach into practical application. In pediatrics, dose individualization and preparation of small dosage forms is a requirement for successful therapy, which is frequently not possible due to the lack of suitable dosage forms. For precision medicine, individual characteristics of patients are considered for the selection of the best possible API in the most suitable dose with the most effective release profile to improve therapeutic outcome. 3d printing is inherently suitable for manufacturing of individualized medicines with varying dosages, sizes, release profiles and drug combinations in small batch sizes, which cannot be manufactured with traditional technologies. However, understanding of critical quality attributes and process parameters still needs to be significantly improved for this new technology. To ensure health and safety of patients, cleaning and process validation needs to be established. Additionally, adequate analytical methods for the in-process control of intermediates, regarding their printability as well as control of the final 3d printed tablets considering any risk of this new technology will be required. The PolyPrint consortium is actively working on developing novel polymers for fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3d printing, filament formulation and manufacturing development as well as optimization of the printing process, and the design of a GMP-capable FDM 3d printer. In this manuscript, the consortium shares its views on quality aspects and measures for 3d printing from drug-loaded filaments, including formulation development, the printing process, and the printed dosage forms. Additionally, engineering approaches for quality assurance during the printing process and for the final dosage form will be presented together with considerations for a GMP-capable printer design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Quodbach
- Institute of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Malte Bogdahn
- Merck Healthcare KGaA, Frankfurter Str. 250, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Jörg Breitkreutz
- Institute of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Rebecca Chamberlain
- Institute of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | - Lena Hoffmann
- Institute of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | | | - Thomas Kipping
- Merck Life Science KGaA, Frankfurter Str. 250, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Stefan Klinken
- Institute of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Fabian Loose
- Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems, University of Applied Sciences Cologne, Betzdorfer Str. 2, 50679, Cologne, Germany
| | | | - Hellen Windolf
- Institute of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Simon Geißler
- Merck Healthcare KGaA, Frankfurter Str. 250, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Tilmann Spitz
- Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems, University of Applied Sciences Cologne, Betzdorfer Str. 2, 50679, Cologne, Germany
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Abdelhakim HE, Coupe A, Tuleu C, Edirisinghe M, Craig DQM. Utilising Co-Axial Electrospinning as a Taste-Masking Technology for Paediatric Drug Delivery. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:1665. [PMID: 34683958 PMCID: PMC8540992 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13101665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study describes the use of two taste-masking polymers to fabricate a formulation of chlorpheniramine maleate for paediatric administration. Co-axial electrospinning was utilized to create layered nanofibres; the two polymers, Eudragit® E PO and Kollicoat® Smartseal, were alternated between the core and the shell of the system in order to identify the optimum taste-masked formulation. The drug was loaded in the core on all occasions. It was found that the formulation with Kollicoat® Smartseal in the core with the drug, and Eudragit® E PO in the shell showed the most effective taste-masking compared to the other formulations. These fibres were in the nano-range and had smooth morphology as verified by scanning electron microscopy. Solid-state characterization and thermal analysis confirmed that amorphous solid dispersions were formed upon electrospinning. The Insent E-tongue was used to assess the taste-masking efficiency of the samples, and it was found that this formulation was undetectable by the bitter sensor, indicating successful taste-masking compared to the raw version of the drug. The E-tongue also confirmed the drug's bitterness threshold as compared to quinine HCl dihydrate, a parameter that is useful for formulation design and taste-masking planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hend E. Abdelhakim
- Department of Pharmaceutics, UCL School of Pharmacy, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK; (H.E.A.); (C.T.)
| | - Alastair Coupe
- Pfizer Limited, Global R&D, Discovery Park, Ramsgate Road, Sandwich, Kent CT13 9ND, UK;
| | - Catherine Tuleu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, UCL School of Pharmacy, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK; (H.E.A.); (C.T.)
| | - Mohan Edirisinghe
- UCL Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, University College London, London WC1E 7JE, UK;
| | - Duncan Q. M. Craig
- Department of Pharmaceutics, UCL School of Pharmacy, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK; (H.E.A.); (C.T.)
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11
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Simões S, Almeida AJ, Marto J. Palatability of pediatric formulations: do rats predict aversiveness? Drug Dev Ind Pharm 2021; 47:1121-1126. [PMID: 34545750 DOI: 10.1080/03639045.2021.1984519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The brief-access taste aversion (BATA) model has been used as an alternative taste assessment tool to human taste panels and became an important element of pharmaceutical drug development, especially regarding pediatric patient's compliance. This model has been validated, demonstrating a concentration-dependent sensitivity to drug aversiveness, as well as the capacity to evaluate the taste-masking effects of cyclodextrins. In the BATA model, samples are presented randomly to rodents in numerous sipper tubes and a lickometer is used for the electronic record of licks in a sophisticated approach. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to test possible drug taste-masking strategies. Additionally, we have used an alternative approach to measure the animal lick number in the presence of different compounds, non-simultaneously. RESULTS In the present work we show for the first time the licking profile of different compounds during the time course of the experiment, with each animal being exposed to only one bottle of testing product. To validate the experiments, quinine hydrochloride dihydrate (QHD) was used as a bitter reference compound. CONCLUSION The results obtained using this simple approach showed that aversiveness is dependent on the assay duration, and that it is possible to predict the aversiveness just by measuring the mass of the tested substance consumption. Moreover, some taste-masking strategies, such as those used in pediatric formulations and corresponding to the addition of sweeteners or flavors, cannot be predicted from rodents BATA model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Simões
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Antonio J Almeida
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Joana Marto
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
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12
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Tawfik EA, Scarpa M, Abdelhakim HE, Bukhary HA, Craig DQM, Barker SA, Orlu M. A Potential Alternative Orodispersible Formulation to Prednisolone Sodium Phosphate Orally Disintegrating Tablets. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13010120. [PMID: 33477855 PMCID: PMC7832848 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13010120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The orally disintegrating tablet (ODT) has shown vast potential as an alternative oral dosage form to conventional tablets wherein they can disintegrate rapidly (≤30 s) upon contact with saliva fluid and should have an acceptable mouthfeel as long as their weight doesn’t exceed 500 mg. However, owing to the bitterness of several active ingredients, there is a need to find a suitable alternative to ODTs that maintains their features and can be taste-masked more simply and inexpensively. Therefore, electrospun nanofibers and solvent-cast oral dispersible films (ODFs) are used in this study as potential OD formulations for prednisolone sodium phosphate (PSP) that is commercially available as ODTs. The encapsulation efficiency (EE%) of the ODFs was higher (≈100%) compared to the nanofibers (≈87%), while the disintegration time was considerably faster for the electrospun nanofibers (≈30 s) than the solvent-cast ODFs (≈700 s). Hence, accelerated release rate of PSP from the nanofibers was obtained, due to their higher surface area and characteristic surface morphology that permitted higher wettability and thus, faster erosion. Taste-assessment study using the electronic-tongue quantified the bitterness threshold of the drug and its aversiveness concentration (2.79 mM). Therefore, a taste-masking strategy would be useful when further formulating PSP as an OD formulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Essam A. Tawfik
- National Center for Pharmaceutical Technology, Life Science and Environment Research Institute, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, P.O. Box 6086, Riyadh 11442, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Pharmaceutics, UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK; (M.S.); (H.E.A.); (H.A.B.); (D.Q.M.C.); (M.O.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Mariagiovanna Scarpa
- Department of Pharmaceutics, UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK; (M.S.); (H.E.A.); (H.A.B.); (D.Q.M.C.); (M.O.)
| | - Hend E. Abdelhakim
- Department of Pharmaceutics, UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK; (M.S.); (H.E.A.); (H.A.B.); (D.Q.M.C.); (M.O.)
| | - Haitham A. Bukhary
- Department of Pharmaceutics, UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK; (M.S.); (H.E.A.); (H.A.B.); (D.Q.M.C.); (M.O.)
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 24381, Saudi Arabia
| | - Duncan Q. M. Craig
- Department of Pharmaceutics, UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK; (M.S.); (H.E.A.); (H.A.B.); (D.Q.M.C.); (M.O.)
| | - Susan A. Barker
- Medway School of Pharmacy, The Universities of Greenwich and Kent at Medway, Anson Building Central Avenue, Chatham, Kent ME4 4TB, UK;
| | - Mine Orlu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK; (M.S.); (H.E.A.); (H.A.B.); (D.Q.M.C.); (M.O.)
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13
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Andrews D, Salunke S, Cram A, Bennett J, Ives RS, Basit AW, Tuleu C. Bitter-blockers as a taste masking strategy: A systematic review towards their utility in pharmaceuticals. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2021; 158:35-51. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2020.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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14
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Asiri A, Hofmanová J, Batchelor H. A review of in vitro and in vivo methods and their correlations to assess mouthfeel of solid oral dosage forms. Drug Discov Today 2020; 26:740-753. [PMID: 33359115 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2020.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
This review analyses the relationship between instrumental and human data used to assess the mouthfeel of solid oral dosage forms to provide recommendations on the most appropriate methods to use in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah Asiri
- School of Pharmacy, Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK; Faculty of Clinical Pharmacy, Albaha University, Alaqiq, 65779-77388, Saudi Arabia
| | - Justyna Hofmanová
- School of Pharmacy, Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Hannah Batchelor
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, 161 Cathedral Street, Glasgow G4 0RE, UK.
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15
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Margulis E, Dagan-Wiener A, Ives RS, Jaffari S, Siems K, Niv MY. Intense bitterness of molecules: Machine learning for expediting drug discovery. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2020; 19:568-576. [PMID: 33510862 PMCID: PMC7807207 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.12.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug development is a long, expensive and multistage process geared to achieving safe drugs with high efficacy. A crucial prerequisite for completing the medication regimen for oral drugs, particularly for pediatric and geriatric populations, is achieving taste that does not hinder compliance. Currently, the aversive taste of drugs is tested in late stages of clinical trials. This can result in the need to reformulate, potentially resulting in the use of more animals for additional toxicity trials, increased financial costs and a delay in release to the market. Here we present BitterIntense, a machine learning tool that classifies molecules into "very bitter" or "not very bitter", based on their chemical structure. The model, trained on chemically diverse compounds, has above 80% accuracy on several test sets. Our results suggest that about 25% of drugs are predicted to be very bitter, with even higher prevalence (~40%) in COVID19 drug candidates and in microbial natural products. Only ~10% of toxic molecules are predicted to be intensely bitter, and it is also suggested that intense bitterness does not correlate with hepatotoxicity of drugs. However, very bitter compounds may be more cardiotoxic than not very bitter compounds, possessing significantly lower QPlogHERG values. BitterIntense allows quick and easy prediction of strong bitterness of compounds of interest for food, pharma and biotechnology industries. We estimate that implementation of BitterIntense or similar tools early in drug discovery process may lead to reduction in delays, in animal use and in overall financial burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eitan Margulis
- The Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Robert H Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ayana Dagan-Wiener
- The Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Robert H Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Robert S Ives
- Comparative & Translational Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage SG1 2NY, United Kingdom
| | - Sara Jaffari
- Product Development & Supply, GlaxoSmithKline, Park Road, Ware, SG12 0DP, United Kingdom
| | | | - Masha Y Niv
- The Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Robert H Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
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16
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Ekweremadu CS, Abdelhakim HE, Craig DQM, Barker SA. Development and Evaluation of Feline Tailored Amlodipine Besylate Mini-Tablets Using L-lysine as a Candidate Flavouring Agent. Pharmaceutics 2020; 12:E917. [PMID: 32987962 PMCID: PMC7600910 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics12100917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 09/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Felines may find orally administered medicines unpalatable, thus presenting a problem in the treatment of chronic conditions such as hypertension, a commonly diagnosed condition in felines requiring daily administration of medication. A pertinent example is amlodipine besylate, formulations of which are known to be poorly tolerated by cats. There is therefore a need to develop feline-specific delivery approaches that are both simple to administer and mask the taste of the drug, thereby enhancing the owner's commitment to treatment and the associated therapeutic outcome for the companion animal. In addition, it is helpful to develop accessible and reproducible means of assessing taste for pre-clinical selection, hence the use of recently developed taste biosensor systems for veterinary applications is an area of interest. This study focuses on developing feline-specific amlodipine besylate formulations by improving the taste using a suitable flavouring agent while reducing dosage form size to a 2 mm diameter mini-tablet. The choice of L-lysine as a flavouring agent was based on the dietary and taste preference of cats. The impact of L-lysine on the taste perception of the formulation was evaluated using a biosensor system (E-tongue) fitted with sensors sensitive to bitter tastes. The results showed L-lysine successfully masked bitterness, while the drug release studies suggest that it has no impact on drug dissolution. In addition, tableting parameters such as tablet mass uniformity, content uniformity, tablet diameter, thickness and hardness were all satisfactory. The present study suggests that amlodipine besylate mini-tablets containing L-lysine could improve the palatability and in turn support product acceptability and ease of administration. These data could have an impact on orally administered medicines for cats and other veterinary species through product differentiation and competitive advantage in the companion animal market sector. The study also outlines the use of the electronic tongue as a tool for formulation selection in the veterinary field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chinedu S. Ekweremadu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, University College London School of Pharmacy, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK; (C.S.E.); (H.E.A.); (D.Q.M.C.)
| | - Hend E. Abdelhakim
- Department of Pharmaceutics, University College London School of Pharmacy, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK; (C.S.E.); (H.E.A.); (D.Q.M.C.)
| | - Duncan Q. M. Craig
- Department of Pharmaceutics, University College London School of Pharmacy, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK; (C.S.E.); (H.E.A.); (D.Q.M.C.)
| | - Susan A. Barker
- Department of Pharmaceutics, University College London School of Pharmacy, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK; (C.S.E.); (H.E.A.); (D.Q.M.C.)
- Medway School of Pharmacy, The Universities of Greenwich and Kent at Medway, Chatham, Kent ME4 4TB, UK
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17
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Abdelhakim HE, Williams GR, Craig DQM, Orlu M, Tuleu C. Human mouthfeel panel investigating the acceptability of electrospun and solvent cast orodispersible films. Int J Pharm 2020; 585:119532. [PMID: 32531448 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2020.119532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
A human panel study was performed to investigate the acceptability of orodispersible electrospun and solvent cast films. 50 healthy volunteers took two drug-free samples of polyvinyl alcohol films prepared by the two methods. On a 5-point hedonic scale, the volunteers assessed the films' perceived size, stickiness, thickness, disintegration time, thickening effect on saliva, and handling. The films manufactured by both methods were similar in their end-user acceptability. The modal values of perceived size, thickness, disintegration time, saliva thickening effect, and handling were high (4 or 5). However, for both, the stickiness mode was 2 (strongly sticky) and the only negative attribute. Both films were reported to take approximately 30 s to disintegrate completely in the mouth. Electrospun films scored similarly high to solvent cast orodispersible films in most attributes of end-user acceptability. Electrospun films were marginally preferred, with 27 out of 50 participants picking electrospinning when presented with a forced choice test of both fabrication methods. This is the first study to show that electrospinning enables the fabrication of orodispersible films that are acceptable to adult human participants in terms of handling and mouthfeel and suggests that the potential for clinical translation of such formulations is high.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hend E Abdelhakim
- UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK
| | - Gareth R Williams
- UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK
| | - Duncan Q M Craig
- UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK
| | - Mine Orlu
- UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK.
| | - Catherine Tuleu
- UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK.
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18
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Keating AV, Soto J, Forbes C, Zhao M, Craig DQM, Tuleu C. Multi-Methodological Quantitative Taste Assessment of Anti-Tuberculosis Drugs to Support the Development of Palatable Paediatric Dosage Forms. Pharmaceutics 2020; 12:pharmaceutics12040369. [PMID: 32316692 PMCID: PMC7238065 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics12040369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The unpalatability of antituberculosis drugs is often cited as a major cause of non-adherence in children, yet limited quantitative taste assessment data are available. The aim of this research was to quantify the bitterness of isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol dihydrochloride using two in vivo (a human taste panel and a rat brief-access taste aversion (BATA) model) and one in vitro (sensor) method. The response of the Insent TS-5000Z electronic tongue was compared to the in vivo drug concentration found to elicit and suppress half the maximum taste response (EC50 in human and IC50 in rats). Using dose-relevant concentrations, an overarching rank order of bitterness was derived (rifampicin > ethambutol > pyrazinamid~isoniazid). In vitro, only ethambutol exhibited a linear response for all sensors/concentrations. Based on the EC50/IC50 generated, a ‘taste index’ was proposed to allow for anticipation of the likelihood of taste issues in practice, taking in account the saturability in the saliva and therapeutic doses; ethambutol and isoniazid were found to be the worst tasting using this measure. The study presents the first quantitative taste analysis of these life-saving drugs and has allowed for a comparison of three methods of obtaining such data. Such information allows the operator to identify and prioritise the drugs requiring taste masking to produce palatable formulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison V. Keating
- UCL School of Pharmacy, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK; (A.V.K.); (J.S.); (D.Q.M.C.)
| | - Jessica Soto
- UCL School of Pharmacy, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK; (A.V.K.); (J.S.); (D.Q.M.C.)
| | - Claire Forbes
- Pfizer R&D UK Ltd., Ramsgate Road, Sandwich, Kent CT13 9ND, UK;
| | - Min Zhao
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK;
| | - Duncan Q. M. Craig
- UCL School of Pharmacy, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK; (A.V.K.); (J.S.); (D.Q.M.C.)
| | - Catherine Tuleu
- UCL School of Pharmacy, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK; (A.V.K.); (J.S.); (D.Q.M.C.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +44-207-753-5857
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19
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Ali J, Chiang M, Lee JB, Voronin GO, Bennett J, Cram A, Kagan L, Garnett MC, Roberts CJ, Gershkovich P. Is rat a good model for assessment of particulate-based taste-masked formulations? Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2019; 146:1-9. [PMID: 31726218 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2019.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Recently there has been an increased interest to develop specialised dosage forms that are better suited to specific patient populations, such as paediatrics and geriatrics. In these patient populations the acceptability of the oral dosage form can be paramount to the products success. However, many Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) are known to cause an aversive taste response. One way to increase the acceptability and to enhance the palatability of the formulation is to design coated taste-masked particulate-based dosage forms. The masking of poorly tasting drugs with physical barriers such as polymer coatings can be utilised to prevent the release of drug within the oral cavity, thus preventing a taste response. However, currently, there are few assessment tools and models available to test the efficiency of these particulate-based taste-masked formulations. The rat brief access taste aversion model has been shown to be useful in assessment of taste for liquid dosage forms. However, the applicability of the rat model for particulate-based taste masked formulations is yet to be assessed. It is not understood whether dissolution, solubility and thus exposure of the drug to taste receptors would be the same in rat and human. Therefore, rat saliva must be compared to human saliva to determine the likelihood that drug release would be similar within the oral cavity for both species. In this study rat saliva was characterised for parameters known to be important for drug dissolution, such as pH, buffer capacity, surface tension, and viscosity. Subsequently dissolution of model bitter tasting compounds, sildenafil citrate and efavirenz, in rat saliva was compared to dissolution in human saliva. For all parameters characterised and for the dissolution of both drugs in rat saliva, a substantial difference was observed when compared to human saliva. This discrepancy in saliva parameters and dissolution of model drugs suggests that preclinical taste evaluation of particulate-based taste-masked formulations suggests rat is not a good model for predicting taste of solid dosage forms or undissolved drug where dissolution is required. Alternative preclinical in vivo models in other species, or improved biorelevant in vitro models should be considered instead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Ali
- School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Manting Chiang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Jong Bong Lee
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Gregory O Voronin
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Joanne Bennett
- Pfizer Ltd., Discovery Park, Ramsgate Road, Sandwich CT13 9ND, UK
| | - Anne Cram
- Pfizer Ltd., Discovery Park, Ramsgate Road, Sandwich CT13 9ND, UK
| | - Leonid Kagan
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Martin C Garnett
- School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Clive J Roberts
- School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Pavel Gershkovich
- School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK.
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20
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Ruiz F, Keeley A, Léglise P, Tuleu C, Lachuer C, Rwabihama JP, Bachalat N, Boulaich I, Abdallah F, Rabus M, Ribemont AC, Michelon H, Wojcicki AD, Orlu M, Vallet T, Boudy V. Sex Differences in Medicine Acceptability: A New Factor to Be Considered in Medicine Formulation. Pharmaceutics 2019; 11:pharmaceutics11080368. [PMID: 31374869 PMCID: PMC6723034 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics11080368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Revised: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Palatability is a recognized driver of medicine acceptability in pediatrics but deemed less relevant in older populations due to sensory decline. Preliminary findings from an observational study implicated palatability problems with one Alzheimer's medicine. Among 1517 observer reports combining multiple measures on medicines uses in patients aged over 64, we focused on two original formulations of memantine (Ebixa®, tablets (n = 25) and oral solution (n = 60)). Evaluations were scored with an acceptability reference framework (CAST), the rodent Brief Access Taste Aversion (BATA) model tested aversiveness. Focusing on women treated with Ebixa® (n = 54), the oral formulation sub-group was classified as "negatively accepted", while the coated tablet was associated with the "positively accepted" cluster. In men, both formulations belonged to the "positively accepted" profile. Using BATA, the original oral solution was categorized as highly aversive/untolerated while solutions of excipients only were well tolerated. Furthermore, the number of licks was significantly lower in female than in male rats. These results revealed that medicine palatability remains important for acceptability in older populations. Moreover, converging results from humans and animal models highlighted that palatability profiles can significantly vary between the sexes. These drivers should be closely considered during drug development to enhance acceptability in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrice Ruiz
- ClinSearch, 110 Avenue Pierre Brossolette, 92240 Malakoff, France.
| | - Alexander Keeley
- Department of Pharmaceutics, UCL School of Pharmacy, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK
| | - Patrick Léglise
- Hôpital Joffre Dupuytren, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), 1 rue Eugène Delacroix, 91210 Draveil, France
| | - Catherine Tuleu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, UCL School of Pharmacy, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK
| | - Célia Lachuer
- Hôpital Joffre Dupuytren, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), 1 rue Eugène Delacroix, 91210 Draveil, France
| | - Jean-Paul Rwabihama
- Hôpital Joffre Dupuytren, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), 1 rue Eugène Delacroix, 91210 Draveil, France
| | - Nathalie Bachalat
- Hôpital Joffre Dupuytren, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), 1 rue Eugène Delacroix, 91210 Draveil, France
| | - Imad Boulaich
- Hôpital Joffre Dupuytren, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), 1 rue Eugène Delacroix, 91210 Draveil, France
| | - Fattima Abdallah
- Hôpital Joffre Dupuytren, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), 1 rue Eugène Delacroix, 91210 Draveil, France
| | - Maité Rabus
- Hôpital Joffre Dupuytren, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), 1 rue Eugène Delacroix, 91210 Draveil, France
| | - Annie-Claude Ribemont
- Hôpital Joffre Dupuytren, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), 1 rue Eugène Delacroix, 91210 Draveil, France
| | - Hugues Michelon
- Hôpital Sainte-Périne, Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris Ile-de-France Ouest, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), 11 rue Chardon-Lagache, 75016 Paris, France
| | - Amélie Dufaÿ Wojcicki
- Unité de R&D Galénique, Agence Générale des Equipements et Produits de Santé (AGEPS), Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), 7 rue du Fer À Moulin, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Mine Orlu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, UCL School of Pharmacy, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK
| | - Thibault Vallet
- ClinSearch, 110 Avenue Pierre Brossolette, 92240 Malakoff, France
| | - Vincent Boudy
- Unité de R&D Galénique, Agence Générale des Equipements et Produits de Santé (AGEPS), Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), 7 rue du Fer À Moulin, 75005 Paris, France
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21
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Keeley A, Teo M, Ali Z, Frost J, Ghimire M, Rajabi-Siahboomi A, Orlu M, Tuleu C. In Vitro Dissolution Model Can Predict the in Vivo Taste Masking Performance of Coated Multiparticulates. Mol Pharm 2019; 16:2095-2105. [PMID: 30900905 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.9b00060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The majority of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are bitter. Therefore, compliance can be a problem where adequate taste masking has not been achieved; this is most problematic in pediatrics. Taste masking is thus a key stage during pharmaceutical development with an array of strategies available to the formulation scientist. Solid oral dosage forms can be taste-masked quite simply by polymer coating, which prevents drug release in the mouth, without unwantedly impairing drug release further down the gastrointestinal tract. At the early stages of pharmaceutical development, an in vitro method for the assessment of taste masking is necessary given the lack of toxicological data preventing the use of human taste panels. Currently, there is no such tool allowing prediction of taste masking efficiency. In this study, drug dissolution in the context of aversive taste thresholds was proposed as a means to bridge this knowledge gap. Thus, a biorelevant buccal dissolution test was developed in which previously determined taste thresholds in vivo were used to evaluate taste masking efficiency: if drug release exceeded said thresholds, the formulation was deemed to be poorly taste-masked, and vice versa. This novel dissolution test was compared to the USP I (basket) dissolution test, and the biopharmaceutical implications of taste masking were also assessed by performing USP I (basket) dissolution testing in simulated gastric fluid (SGF). Chlorphenamine maleate, a model bitter BCS class 1 API, was layered onto sugar spheres and taste-masked using polymer coatings. An array of coating technologies were employed and assessed single blinded: two pH-independent water-insoluble coatings (Surelease:Opadry at 8, 12, and 16% weight gain and Opadry EC at 4, 6, and 8% weight gain) and a pH-dependent water-insoluble reverse-enteric coating (developmental fully formulated system based on Kollicoat Smartseal 100P at 10% weight gain). Both the biorelevant buccal and the USP I dissolution tests were capable of discriminating between both type and level of coating used. However, only the buccal dissolution test was able to provide absolute quantification of the level of taste masking achieved in the context of previously determined taste thresholds, while the USP I test merely provided a relative comparison between the different technologies assessed. When the release data from the buccal test were assessed in parallel to that in SGF, it was possible to predict in vitro optimized taste masking without compromising bioavailability. The fully formulated system based on Smartseal 100P was identified as the most effective coating and Surelease:Opadry the least effective. The developed methodology provides true insight for the formulator, enabling more informed patient-centric formulation decisions, better taste masking, and ultimately more effective medicines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Keeley
- UCL School of Pharmacy , 29-39 Brunswick Square , London WC1N 1AX , U.K
| | - Minyi Teo
- UCL School of Pharmacy , 29-39 Brunswick Square , London WC1N 1AX , U.K
| | - Zarina Ali
- UCL School of Pharmacy , 29-39 Brunswick Square , London WC1N 1AX , U.K
| | - John Frost
- UCL School of Pharmacy , 29-39 Brunswick Square , London WC1N 1AX , U.K
| | | | | | - Mine Orlu
- UCL School of Pharmacy , 29-39 Brunswick Square , London WC1N 1AX , U.K
| | - Catherine Tuleu
- UCL School of Pharmacy , 29-39 Brunswick Square , London WC1N 1AX , U.K
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