Designing highly porous amorphous celecoxib particles by spray freeze drying leads to accelerated drug absorption in-vivo

Microfluidics-on-a-chip for designing celecoxib-based amorphous solid dispersions: when the process shapes the product

The fundamental idea underlying the use of amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) is to make the most of the solubility advantage of the amorphous form of a drug. However, the drug stability becomes compromised due to the higher free energy and disorder of molecular packing in the amorphous phase, leading to crystallization. Polymers are used as a matrix to form a stable homogeneous amorphous system to overcome the stability concern. The present work aims to design ASD-based formulations under the umbrella of quality by design principles for improving oral drug bioavailability, using celecoxib (CXB) as a model drug. ASDs were prepared from selected polymers and tested both individually and in combinations, using various manufacturing techniques: high-shear homogenization, high-pressure homogenization, microfluidics-on-a-chip, and spray drying. The resulting dispersions were further optimized, resorting to a 32 full-factorial design, considering the drug:polymers ratio and the total solid content as variables. The formulated products were evaluated regarding analytical centrifugation and the influence of the different polymers on the intrinsic dissolution rate of the CXB-ASDs. Microfluidics-on-a-chip led to the amorphous status of the formulation. The in vitro evaluation demonstrated a remarkable 26-fold enhancement in the intrinsic dissolution rate, and the translation of this formulation into tablets as the final dosage form is consistent with the observed performance enhancement. These findings are supported by ex vivo assays, which exhibited a two-fold increase in permeability compared to pure CXB. This study tackles the bioavailability hurdles encountered with diverse active compounds, offering insights into the development of more effective drug delivery platforms.

A Comprehensive Review of the Latest Trends in Spray Freeze Drying and Comparative Insights with Conventional Technologies

Spray freeze drying (SFD) represents an emerging drying technique designed to produce a wide range of pharmaceuticals, foods, and active components with high quality and enhanced stability due to their unique structural characteristics. This method combines the advantages of the well-established techniques of freeze drying (FD) and spray drying (SD) while overcoming their challenges related to high process temperatures and durations. This is why SFD has experienced steady growth in recent years regarding not only the research interest, which is reflected by the increasing number of literature articles, but most importantly, the expanded market adoption, particularly in the pharmaceutical sector. Despite its potential, the high initial investment costs and complex operational requirements may hinder its growth. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the SFD technology, highlighting its advantages over conventional drying techniques and presenting its latest applications focused on pharmaceuticals. It also offers a thorough examination of the principles and the various parameters influencing the process for a better understanding and optimization of the process according to the needs of the final product. Finally, the current limitations of SFD are discussed, and future directions for addressing the economic and technical barriers are provided so that SFD can be widely industrialized, unlocking its full potential for diverse applications.

Engineering Inhalable Therapeutic Particles: Conventional and Emerging Approaches

Respirable particles are integral to effective inhalable therapeutic ingredient delivery, demanding precise engineering for optimal lung deposition and therapeutic efficacy. This review describes different physicochemical properties and their role in determining the aerodynamic performance and therapeutic efficacy of dry powder formulations. Furthermore, advances in top-down and bottom-up techniques in particle preparation, highlighting their roles in tailoring particle properties and optimizing therapeutic outcomes, are also presented. Practices adopted for particle engineering during the past 100 years indicate a significant transition in research and commercial interest in the strategies used, with several innovative concepts coming into play in the past decade. Accordingly, this article highlights futuristic particle engineering approaches such as electrospraying, inkjet printing, thin film freeze drying, and supercritical processes, including their prospects and associated challenges. With such technologies, it is possible to reshape inhaled therapeutic ingredient delivery, optimizing therapeutic benefits and improving the quality of life for patients with respiratory diseases and beyond.

Rivaroxaban lyospheres prepared by a dimethyl sulfoxide-based spray-freeze-drying process

Spray-freeze-drying (SFD) processes are usually using aqueous solvent systems, which however, exclude the use of SFD for poorly water-soluble drugs. Here, we evaluated dimethyl sulfoxide for its suitability in formulating SFD particles (lyospheres®). Rivaroxaban was spray-freeze-dried from DMSO solutions containing polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP; Kollidon® 25), vinylpyrrolidone-vinyl acetate copolymer (PVP-VA; Kollidon® VA64) or polyvinyl alcohol 4-88 (PVA) forming porous lyospheres® (median particle size 250 to 350 µm). Rivaroxaban was amorphous with all three polymers, which in combination with their high porosity resulted in rapid dissolution in vitro within 10 minutes. Consequently, this translated in lower T_max (0.5-1.0 hour) after oral administration of lyospheres® to rats (compared with T_max of 4 hours with coarse rivaroxaban). Lyosphere formulations achieved a distinct bioavailability increase (AUC_(0-inf) = 1487±657 ng*h/ml with PVP; 4426±1553 ng*h/ml with PVP-VA; 9569±3868 ng*h/ml with PVA lyospheres®; whereas 385±145 ng*h/ml with coarse rivaroxaban). These in vitro and in vivo results underlined the benefit of using DMSO in SFD that can broaden the applicability of the SFD process to much a larger repertoire of poorly water-soluble drugs.