Insights into Water-Induced Phase Separation in Itraconazole–Hydroxypropylmethyl Cellulose Spin Coated and Spray Dried Dispersions

Trends in amorphous solid dispersion drug products approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration between 2012 and 2023

Forty-eight (48) drug products (DPs) containing amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the 12-year period between 2012 and 2023. These DPs comprise 36 unique amorphous drugs. Ten (10) therapeutic categories are represented, with most DPs containing antiviral and antineoplastic agents. The most common ASD polymers are copovidone (49%) and hypromellose acetate succinate (30%), while spray drying (54%) and hot melt extrusion (35%) are the most utilized manufacturing processes to prepare the ASD drug product intermediate (DPI). Tablet dosage forms are the most common, with several capsule products available. Line extensions of several DPs based on flexible oral solids and powders for oral suspension have been approved which provide patient-centric dosing to pediatric and other patient populations. The trends in the use of common excipients and film coating types are discussed. Eighteen (18) DPs are fixed-dose combinations, and some contain a mixture of amorphous and crystalline drugs. The DPs have dose/unit of amorphous drug ranging from <5 mg up to 300 mg, with the majority being ≤100 mg/unit. This review details several aspects of DPI and DP formulation and manufacturing of ASDs, as well as trends related to therapeutic category, dose, and patient-centricity.

Characterizing the Impact of Chitosan on the Nucleation and Crystal Growth of Ritonavir from Supersaturated Solutions

The addition of polymeric materials is often used to delay nucleation or crystal growth and maintain the high supersaturation of amorphous drugs. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of chitosan on the supersaturation behavior of drugs with a low recrystallization tendency and elucidate the mechanism of its crystallization inhibition in an aqueous solution. It was carried out using ritonavir (RTV) as a model of poorly water-soluble drugs categorized as class III of Taylor's classification, while chitosan was used as a polymer, and hypromellose (HPMC) was used for comparison. The inhibition of the nucleation and crystal growth of RTV by chitosan was examined by measuring the induction time. The interactions of RTV with chitosan and HPMC were evaluated by NMR measurements, FT-IR, and an in silico analysis. The results showed that the solubilities of amorphous RTV with and without HPMC were quite similar, while the amorphous solubility was significantly increased by the chitosan addition due to the solubilization effect. In the absence of the polymer, RTV started to precipitate after 30 min, indicating that it is a slow crystallizer. Chitosan and HPMC effectively inhibited the nucleation of RTV, as reflected by a 48-64-fold enhancement in the induction time. Furthermore, NMR, FT-IR, and in silico analysis demonstrated that the hydrogen bond interaction between the amine group of RTV and a proton of chitosan, as well as the carbonyl group of RTV and a proton of HPMC, was observed. This indicated that the hydrogen bond interaction between RTV and chitosan as well as HPMC can contribute to the crystallization inhibition and maintenance of RTV in a supersaturated state. Therefore, the addition of chitosan can delay nucleation, which is crucial for stabilizing supersaturated drug solutions, specifically for a drug with a low crystallization tendency.

Nanoseeded Desupersaturation and Dissolution Tests for Elucidating Supersaturation Maintenance in Amorphous Solid Dispersions

The impact of residual drug crystals that are formed during the production and storage of amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) has been studied using micron-sized seed crystals in solvent-shift (desupersaturation) and dissolution tests. This study examines the impacts of the seed size loading on the solution-mediated precipitation from griseofulvin ASDs. Nanoparticle crystals (nanoseeds) were used as a more realistic surrogate for residual crystals compared with conventional micron-sized seeds. ASDs of griseofulvin with Soluplus (Sol), Kollidon VA64 (VA64), and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) were prepared by spray-drying. Nanoseeds produced by wet media milling were used in the dissolution and desupersaturation experiments. DLS, SEM, XRPD, and DSC were used for characterization. The results from the solvent-shift tests suggest that the drug nanoseeds led to a faster and higher extent of desupersaturation than the as-received micron-sized crystals and that the higher seed loading facilitated desupersaturation. Sol was the only effective nucleation inhibitor; the overall precipitation inhibition capability was ranked: Sol > HPMC > VA64. In the dissolution tests, only the Sol-based ASDs generated significant supersaturation, which decreased upon an increase in the nanoseed loading. This study has demonstrated the importance of using drug nanocrystals in lieu of conventional coarse crystals in desupersaturation and dissolution tests in ASD development.

Physical aging of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetate succinate via enthalpy recovery

Amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) utilize the kinetic stability of the amorphous state to stabilize drug molecules within a glassy polymer matrix. Therefore, understanding the glassy-state stability of the polymer excipient is critical to ASD design and performance. Here, we investigated the physical aging of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetate succinate (HPMCAS), a commonly used polymer in ASD formulations. We found that HPMCAS exhibited conventional physical aging behavior when annealed near the glass transition temperature (T_g). In this scenario, structural recovery was facilitated by α-relaxation dynamics. However, when annealed well below T_g, a sub-α-relaxation process facilitated low-temperature physical aging in HPMCAS. Nevertheless, the physical aging rate exhibited no significant change up to 40 K below T_g, below which it exhibited a near monotonic decrease with decreasing temperature. Finally, infrared spectroscopy was employed to assess any effect of physical aging on the chemical structure of HPMCAS, which is known to be susceptible to degradation at temperatures 30 K above its T_g. Our results provide critical insights necessary to understand better the link between the stability of ASDs and physical aging of the glassy polymer matrix.

Inhibition of Crystal Nucleation and Growth in Aqueous Drug Solutions: Impact of Different Polymers on the Supersaturation Profiles of Amorphous Drugs-The Case of Alpha-Mangostin

The polymer used in supersaturated solutions plays a critical role in maintaining supersaturation levels of amorphous drugs. The prevention of drug crystallization in the supersaturated solutions by adding polymers depends on their ability to inhibit nucleation and crystal growth of drugs. This showed that understanding the mechanism of nucleation inhibition by polymers is necessary to develop the drug formulation in supersaturated solutions. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the impact of water-soluble polymers on the supersaturation behavior of drugs and elucidate the mechanism of maintaining the supersaturation levels in an aqueous solution. It was carried out using alpha-mangostin (AM) as a model of the poorly water-soluble drug, while hypromellose (HPMC), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and eudragit were used as polymers. Their ability to inhibit the nucleation and crystal growth of AM was also evaluated. The supersaturation profiles of AM were measured in biorelevant dissolution media, while the crystal growth rate of AM was evaluated from the decrease in dissolved drug concentration by determining the induction time for AM nucleation. The interaction of AM with each polymer was evaluated and predicted by FT-IR, NMR measurement, and an in silico study, respectively. Based on observation, the PVP effectively maintained AM in a supersaturated state for the long term while eudragit conserved for 15 min. Meanwhile, an inhibitory effect of HPMC on the AM crystal nucleation was not observed. It was also \]-+discovered that the effectiveness of the various polymers depends on the interaction between the polymer and the drug. FT-IR and in silico studies demonstrated that the interaction of PVP-AM had the best polymer compared to eudragit and HPMC. NMR analysis suggested that the interaction between the methyl group from PVP with the carbonyl group of AM occurred in the PVP solution. The viscosity measurement revealed that the inhibition of nucleation and crystal growth of AM was not caused by increasing the viscosity. These results indicated that polymer-AM interactions could contribute to the crystallization inhibition and maintenance of AM in a supersaturated state. Therefore, an investigation of the mechanism of drug nucleation inhibition by polymers is recommended in the selection of crystallization inhibitors and a planned strategy to develop supersaturated formulations of drugs.

Revealing the roles of polymers in supersaturation stabilization from the perspective of crystallization behaviors: A case of nimodipine

Formulating drugs into amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) represents an attractive means to enhance the aqueous solubility of drugs. Furthermore, water-soluble polymers have proven highly advantageous for stabilizing supersaturated solutions of ASDs. However, the performance and mechanism of various polymers in stabilizing supersaturated drug solutions have not been well-studied. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different commercial polymers on the dissolution behaviors and supersaturation stabilization of the ASDs and to further explore the mechanism of polymer mediated supersaturation maintenance by studying the crystallization behaviors of the ASDs. In this study, nimodipine (NMD) was used as a model drug because of its poor water-solubility and fast crystallization rate in aqueous solution, and three polymers polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), vinylpyrrolidone-vinyl acetate copolymer (PVP VA), and polyvinyl caprolactam-polyvinyl acetate-polyethylene glycol graft co-polymer (Soluplus) was selected as the drug carriers to form the ASDs with NMD. Solid-state characterizations of the ASDs confirmed the amorphous state of the ASD systems. ASD_{PVP VA} demonstrated superior supersaturation maintenance in dissolution experiments compared to the other two ASD systems. Among the polymers tested, PVP VA most efficiently maintained dissolution of NMD and prevented its crystallization from the supersaturated solution. The ability of PVP VA to most-effectively maintain supersaturation of the drug was manifested by inhibition of crystal nucleation rather than inhibition of crystal growth following nucleation. These results suggest that nucleation inhibition was instrumental in enabling the polymer-mediated supersaturation maintenance, at least with NMD.

Analytical and Computational Methods for the Determination of Drug-Polymer Solubility and Miscibility

In the pharmaceutical industry, poorly water-soluble drugs require enabling technologies to increase apparent solubility in the biological environment. Amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) has emerged as an attractive strategy that has been used to market more than 20 oral pharmaceutical products. The amorphous form is inherently unstable and exhibits phase separation and crystallization during shelf life storage. Polymers stabilize the amorphous drug by antiplasticization, reducing molecular mobility, reducing chemical potential of drug, and increasing glass transition temperature in ASD. Here, drug-polymer miscibility is an important contributor to the physical stability of ASDs. The current Review discusses the basics of drug-polymer interactions with the major focus on the methods for the evaluation of solubility and miscibility of the drug in the polymer. Methods for the evaluation of drug-polymer solubility and miscibility have been classified as thermal, spectroscopic, microscopic, solid-liquid equilibrium-based, rheological, and computational methods. Thermal methods have been commonly used to determine the solubility of the drug in the polymer, while other methods provide qualitative information about drug-polymer miscibility. Despite advancements, the majority of these methods are still inadequate to provide the value of drug-polymer miscibility at room temperature. There is still a need for methods that can accurately determine drug-polymer miscibility at pharmaceutically relevant temperatures.

Interaction of Polymers with Enzalutamide Nanodroplets-Impact on Droplet Properties and Induction Times

Amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs), which consist of a drug dispersed in a polymeric matrix, are increasingly being applied to improve the in vivo performance of poorly water-soluble drugs delivered orally. The polymer is a critical component, playing several roles including facilitating drug release from the ASD, as well as delaying crystallization from the supersaturated solution generated upon dissolution. Certain ASD formulations dissolve to produce amorphous drug-rich nanodroplets. The interaction of the polymer with these nanodroplets is poorly understood but is thought to be important for inhibiting crystallization in these systems. In this study, the impact of ionic polymers on the crystallization kinetics of enzalutamide from supersaturated solutions containing different amounts of amorphous nanodroplets was evaluated by determination of nucleation induction times. The amount of the polymer associated with the drug nanodroplets was also determined. When comparing two polymers, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose acetate succinate (HPMCAS) and Eudragit E PO, it was found that the crystallization tendency and physical properties of the drug nanodroplets varied in the presence of these two polymers. Both polymers distributed between the aqueous phase and the drug-rich nanodroplets. A greater amount of Eudragit E PO was associated with the drug-rich nanodroplets. Despite this, Eudragit E PO was a less-effective crystallization inhibitor than HPMCAS in systems containing nanodroplets. In conclusion, in supersaturated solutions containing amorphous nanodroplets, the extent of association of a polymer with the drug nanodroplet does not solely predict crystallization inhibition.

Effect of solvents and cellulosic polymers on quality attributes of films loaded with a poorly water-soluble drug

The combined effect of solvent, cellulosic polymer, and a poorly water-soluble drug, fenofibrate (FNB) on solution-cast pharmaceutical film quality attributes, e.g., morphology, drug recrystallization, content uniformity, mechanical properties, dissolution rate and supersaturation level, was investigated. Film morphology, content uniformity, and mechanical properties were impacted by the extent of FNB recrystallization which was strongly affected by FNB solubility in the solvent as compared to the polymer type, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose or hydroxypropyl cellulose. FNB recrystallization affected drug dissolution rates and supersaturation under non-sink conditions. Specifically, the area under the curve linearly correlated with recrystallization. After one-year storage, FNB recrystallization reached very high levels even for the films with no initial recrystallization, suggesting low initial crystallinity does not guarantee stability. Thus, uncontrolled recrystallization and poor time-stability would be unavoidable for solution-cast films. Overall, both the polymer and the solvent strongly impact drug recrystallization, film structure, mechanical properties, dissolution rate, and supersaturation.

Using Acetone/Water Binary Solvent to Enhance the Stability and Bioavailability of Spray Dried Enzalutamide/HPMC-AS Solid Dispersions

We demonstrated a facile approach, by adjusting the solvent ratio of water/acetone binary mixture, to alter the intermolecular interactions between Enzalutamide (ENZ) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetate succinate (HPMC-AS) for spray drying process, which can be readily implemented to produce spray-dried dispersions (SDD) with enhanced stability and bioavailability. The prepared SDD of ENZ/HPMC-AS were examined systematically in terms of particle size, morphology, dissolution, solubility, stability, and bioavailability. Our results show that the introduction of water (up to 30% volume fraction) can effectively reduce the hydrodynamic diameter of HPMC-AS from approximately 220 nm to 160 nm (a reduction of c.a. 20%), which increases the miscibility of the drug and polymer, delaying or inhibiting the crystallization of ENZ during the spray drying process, resulting in a homogeneous amorphous phase. The benefits of using acetone/water binary mixture were subsequently evidenced by an increased specific surface area, improved dissolution profile and relative bioavailability, enhanced stability, and elevated drug release rate. This fundamental finding underpins the great potential of using binary mixture for spray drying process to process active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) that are otherwise challenging to handle.

Water-Induced Phase Separation of Spray-Dried Amorphous Solid Dispersions

Spray drying is widely used in the manufacturing of amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) systems due to its fast drying rate, enabling kinetic trapping of the drug in amorphous form. Spray-drying conditions, such as solvent composition, can have a profound impact on the properties of spray-dried dispersions. In this study, the phase behavior of spray-dried dispersions from methanol and methanol–water mixtures was assessed using ritonavir and copovidone [poly(vinylpyrrolidone-co-vinyl acetate) (PVPVA)] as dispersion components. The resultant ASDs were characterized using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), fluorescence spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), as well as surface-normalized dissolution rate (SNDR) measurements. Quaternary phase diagrams were calculated using a four-component Flory–Huggins model. It was found that the addition of water to the solvent system can lead to phase separation during the spray-drying process. A 10:90 H₂O/MeOH solvent system caused a minor extent of phase separation. Phase heterogeneity in the 50 and 75% drug loading ASDs prepared from this spray solvent can be detected using DSC but not with other techniques used. The 25% drug loading system did not show phase heterogeneity in solid-state characterization but exhibited a compromised dissolution rate compared to that of the miscible ASD prepared from H₂O-free solvent. This is possibly due to the formation of slow-releasing drug-rich phases upon phase separation. ASDs prepared with a 60:40 H₂O/MeOH solvent mixture showed phase heterogeneity with all analytical methods used. The surface composition of dispersion particles as measured by fluorescence spectroscopy and XPS showed good agreement, suggesting surface drug enrichment of the spray-dried ASD particles prepared from this solvent system. Calculated phase diagrams and drying trajectories were consistent with experimental observations, suggesting that small variations in solvent composition may cause significant changes in ASD phase behavior during drying. These findings should aid in spray-drying process development for ASD manufacturing and can be applied broadly to assess the risk of phase separation for spray-drying systems using mixed organic solvents or other solvent-based processes.

Quantitative Measures of Crystalline Fenofibrate in Amorphous Solid Dispersion Formulations by X-Ray Microscopy

In the pharmaceutical industry, amorphous solid dispersion can be utilized to enhance the solubility, hence bioavailability, of poorly solubility active pharmaceutical ingredients owing to the higher free energy of the amorphous state. Measuring the concentration, size and spatial distribution of crystalline API particles that may be present in amorphous solid dispersions (ASD) is critical to understanding product performance and developing improved formulations. In this study X-Ray Microscopy (XRM) was used to nondestructively measure these attributes in ASDs. Model tablets of amorphous fenofibrate in a copovidone matrix spiked with known concentrations of crystalline fenofibrate were examined by XRM to measure the concentration, size and distribution of crystalline particles in the tablets. Data collection and analysis conditions were evaluated and reported. XRM images showed contrast between the crystalline API and the amorphous matrix of the tablet. Image analysis using basic thresholding provided quantitative and distribution data of the crystallinity present. Crystals as small as 10 μm were detected and practical quantitation limits of 0.2% (w/w of total tablet) crystallinity were demonstrated. The aspects of manual data thresholding were tested for operator influence and threshold selection and found to be robust. This technique was demonstrated to provide quantitative measures of crystallinity below standard X-Ray Powder Diffraction (XRPD) techniques, provide three-dimensional information regarding size, shape and distribution of API crystals and can be performed nondestructively.

Utility of Films to Anticipate Effect of Drug Load and Polymer on Dissolution Performance from Tablets of Amorphous Itraconazole Spray-Dried Dispersions

Because spray-dried dispersion (SDD) performance depends on polymer selection and drug load, time- and resource-sparing methods to screen drug/polymer combinations before spray drying are desirable. The primary objective was to assess the utility of films to anticipate the effects of drug load and polymer grade on dissolution performance of tablets containing SDDs of itraconazole (ITZ). A secondary objective was to characterize the solid-state attributes of films and SDDs to explain drug load and polymer effects on dissolution performance. SDDs employed three different grades of hypromellose acetate succinate (i.e., either HPMCAS-L, HPMCAS-M, or HPMCAS-H). Solid-state characterization employed differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) spectroscopy. Results indicate that films correctly anticipated the effects of drug load and polymer on dissolution performance. The best dissolution profiles were observed under the following conditions: 20% drug loading performed better than 30% for both films and SDDs, and the polymer grade rank order was HPMCAS-L > HPMCAS-M > HPMCAS-H for both films and SDDs. No dissolution was detected from films or SDDs containing HPMCAS-H. Solid-state characterization revealed percent crystallinity and phase miscibility as contributing factors to dissolution, but were not the sole factors. Amorphous content in films varied with drug load (10% > 20% > 30%) and polymer grades (HPMCAS-L > HPMCAS-M > HPMCAS-H), in agreement with dissolution. In conclusion, films anticipated the rank-order effects of drug load and polymer grade on dissolution performance from SDDs of ITZ, in part through percent crystallinity and phase miscibility influences.

Myth or Truth: The Glass Forming Ability Class III Drugs Will Always Form Single-Phase Homogenous Amorphous Solid Dispersion Formulations

The physical stability of amorphous solid dispersions (ASD) of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) of high glass forming ability (GFA class III) is generally expected to be high among the scientific community. In this study, the ASD of ten-selected class III APIs with the two polymers, PVPVA 64 and HPMC-E5, have been prepared by spray-drying, film-casting, and their amorphicity at T0 was investigated by modulated differential scanning calorimetry and powder X-ray diffraction. It was witnessed that only five out of ten APIs form good quality amorphous solid dispersions with no phase separation and zero crystalline content, immediately after the preparation and drying process. Hence, it was further established that the classification of an API as GFA class III does not guarantee the formulation of single phase amorphous solid dispersions.

Inhomogeneous Distribution of Components in Solid Protein Pharmaceuticals: Origins, Consequences, Analysis, and Resolutions

Successful development of stable solid protein formulations usually requires the addition of one or several excipients to achieve optimal stability. In these products, there is a potential risk of an inhomogeneous distribution of the various ingredients, specifically the ratio of protein and stabilizer may vary. Such inhomogeneity can be detrimental for stability but is mostly neglected in literature. In the past, it was challenging to analyze inhomogeneous component distribution, but recent advances in analytical techniques have revealed new options to investigate this phenomenon. This paper aims to review fundamental aspects of the inhomogeneous distribution of components of freeze-dried and spray-dried protein formulations. Four key topics will be presented and discussed, including the sources of component inhomogeneity, its consequences on protein stability, the analytical methods to reveal component inhomogeneity, and possible solutions to prevent or mitigate inhomogeneity.

Recent Advances in Understanding the Micro- and Nanoscale Phenomena of Amorphous Solid Dispersions

Many pharmaceutical drugs in the marketplace and discovery pipeline suffer from poor aqueous solubility, thereby limiting their effectiveness for oral delivery. The use of an amorphous solid dispersion (ASD), a mixture of an active pharmaceutical ingredient and a polymer excipient, greatly enhances the aqueous dissolution performance of a drug without the need for chemical modification. Although this method is versatile and scalable, deficient understanding of the interactions between drugs and polymers inhibits ASD rational design. This current Review details recent progress in understanding the mechanisms that control ASD performance. In the solid-state, the use of high-resolution theoretical, computational, and experimental tools resolved the influence of drug/polymer phase behavior and dynamics on stability during storage. During dissolution in aqueous media, novel characterization methods revealed that ASDs can form complex nanostructures, which maintain and improve supersaturation of the drug. The studies discussed here illustrate that nanoscale phenomena, which have been directly observed and quantified, strongly affect the stability and bioavailability of ASD systems, and provide a promising direction for optimizing drug/polymer formulations.

Are traditional small-scale screening methods reliable to predict pharmaceutical spray drying?

Driven by the new trend to build quality into products and reducing empiricism, small-scale screening techniques have been frequently used to evaluate, thermodynamic of drug solubility in the polymer, and drug-polymer kinetic amorphous miscibility. In this paper, these methods have been overviewed to shed light on their liabilities in predicting spray-dried amorphous solid dispersions' (ASDs) properties. By scrutinizing relevant open literature, several inconsistencies have been recognized, deemed to be due to the inability of conventional miniaturized means to simulate the spray drying process operations/constraints in formulating active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Given the complex interplay of thermodynamics of mixing, heat and mass transfer, and fluid dynamics in this process, scaling rules have been introduced to remedy arisen issues in conventional miniaturized tools. Accordingly, spray drying process is analyzed considering the fundamental physical transformations involved, i.e. atomization and drying. Each transformation is explored from a scaling perspective with an emphasis on key response factors, and ways to retain them for each transformation across scales. Prospective bifurcated developments may improve the odds of successful formulations/process conditions later on during development stages.