Use of Drug Release Testing to Evaluate the Retention of Abuse-Deterrent Properties of Polyethylene Oxide Matrix Tablets

Effect of Manufacturing Process on the Retention of Abuse-Deterrent Properties of PEO-Matrix Tablets

Polyethylene oxide (PEO) is a widely used polymer in the development of abuse-deterrent oral formulations. Different manufacturing processes including direct compression (DC) followed by sintering, wet granulation (WG) followed by compression and sintering, and hot melt extrusion (HME) can be used to manufacture abuse-deterrent oral drug products. Three different manufacturing processes (DC, WG, HME) were evaluated to test the retention of their abuse-deterrent features following attempts to grind the tablets or extrudates. In vitro drug release studies were conducted on 10% and 32% drug-loaded tablets/extrudates prepared using these manufacturing methods, and the release profiles from all formulations showed good extended-release properties. Drug content analysis on the granules obtained from tablets prepared by direct compression showed non-uniform drug distribution where an unexpectedly high drug content was present in the smallest size (< 250 µm) granules, sizes which are likely to be inhaled by abusers. Granules from tablets prepared by wet granulation showed improved drug distribution across all granule sizes formed after grinding. Drug content testing on the granules obtained from extrudates prepared using hot melt extrusion showed excellent drug content uniformity along with sufficient strength to resist grinding into smaller particles. The retention of the abuse-deterrent properties of a dosage form following attempts to extract or abuse the drug is an important product characteristic, and the product design, formulation components, and manufacturing processes can all play critical roles in the retention of the desired abuse-deterrent properties.

Emerging trends in Abuse-Deterrent Formulations: Technological insights and Regulatory considerations

BACKGROUND

Opioid medications are an integral part in the management of acute and chronic severe pain. However, non-medical practice of these prescription drug products is emerging as a serious public health problem. To control this opioid epidemic, USFDA is encouraging pharmaceutical companies to develop Abuse Deterrent Formulations (ADFs). Abuse Deterrent Formulations are much more difficult to manipulate and abuse when compared to their conventional formulations. This feature of ADFs is due to their ability to incumber extraction of active ingredients, to prevent administration through alternative routes and making abuse of altered product less rewarding.

OBJECTIVE

The main objective of this review is to abridge different ADFs and various laboratory-based in vitro manipulation and extraction studies, demonstrating that these approved ADFs have capabilities to deter abuse.

METHODS

The method includes collection of data from different search engines like PubMed, FDA guidance documents, ScienceDirect, Google Patents to get coverage of literature in order to get appropriate information regarding ADFs.

RESULTS

Various in vitro studies demonstrate that ADFs are effective in minimizing opioid drug abuse including opioid overdose. However, real impact of these ADFs on reducing the drug abuse can be concluded only after receiving the post marketing data.

CONCLUSION

ADFs are embracing fundamentally different paradigm in management of severe pain. We believe that development of abuse deterrent technologies would shift the architype, deterring multipill abuse and can prove as a breakthrough strategy in controlling this opioid epidemic menace.

Preferential Oxycodone Loss of Physically Manipulated Abuse Deterrent Oxycodone HCl Extended Release Tablets Prepared for Nasal Insufflation Studies

A method to reproducibly mill abuse deterrent oxycodone hydrochloride (HCl) extended release (ER) tablets was developed for a nasal insufflation pharmacokinetic (PK) study. Several comminution methods were explored before determining that a conical mill resulted in controlled milling of tablets to a size range equal to or below 1000 μm. However, milling resulted in significant loss of oxycodone from abuse deterrent oxycodone HCl ER tablets compared to minimal oxycodone loss from oxycodone HCl immediate release (IR) tablets. Characterization of milled tablet powder showed that loss of oxycodone was not attributed to analytical procedures or oxycodone phase change during high intensity milling processes. The content uniformity of oxycodone in the milled tablet powder varied when ER and IR tablets were milled to a particle size distribution equal to or below 500 μm but did not vary when particles were sized above 500 µm to equal to or below 1000 μm. In addition, the initial excipient weight to drug substance weight ratio impacted the amount of oxycodone lost from the respective formulation. However, dissolution demonstrated that when oxycodone HCl ER tablets are milled, differences in excipient weight to drug substance weight ratio and particle size distribution of milled tablets did not result in significantly different release of oxycodone.

A Novel Use of Nanocrystalline Suspensions to Develop Sub-Microgram Dose Micro-Tablets

Developing solid oral drug products with good content uniformity (CU) at low doses is challenging; this challenge further aggravates when the tablet size decreases from a conventional tablet to a micro/mini-tablet (1.2-3 mm diameter). To alleviate the CU issues, we present a novel use of nanocrystalline suspension combined with high shear wet granulation for the first time. In this approach, nanomilled drug in the form of nanocrystalline suspension is sprayed onto the powder bed to ensure uniform distribution. The resulting granules had adequate particle size distribution and flow characteristics to enable manufacturing of micro-tablets with good weight uniformity and tensile strength. Nanomilled drug resulted in excellent content uniformity among individual micro-tablets even at a dose strength as low as 0.16 mcg, whereas micronized drug resulted in unacceptable CU even at 5x higher dose strength (0.8 mcg). Besides, the use of nanomilled drug has enhanced the dosing flexibility of micro-tablets and showed superior dissolution performance in comparison with micronized drug with no impact of storage conditions (40 °C/75%RH for six months) on their dissolution performance. The proposed approach is simple and can be easily incorporated into traditional high shear wet granulation process to develop sub-microgram dose solid oral drug products.

Investigating the Influence of Tablet Location Inside Dissolution Test Apparatus on Polymer Erosion and Drug Release of a Surface-Erodible Sustained-Release Tablet Using Computational Simulation Methods

The objective of this work was to investigate the influence of tablet location along the bottom of a USP apparatus II vessel on polymer erosion and drug release of surface-erodible sustained-release tablets using computational simulation methods. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods were performed to simulate the velocity distribution. A mathematical model was developed to describe polymer erosion and tablet deformation according to the mass transfer coefficient. Numerical analysis was used to simulate drug release controlled by drug diffusion and polymer erosion. The results indicated that tablets located at the off-center position deformed faster than the tablets located at the center position. However, tablet location had no profound impact on drug release rate since all drug release profiles were "similar" according to the f₂ similarity values which were above 50. Hence, our simulation supported that the USP apparatus II was a reliable and robust device for the dissolution testing of surface-erodible sustained-release tablets.