1
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Pepin X, Arora S, Borges L, Cano-Vega M, Carducci T, Chatterjee P, Chen G, Cristofoletti R, Dallmann A, Delvadia P, Dressman J, Fotaki N, Gray E, Heimbach T, Holte Ø, Kijima S, Kotzagiorgis E, Lennernäs H, Lindahl A, Loebenberg R, Mackie C, Malamatari M, McAllister M, Mitra A, Moody R, Mudie D, Musuamba Tshinanu F, Polli JE, Rege B, Ren X, Rullo G, Scherholz M, Song I, Stillhart C, Suarez-Sharp S, Tannergren C, Tsakalozou E, Veerasingham S, Wagner C, Seo P. Parameterization of Physiologically Based Biopharmaceutics Models: Workshop Summary Report. Mol Pharm 2024; 21:3697-3731. [PMID: 38946085 PMCID: PMC11304397 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.4c00526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2024] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
This Article shares the proceedings from the August 29th, 2023 (day 1) workshop "Physiologically Based Biopharmaceutics Modeling (PBBM) Best Practices for Drug Product Quality: Regulatory and Industry Perspectives". The focus of the day was on model parametrization; regulatory authorities from Canada, the USA, Sweden, Belgium, and Norway presented their views on PBBM case studies submitted by industry members of the IQ consortium. The presentations shared key questions raised by regulators during the mock exercise, regarding the PBBM input parameters and their justification. These presentations also shed light on the regulatory assessment processes, content, and format requirements for future PBBM regulatory submissions. In addition, the day 1 breakout presentations and discussions gave the opportunity to share best practices around key questions faced by scientists when parametrizing PBBMs. Key questions included measurement and integration of drug substance solubility for crystalline vs amorphous drugs; impact of excipients on apparent drug solubility/supersaturation; modeling of acid-base reactions at the surface of the dissolving drug; choice of dissolution methods according to the formulation and drug properties with a view to predict the in vivo performance; mechanistic modeling of in vitro product dissolution data to predict in vivo dissolution for various patient populations/species; best practices for characterization of drug precipitation from simple or complex formulations and integration of the data in PBBM; incorporation of drug permeability into PBBM for various routes of uptake and prediction of permeability along the GI tract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Pepin
- Regulatory
Affairs, Simulations Plus Inc., 42505 10th Street West, Lancaster, California 93534-7059, United States
| | - Sumit Arora
- Janssen
Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Luiza Borges
- ANVISA, SIA Trecho 5́, Guara, Brasília, Federal District 71205-050, Brazil
| | - Mario Cano-Vega
- Drug
Product Technologies, Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, California 91320-1799, United
States
| | - Tessa Carducci
- Analytical
Commercialization Technology, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Parnali Chatterjee
- Office
of
Pharmaceutical Quality (OPQ), Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
(CDER), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Silver Spring, Maryland 20903-1058, United
States
| | - Grace Chen
- Takeda
Development Center Americas Inc., 300 Shire Way, Lexington, Massachusetts 02421, United States
| | - Rodrigo Cristofoletti
- College
of Pharmacy, University of Florida, 6550 Sanger Rd., Orlando, Florida 32827, United States
| | - André Dallmann
- Bayer
HealthCare SAS, 59000 Lille, France, on behalf of Bayer
AG, Pharmacometrics/Modeling and Simulation, Systems Pharmacology
& Medicine, PBPK, Leverkusen, Germany
| | - Poonam Delvadia
- Office
of Translational Science, Office of Clinical Pharmacology (OCP), Center
for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Silver Spring, Maryland 20903-1058, United States
| | - Jennifer Dressman
- Fraunhofer Institute of Translational Medicine and Pharmacology, Frankfurt am Main 60596, Germany
| | - Nikoletta Fotaki
- University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2
7AY, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth Gray
- Office
of
Pharmaceutical Quality (OPQ), Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
(CDER), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Silver Spring, Maryland 20903-1058, United
States
| | - Tycho Heimbach
- Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical Supply, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Øyvind Holte
- Norwegian Medical Products Agency, Oslo 0213, Norway
| | - Shinichi Kijima
- Office
of New Drug V, Pharmaceuticals and Medical
Devices Agency (PMDA), Tokyo 100-0013, Japan
| | - Evangelos Kotzagiorgis
- European Medicines Agency (EMA), Domenico Scarlattilaan 6, Amsterdam 1083 HS, The Netherlands
| | - Hans Lennernäs
- Translational
Drug Discovery and Development, Department of Pharmaceutical Bioscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala 751 05, Sweden
| | | | - Raimar Loebenberg
- Faculty
of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmontonton T6G 2E1, Canada
| | - Claire Mackie
- Janssen
Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Maria Malamatari
- Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, 10 S Colonnade, London SW1W 9SZ, United Kingdom
| | - Mark McAllister
- Global
Biopharmaceutics, Drug Product Design, Pfizer, Sandwich CT13 9NJ, United Kingdom
| | - Amitava Mitra
- Clinical
Pharmacology, Kura Oncology Inc., Boston, Massachusetts 02210, United States
| | - Rebecca Moody
- Office
of
Pharmaceutical Quality (OPQ), Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
(CDER), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Silver Spring, Maryland 20903-1058, United
States
| | - Deanna Mudie
- Global
Research and Development, Small Molecules, Lonza, 63045 NE Corporate
Pl., Bend, Oregon 97701, United States
| | - Flora Musuamba Tshinanu
- Belgian Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products, Galileelaan 5/03, Brussel 1210, Belgium
| | - James E. Polli
- School
of Pharmacy, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, United States
| | - Bhagwant Rege
- Office
of
Pharmaceutical Quality (OPQ), Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
(CDER), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Silver Spring, Maryland 20903-1058, United
States
| | - Xiaojun Ren
- PK
Sciences/Translational Medicine, BioMedical Research, Novartis, One Health Plaza, East Hanover, New Jersey 07936, United States
| | - Gregory Rullo
- Regulatory
CMC, AstraZeneca, 1 Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878, United States
| | - Megerle Scherholz
- Pharmaceutical
Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Route 206 & Province Line Road, Princeton, New Jersey 08543, United States
| | - Ivy Song
- Takeda
Development Center Americas Inc., 300 Shire Way, Lexington, Massachusetts 02421, United States
| | - Cordula Stillhart
- Pharmaceutical
R&D, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel 4070, Switzerland
| | - Sandra Suarez-Sharp
- Regulatory
Affairs, Simulations Plus Inc., 42505 10th Street West, Lancaster, California 93534-7059, United States
| | - Christer Tannergren
- Biopharmaceutics
Science, New Modalities & Parenteral Product Development, Pharmaceutical
Technology & Development, Operations, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg 431 50, Sweden
| | - Eleftheria Tsakalozou
- Division
of Quantitative Methods and Modeling, Office of Research and Standards,
Office of Generic Drugs, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland 20903-1058, United
States
| | - Shereeni Veerasingham
- Pharmaceutical
Drugs Directorate (PDD), Health Canada, 1600 Scott St., Ottawa K1A 0K9, Canada
| | - Christian Wagner
- Global
Drug Product Development, Global CMC Development, the Healthcare Business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt D-64293, Germany
| | - Paul Seo
- Office
of Translational Science, Office of Clinical Pharmacology (OCP), Center
for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Silver Spring, Maryland 20903-1058, United States
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2
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Tzakri T, Senekowitsch S, Wildgrube T, Sarwinska D, Krause J, Schick P, Grimm M, Engeli S, Weitschies W. Impact of advanced age on the gastric emptying of water under fasted and fed state conditions. Eur J Pharm Sci 2024; 201:106853. [PMID: 39033883 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2024.106853] [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: 06/12/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Although older people are the main users of oral medications, few studies are reported on the influence of advanced age on gastric emptying rate of non-caloric liquids. This study aimed at evaluating the gastric emptying of 240 ml water in healthy older and young adults in fasted and fed state conditions using the established method of salivary caffeine kinetics. The gastric emptying of water was evaluated in 12 healthy older volunteers (mean age: 73 ± 6 years) and 12 healthy younger volunteers (mean age: 25 ± 2 years) with the ingestion of a rapid disintegrating tablet containing 20 mg of 13C3-caffeine. The gastric emptying of water was assessed indirectly by calculating the AUC ratios of salivary caffeine concentrations in specific time segments. Comparison of the AUC ratios showed no statistically significant difference between young and older volunteers in both fasted and fed state conditions (p > 0.05). Advanced age itself seems to have no relevant effect on gastric emptying of water in either fasted or fed state conditions and the phenomenon of Magenstrasse appears to follow a similar pattern in healthy older adults as in healthy younger adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodora Tzakri
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Center of Drug Absorption and Transport, University of Greifswald, Germany
| | - Stefan Senekowitsch
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Center of Drug Absorption and Transport, University of Greifswald, Germany
| | - Toni Wildgrube
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Center of Drug Absorption and Transport, University of Greifswald, Germany
| | - Dorota Sarwinska
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Center of Drug Absorption and Transport, University of Greifswald, Germany
| | - Julius Krause
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Center of Drug Absorption and Transport, University of Greifswald, Germany
| | - Philipp Schick
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Center of Drug Absorption and Transport, University of Greifswald, Germany
| | - Michael Grimm
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Center of Drug Absorption and Transport, University of Greifswald, Germany
| | - Stefan Engeli
- Institute of Pharmacology, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Werner Weitschies
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Center of Drug Absorption and Transport, University of Greifswald, Germany.
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3
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Grimm M, Großmann L, Senekowitsch S, Rump A, Polli JE, Dressman J, Weitschies W. Enteric-Coated Capsules Providing Reliable Site-Specific Drug Delivery to the Distal Ileum. Mol Pharm 2024; 21:2828-2837. [PMID: 38723178 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.3c01241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Nefecon, a targeted-release capsule formulation of budesonide approved for the reduction of proteinuria in adults with primary immunoglobulin A nephropathy, targets overproduction of galactose-deficient immunoglobulin A type 1 in the Peyer's patches at the gut mucosal level. To investigate whether the commercial formulation of Nefecon capsules reliably releases budesonide to the distal ileum, a human study was conducted with test capsules reproducing the delayed-release function of Nefecon capsules. Caffeine was included in the test capsules as a marker for capsule opening in the gut since it appears rapidly in saliva after release from orally administered dosage forms. Magnetic resonance imaging with black iron oxide was used to determine the capsule's position in the gut at the time caffeine was first measured in saliva and additionally to directly visualize dispersion of the capsule contents in the gut. In vitro dissolution results confirmed that the test capsules had the same delayed-release characteristics as Nefecon capsules. In 10 of 12 human volunteers, the capsule was demonstrated to open in the distal ileum; in the other two subjects, it opened just past the ileocecal junction. These results compared favorably with the high degree of variability seen in other published imaging studies of delayed-release formulations targeting the gut. The test capsules were shown to reliably deliver their contents to the distal ileum, the region with the highest concentration of Peyer's patches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Grimm
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Greifswald, Greifswald 17487, Germany
| | - Linus Großmann
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Greifswald, Greifswald 17487, Germany
| | | | - Adrian Rump
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Greifswald, Greifswald 17487, Germany
| | - James E Polli
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, United States
| | - Jennifer Dressman
- Fraunhofer Institute of Translational Medicine and Pharmacology, Frankfurt am Main 60596, Germany
| | - Werner Weitschies
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Greifswald, Greifswald 17487, Germany
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4
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Blume H, Weitschies W. Medicinal products with pH-dependent solubility-A problem for BA/BE assessment? Eur J Pharm Sci 2024; 196:106756. [PMID: 38556065 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2024.106756] [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: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
The ICH M13A draft bioequivalence guideline allows the exclusion of very low plasma profiles from the statistical evaluation in exceptional cases, i.e., if such phenomenon occurs due to non-compliance of subjects (not swallowing the product). Moreover, the draft ICH guideline requests additional bioequivalence studies for medicinal products with pH-dependent solubility after concomitant administration of gastric pH modifying preparations, e.g., proton pump inhibitors. Both regulations are scientifically sound, however, would need further specification. Main problem in this context is that compounds with very low solubility and slow intrinsic dissolution in the intestinal environment will cause significant bioavailability problems if their solid oral dosage forms are emptied from the stomach undisintegrated. Also, very low plasma profiles may result under these circumstances. Such cases can occur accidentally and are not resultant of non-compliance. Thus, limitation for one case per study only as suggested in the guideline is not justified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henning Blume
- Frankfurt Foundation Quality of Medicines, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Werner Weitschies
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
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5
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Akbar T, Gershkovich P, Stamatopoulos K, Gowland PA, Stolnik S, Butler J, Marciani L. Use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Visualization of Oral Dosage Forms in the Human Stomach: A Scoping Review. Mol Pharm 2024; 21:1553-1562. [PMID: 38440796 PMCID: PMC10988553 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.3c01123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
Oral dosage forms are the most widely and frequently used formulations to deliver active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), due to their ease of administration and noninvasiveness. Knowledge of intragastric release rates and gastric mixing is crucial for predicting the API release profile, especially for immediate release formulations. However, knowledge of the intragastric fate of oral dosage forms in vivo to date is limited, particularly for dosage forms administered when the stomach is in the fed state. An improved understanding of gastric food processing, dosage form location, disintegration times, and food effects is essential for greater understanding for effective API formulation design. In vitro standard and controlled modeling has played a significant role in predicting the behavior of dosage forms in vivo. However, discrepancies are reported between in vitro and in vivo disintegration times, with these discrepancies being greatest in the fed state. Studying the fate of a dosage form in vivo is a challenging process, usually requiring the use of invasive methods, such as intubation. Noninvasive, whole body imaging techniques can however provide unique insights into this process. A scoping review was performed systematically to identify and critically appraise published studies using MRI to visualize oral solid dosage forms in vivo in healthy human subjects. The review identifies that so far, an all-purpose robust contrast agent or dosage form type has not been established for dosage form visualization and disintegration studies in the gastrointestinal system. Opportunities have been identified for future studies, with particular focus on characterizing dosage form disintegration for development after the consumption food, as exemplified by the standard Food and Drug Administration (FDA) high fat meal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tejal Akbar
- Nottingham
Digestive Diseases Centre and National Institute for Health Research
(NIHR) Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, U.K.
| | - Pavel Gershkovich
- School
of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, U.K.
| | | | - Penny A. Gowland
- Sir
Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2QX, U.K.
| | - Snow Stolnik
- School
of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, U.K.
| | - James Butler
- Drug
Product Development, GSK R&D, Ware, Hertfordshire SG12 0GX, U.K.
| | - Luca Marciani
- Nottingham
Digestive Diseases Centre and National Institute for Health Research
(NIHR) Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, U.K.
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6
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Tzakri T, Rehenbrock L, Senekowitsch S, Rump A, Schick P, Krause J, Kromrey ML, Grimm M, Weitschies W. Determination of Gastric Water Emptying in Fasted and Fed State Conditions Using a Compression-Coated Tablet and Salivary Caffeine Kinetics. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2584. [PMID: 38004563 PMCID: PMC10674960 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15112584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Because of the importance of gastric emptying for pharmacokinetics, numerous methods have been developed for its determination. One of the methods is the salivary tracer technique, which utilizes an ice capsule containing caffeine as a salivary tracer. Despite the ice capsule's advantage in labeling ingested fluids with caffeine for subsequent salivary detection, its risk of premature melting before swallowing, and its complicated storage and preparation, limit its application, particularly in special populations (e.g., older people). For this reason, here, a compression-coated tablet was developed and validated against the ice capsule in a cross-over clinical trial. The two dosage forms were administered simultaneously to 12 volunteers in an upright position under fasted and fed state conditions. To distinguish the caffeine concentrations in saliva from each dosage form, regular type of caffeine (12C) was added to the tablet, while for the ice capsule 13C3 labelled caffeine was used. The salivary caffeine concentrations showed no statistically significant differences for the pharmacokinetic parameters tmax and AUC0→60 (p > 0.05). Thus, the new formulation is a useful tool for determining gastric emptying that can also be used in special populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodora Tzakri
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Center of Drug Absorption and Transport (C_DAT), University of Greifswald, Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 3, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Lara Rehenbrock
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Center of Drug Absorption and Transport (C_DAT), University of Greifswald, Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 3, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Stefan Senekowitsch
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Center of Drug Absorption and Transport (C_DAT), University of Greifswald, Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 3, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Adrian Rump
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Center of Drug Absorption and Transport (C_DAT), University of Greifswald, Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 3, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Philipp Schick
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Center of Drug Absorption and Transport (C_DAT), University of Greifswald, Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 3, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Julius Krause
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Center of Drug Absorption and Transport (C_DAT), University of Greifswald, Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 3, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Marie-Luise Kromrey
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Ferdinand-Sauerbruch-Str., 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Michael Grimm
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Center of Drug Absorption and Transport (C_DAT), University of Greifswald, Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 3, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Werner Weitschies
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Center of Drug Absorption and Transport (C_DAT), University of Greifswald, Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 3, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
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7
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Grimm M, Rump A, Kromrey ML, Morof F, Dumont C, Jannin V, Tzvetkov MV, Weitschies W. In Vivo Evaluation of a Gastro-Resistant Enprotect ® Capsule under Postprandial Conditions. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2576. [PMID: 38004555 PMCID: PMC10674880 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15112576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Ready-to-fill enteric hard capsule shells are an evolving field of oral drug and nutraceutical products. Lonza Capsugel® Enprotect® capsules were recently proven to provide reliable release in the small intestine after fasted intake, but robustness against postprandial intake needed to be proven. In this study, the capsules were administered to 16 healthy young subjects after intake of a light meal. The Enprotect® capsules were labelled with 5 mg black iron oxide and 25 mg 13C3-caffeine. Magnetic Resonance Imaging was used to identify the localization and visual dispersion of the capsule filling. The salivary appearance of caffeine was considered a second independent and sensitive marker for the initial release. Whereas the fasted gastric residence time of the capsules amounted to 43 ± 32 min, it was increased to 158 ± 36 min after postprandial intake. Therefore, the mean dispersion time according to MRI and the mean caffeine appearance time were increased to 196 ± 37 min and 189 ± 37 min, respectively. But, similar to fasted administration, no capsule disintegration or leakage was observed in the stomach and 38% of the capsules disintegrated in the jejunum and 62% in the ileum. The mean dispersion time after gastric emptying and the mean caffeine appearance time after gastric emptying amounted to 38 ± 21 min and 31 ± 17 min, respectively. Both did not relevantly change compared to the fasted intake. Only the absolute dispersion time and caffeine appearance were prolonged due to the increased gastric residence and no relevant influence of the light meal was observed on the disintegration or release behavior of Enprotect® capsules after gastric emptying. The capsules also showed robust enteric properties after postprandial administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Grimm
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Adrian Rump
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Marie-Luise Kromrey
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Felix Morof
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, University Hospital Greifswald, 17487 Greifswald, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Werner Weitschies
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
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8
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Wang JL, Southard B, Jara MO, Yu YS, Xu H, Kalafat J, Williams RO, Cui Z. Viability of Lactobacillus acidophilus in Thin-Film Freeze-Dried Powders Filled in Delayed-Release Vegetarian Capsules in a Simulated Gastric Fluid. AAPS PharmSciTech 2023; 24:193. [PMID: 37740105 DOI: 10.1208/s12249-023-02644-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Previously, we have shown that thin-film freeze-drying can be applied to prepare dry powders of bacteria such as Lactobacillus acidophilus. Herein, we tested the viability of L. acidophilus in thin-film freeze-dried powders (TFF powders) filled in delayed-release vegetarian capsules in a simulated gastric fluid (SGF) consisting of 0.1N hydrochloric acid and sodium chloride. Initially, we determined the water removal rate from frozen thin films on relatively larger scales (i.e., 10-750 g). We then prepared and characterized two TFF powders of L. acidophilus with either sucrose and maltodextrin or sucrose and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetate succinate (HPMC-AS), a pH-sensitive polymer, as excipients and evaluated the viability of the bacteria after the TFF powders were filled in delayed-release vegetarian capsules and the capsules were incubated in the SGF for 30 min. On 10-750 g scales and at the settings specified, water removal from frozen thin films was faster than from slow shelf-frozen bulk solids. When the L. acidophilus in sucrose and HPMC-AS TFF powder was filled into a delayed-release capsule that was placed into another delayed-release capsule, the bacterial viability reduction after incubation in the SGF can be minimized to within 1 log in colony forming unit (CFU). However, for the L. acidophilus in sucrose and maltodextrin TFF powder, even in the capsule-in-capsule dosage form, bacterial CFU reduction was > 2 logs. TFF powders of live microorganisms containing an acid-resistant material in capsule-in-capsule delayed-release vegetarian capsules have the potential for oral delivery of those microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie-Liang Wang
- Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Benjamin Southard
- Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Miguel O Jara
- Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Yu-Sheng Yu
- Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Haiyue Xu
- Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | | | - Robert O Williams
- Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA.
| | - Zhengrong Cui
- Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA.
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9
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Rump A, Tetyczka C, Littringer E, Kromrey ML, Bülow R, Roblegg E, Weitschies W, Grimm M. In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation of Carbopol 71G NF-Based Mucoadhesive Minitablets as a Gastroretentive Dosage Form. Mol Pharm 2023; 20:1624-1630. [PMID: 36705398 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.2c00835] [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: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Gastroretentive dosage forms are intended to stay inside the stomach for a long period of time while releasing an active pharmaceutical ingredient. Such systems may offer significant benefits for numerous drugs compared to other sustained release systems, such as improved pharmacokinetics/bioavailability and reduced intake frequency and thereby improved adherence to the medical therapy. However, there is no gastroretentive product on the market with proven reliable gastroretentive properties in humans. A major obstacle is the motility pattern of the stomach in the fasting state in humans, which reliably ensures gastric emptying of even large indigestible objects into the small intestine. One promising approach to avoid gastric emptying is adhesion of the drug delivery system to the gastric mucosa. In order to achieve mucoadhesive properties, minitablets containing Carbopol 71G NF were developed and compared to minitablets without adhesive properties. In a specialized mucoadhesive test system, the adhesion time was prolonged for adhesive minitablets (240 min) compared to non-adhesive minitablets (30 min). The in vivo transit behavior was investigated using magnetic resonance imaging in 11 healthy volunteers in fasted state in a crossover setup. It was found that the gastric residence time (GRT) of the adhesive minitablets (median of 37.5 min with IQR = 22.5-52.5) was statistically significantly prolonged compared to the non-adhesive minitablets (median of 7.5 with IQR = 7.5-22.5), indicating a delay in gastric emptying by adhesion to the gastric mucosa. However, the system needs further improvement to create a clinical benefit. Furthermore, it was observed that for 9 of 22 administrations (three minitablets were given simultaneously with every administration), the minitablets were not emptied together but showed different GRTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Rump
- Institute of Pharmacy, Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Carolin Tetyczka
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | | | - Marie-Luise Kromrey
- Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Medicine Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Robin Bülow
- Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Medicine Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Eva Roblegg
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Werner Weitschies
- Institute of Pharmacy, Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Michael Grimm
- Institute of Pharmacy, Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
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Comparing Salivary Caffeine Kinetics of 13C and 12C Caffeine for Gastric Emptying of 50 mL Water. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15020328. [PMID: 36839650 PMCID: PMC9963808 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15020328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastric water emptying as a critical parameter for oral drug absorption can be investigated by several imaging techniques or by the interpretation of pharmacokinetics of appropriate substances. Recently introduced salivary caffeine kinetics is a valuable tool, but the required caffeine abstinence limits its applicability. To avoid the caffeine abstinence, stable isotope-labeled caffeine might be used, but the representability and transferability of kinetics for evaluation of gastric emptying must be demonstrated. Thus, salivary caffeine pharmacokinetics were compared for naturally occurring 12C-caffeine and 13C3-caffeine after the administration of water under fasting conditions in six healthy young subjects. For this purpose, an ice capsule containing the two caffeine species was administered with 50 mL tap water. Gastric water emptying was simultaneously quantified using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Gastric emptying of 50 mL of water could be successfully evaluated. The salivary caffeine kinetics of 13C3- and 12C-caffeine were nearly congruent and showed good linear correlations in all subjects, with a mean correlation coefficient of 0.96 in pooled data. Thus, the substitution of natural 12C caffeine with stable isotope-labeled 13C3-caffeine offers the opportunity for broader application of the salivary caffeine gastric emptying technique and increases the robustness of the method against environmental contamination with caffeine.
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In vitro evaluation of the gastrointestinal delivery of acid-sensitive pancrelipase in a next generation enteric capsule using an exocrine pancreatic insufficiency disease model. Int J Pharm 2022; 630:122441. [PMID: 36442722 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2022.122441] [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: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The dissolution characteristics of five capsules (Next Generation Enteric [NGE], Vcaps® Enteric [VCE], VCE DUOCAP® [VCE/VCE] system, Hard Gelatin Capsule [HGC] as negative control, and Creon® 10,000 U as market reference) were evaluated using an in vitro simulation of the stomach and upper intestinal tract with an acidic duodenal incubation (pH 4.5 for the first 10 min, pH 6 for the remaining 17 min) to simulate exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. Caffeine was a marker of capsule dissolution, and tributyrin to butyrate conversion measured pancrelipase activity. All capsules were filled with pancrelipase; the NGE, VCE, VCE/VCE, and HGC capsules also contained 50 mg caffeine. Caffeine was released first from the HGC capsule, followed by the VCE, NGE, and VCE/VCE capsules. Pancrelipase activity followed this trend and demonstrated a similar activity level over time for the NGE, VCE/VCE, and Creon® capsules. The HGC formulation confirmed gastric degradation of unprotected pancrelipase. NGE capsules provided similar protection to the simple fill formulation as observed for the complex formulation of the Creon® capsule in a setting with increased pepsin activity and may hasten the time needed to go from formula development to first-in-human studies for pH sensitive drugs or those requiring small intestine targeting.
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Franc A, Vetchý D, Fülöpová N. Commercially Available Enteric Empty Hard Capsules, Production Technology and Application. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:1398. [PMID: 36422528 PMCID: PMC9696354 DOI: 10.3390/ph15111398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Currently, there is a growing need to prepare small batches of enteric capsules for individual therapy or clinical evaluation since many acidic-sensitive substances should be protected from the stomach's acidic environment, including probiotics or fecal material, in the fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) process. A suitable method seems to be the encapsulation of drugs or lyophilized alternatively frozen biological suspensions in commercial hard enteric capsules prepared by so-called Enteric Capsule Drug Delivery Technology (ECDDT). Manufacturers supply these types of capsules, made from pH-soluble polymers, in products such as AR Caps®, EnTRinsicTM, and Vcaps® Enteric, or capsules made of gelling polymers that release their content as the gel erodes over time when passing through the digestive tract. These include DRcaps®, EMBO CAPS® AP, BioVXR®, or ACGcaps™ HD. Although not all capsules in all formulations meet pharmaceutical requirements for delayed-release dosage forms in disintegration and dissolution tests, they usually find practical application. This literature review presents their composition and properties. Since ECDDT is a new technology, this article is based on a limited number of references.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleš Franc
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Masaryk University, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - David Vetchý
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Masaryk University, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Nicole Fülöpová
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Masaryk University, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic
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Rump A, Kromrey ML, Scheuch E, Jannin V, Rehenbrock L, Tzvetkov MV, Weitschies W, Grimm M. In Vivo Evaluation of a Gastro-Resistant HPMC-Based “Next Generation Enteric” Capsule. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14101999. [PMID: 36297435 PMCID: PMC9609816 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14101999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Many orally dosed APIs are bioavailable only when formulated as an enteric dosage form to protect them from the harsh environment of the stomach. However, an enteric formulation is often accompanied with a higher development effort in the first place and the potential degradation of fragile APIs during the coating process. Ready-to-use enteric hard capsules would be an easily available alternative to test and develop APIs in enteric formulations, while decreasing the time and cost of process development. In this regard, Lonza Capsugel® Next Generation Enteric capsules offer a promising approach as functional capsules. The in vivo performance of these capsules was observed with two independent techniques (MRI and caffeine in saliva) in eight human volunteers. No disintegration or content release in the stomach was observed, even after highly variable individual gastric residence times (range 7.5 to 82.5 min), indicating the reliable enteric properties of these capsules. Seven capsules disintegrated in the distal part of the small intestine; one capsule showed an uncommonly fast intestinal transit (15 min) and disintegrated in the colon. The results for this latter capsule by MRI and caffeine appearance differed dramatically, whereas for all other capsules disintegrating in the small intestine, the results were very comparable, which highlights the necessity for reliable and complementary measurement methods. No correlation could be found between the gastric residence time and disintegration after gastric emptying, which confirms the robust enteric formulation of those capsules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Rump
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Marie-Luise Kromrey
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Eberhard Scheuch
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, University Hospital Greifswald, 17487 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Vincent Jannin
- Lonza Capsules & Health Ingredients, 68000 Colmar, France
| | - Lara Rehenbrock
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | | | - Werner Weitschies
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Michael Grimm
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-3834-4204816
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Florin-Muschert S. Drug-Release Mechanisms Elucidated by Imaging Techniques: Visualizing the Invisible! Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14061165. [PMID: 35745737 PMCID: PMC9230386 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14061165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Imaging techniques such as Raman spectroscopy, electron microscopy, laser scanning confocal microscopy, atomic force microscopy, tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and terahertz are powerful tools to elucidate drug-release mechanisms from different types of delivery devices [...]
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