Application of Machine-Learning Algorithms for Better Understanding of Tableting Properties of Lactose Co-Processed with Lipid Excipients

Co-processing (CP) provides superior properties to excipients and has become a reliable option to facilitated formulation and manufacturing of variety of solid dosage forms. Development of directly compressible formulations with high doses of poorly flowing/compressible active pharmaceutical ingredients, such as paracetamol, remains a great challenge for the pharmaceutical industry due to the lack of understanding of the interplay between the formulation properties, process of compaction, and stages of tablets’ detachment and ejection. The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of the compression load, excipients’ co-processing and the addition of paracetamol on the obtained tablets’ tensile strength and the specific parameters of the tableting process, such as (net) compression work, elastic recovery, detachment, and ejection work, as well as the ejection force. Two types of neural networks were used to analyze the data: classification (Kohonen network) and regression networks (multilayer perceptron and radial basis function), to build prediction models and identify the variables that are predominantly affecting the tableting process and the obtained tablets’ tensile strength. It has been demonstrated that sophisticated data-mining methods are necessary to interpret complex phenomena regarding the effect of co-processing on tableting properties of directly compressible excipients.

Investigation of Solubility Behavior of Canagliflozin Hydrate Crystals Combining Crystallographic and Hirshfeld Surface Calculations

Canagliflozin (CG) was a highly effective, selective and reversible inhibitor of sodium-dependent glucose co-transporter 2 developed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The crystal structure of CG monohydrate (CG-H₂O) was reported for the first time while CG hemihydrate (CG-Hemi) had been reported in our previous research. Solubility and dissolution rate results showed that the solubility of CG-Hemi was 1.4 times higher than that of CG-H₂O in water and hydrochloric acid solution, and the dissolution rates of CG-Hemi were more than 3 folds than CG-H₂O in both solutions. Hirshfeld surface analysis showed that CG-H₂O had stronger intermolecular forces than CG-Hemi, and water molecules in CG-H₂O participated three hydrogen bonds, forming hydrogen bond networks. These crystal structure features might make it more difficult for solvent molecules to dissolve CG-H₂O than CG-Hemi. All these analyses might explain why the dissolution performance of CG-Hemi was better than CG-H₂O. This work provided an approach to predict the dissolution performance of the drug based on its crystal structure.

Doxycycline-Induced Hand Tremors: Case Report and Review of Antibiotic-Associated Tremors

There are several etiologies for acquired tremors. Medications have been observed to induce tremors. A 64-year-old man initiated oral doxycycline for scalp folliculitis. By the third dose, he noticed development of hand tremors. He continued the medication and the tremor persisted. Doxycycline was stopped after five days. Within three days of discontinuing the drug, all tremors had resolved. Medication-induced tremors have been associated with several drugs. These include antiarrhythmics, antibiotics, antidepressants, antiepileptics, antimycotics, antivirals, bronchodilators, chemotherapeutics, dopamine depleters, drugs of misuse, gastrointestinal drugs, hormones, immunosuppressants, methylxanthines, mood stabilizers, and neuroleptics. Several antibiotics have also been associated with drug-induced tremors. These include aminoglycosides, carbapenems, cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, folate synthesis inhibitor, glycopeptides, macrolides, penicillins, and tetracyclines. Doxycycline can be added to the list of drugs associated with medication-induced tremors.

Salt Cocrystal of Diclofenac Sodium-L-Proline: Structural, Pseudopolymorphism, and Pharmaceutics Performance Study

Previously, we have reported on a zwitterionic cocrystal of diclofenac acid and L-proline. However, the solubility of this multicomponent crystal was still lower than that of diclofenac sodium salt. Therefore, this study aimed to observe whether a multicomponent crystal could be produced from diclofenac sodium hydrate with the same coformer, L-proline, which was expected to improve the pharmaceutics performance. Methods involved screening, solid phase characterization, structure determination, stability, and in vitro pharmaceutical performance tests. First, a phase diagram screen was carried out to identify the molar ratio of the multicomponent crystal formation. Next, the single crystals were prepared by slow evaporation under two conditions, which yielded two forms: one was a rod-shape and the second was a flat-square form. The characterization by infrared spectroscopy, thermal analysis, and diffractometry confirmed the formation of the new phases. Finally, structural determination using single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis solved the new salt cocrystals as a stable diclofenac-sodium-proline-water (1:1:1:4) named NDPT (natrium diclofenac proline tetrahydrate), and unstable diclofenac-sodium-proline-water (1:1:1:1), named NDPM (natrium diclofenac proline monohydrate). The solubility and dissolution rate of these multicomponent crystals were superior to those of diclofenac sodium alone. The experimental results that this salt cocrystal is suitable for further development.

Efficacy and safety of aripiprazole lauroxil once-monthly versus aripiprazole once-monthly long-acting injectable formulations in patients with acute symptoms of schizophrenia: an indirect comparison of two double-blind placebo-controlled studies

BACKGROUND

Aripiprazole lauroxil (AL) is a long-acting injectable atypical antipsychotic recently approved for the treatment of schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE

To indirectly compare the safety and efficacy of AL and aripiprazole once-monthly (AOM).

METHODS

A systematic search was performed to identify randomized, controlled trials of AOM and AL that met criteria for indirect comparison according to Bayesian network meta-analysis. The analysis indirectly compared AL and AOM treatment groups for efficacy by mean change in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total score and ≥30% reduction in PANSS total score, as well as tolerability including adverse events, akathisia, and weight gain.

RESULTS

Two studies were selected, resulting in three active-treatment groups: AL 441 mg, AL 882 mg, and AOM 400 mg. All active treatments were efficacious compared with placebo. There were no differences in indirect comparisons of akathisia. All three groups showed some weight gain, but only the AOM 400 mg group was significantly greater than placebo.

CONCLUSIONS

Results of this indirect comparison found that both doses of AL and the single AOM dose were therapeutic and efficacious for the treatment of schizophrenia with a similar safety profile.

Crystal structure of (S)-sec-butyl-ammonium l-tartrate monohydrate

The title hydrated mol-ecular salt, C4H12N+·C4H5O6-·H2O, was prepared by deprotonation of enanti-opure l-tartaric acid with racemic sec-butyl-amine in water. Only one enanti-omer was observed crystallographically, resulting from the combination of (S)-sec-butyl-amine with l-tartaric acid. The sec-butyl-ammonium moiety is disordered over two conformations related by rotation around the CH-CH2 bond; the refined occupancy ratio is 0.68 (1):0.32 (1). In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked through a network of O-H⋯O and N-H⋯O hydrogen-bonding inter-actions, between the ammonium H atoms, the tartrate hy-droxy H atoms, and the inter-stitial water, forming a three-dimensional supra-molecular structure.

Crystal structure of methyl 4-(4-hy-droxy-phen-yl)-6-methyl-2-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetra-hydro-pyrimidine-5-carboxyl-ate monohydrate

The title hydrate, C₁₃H₁₄N₂O₄·H₂O, crystallizes with two formula units in the asymmetric unit (Z' = 2). The dihedral angles between the planes of the tetra-hydro-pyrimidine ring and the 4-hy-droxy-phenyl ring and ester group are 86.78 (4) and 6.81 (6)°, respectively, for one mol-ecule and 89.35 (4) and 3.02 (4)° for the other. In the crystal, the organic mol-ecules form a dimer, linked by a pair of N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds. The hydroxy groups of the organic mol-ecules donate O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds to water mol-ecules. Further, the hy-droxy group accepts N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds from amides whereas the water mol-ecules donate O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds to the both the amide and ester carbonyl groups. Other weak inter-actions, including C-H⋯O, C-H⋯π and π-π, further consolidate the packing, generating a three-dimensional network.

Formation and Transformation Behavior of Sodium Dehydroacetate Hydrates

The effect of various controlling factors on the polymorphic outcome of sodium dehydroacetate crystallization was investigated in this study. Cooling crystallization experiments of sodium dehydroacetate in water were conducted at different concentrations. The results revealed that the rate of supersaturation generation played a key role in the formation of the hydrates. At a high supersaturation generation rate, a new sodium dehydroacetate dihydrate needle form was obtained; on the contrary, a sodium dehydroacetate plate monohydrate was formed at a low supersaturation generation rate. Furthermore, the characterization and transformation behavior of these two hydrated forms were investigated with the combined use of microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and dynamic vapor sorption (DVS). It was found that the new needle crystals were dihydrated and hollow, and they eventually transformed into sodium dehydroacetate monohydrate. In addition, the mechanism of formation of sodium dehydroacetate hydrates was discussed, and a process growth model of hollow crystals in cooling crystallization was proposed.

Crystal structure of (E)-N-{2-[2-(2-chloro-benzyl-idene)hydrazin-1-yl]-2-oxoeth-yl}-4-methyl-benzamide monohydrate

The title compound, C17H16ClN3O2·H2O, an acyl-hydrazone derivative, contains a glycine moiety and two substituted benzene rings on either end of the chain. It crystallized as a monohydrate. The mol-ecules adopt an E conformation with respect to the C=N double bond, as indicated by the N-N=C-C torsion angle of 179.38 (14)°. The mol-ecule is twisted in such a way that the almost planar Car-C(=O)-N(H)-C(H2) and C(H2)-C(=O)N(H)-N=C-Car [r.m.s deviations = 0.009 and 0.025 Å, respectively] segments are inclined to on another by 77.36 (8)°, while the benzene rings are normal to one another, making a dihedral angle of 89.69 (9)°. In the crystal, the water mol-ecule links three mol-ecules through two O-H⋯O and one N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds. The mol-ecules are linked via pairs of N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming inversion dimers with an R 2 (2)(14) ring motif. The dimers are linked by O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, involving two mol-ecules of water, forming chains along [100], enclosing R 2 (2)(14) and R 2 (2)(18) ring motifs. The chains are linked through C-H⋯O inter-actions, forming sheets parallel to (010). Within the sheets, there are C-H⋯π and parallel slipped π-π stacking inter-actions present [inter-centroid distance = 3.6458 (12) Å].

Crystal structure of 4-chloro-N-[2-(piperidin-1-yl)eth-yl]benzamide monohydrate

In the title compound, C14H19ClN2O2·H2O, the piperdine ring adopts a chair conformation. The dihedral angle between the mean plane of the piperidine ring and that of the phenyl ring is 41.64 (1)°. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked by O-H⋯N, N-H⋯O and C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds involving the water mol-ecule, forming double-stranded chains propagating along [010].