Discovery and Toxicological Profiling of Aminopyridines as Orally Bioavailable Selective Inhibitors of PI3-Kinase γ.

Using a novel physiologically relevant in vitro human whole blood neutrophil shape change assay, an aminopyrazine series of selective PI3Kγ inhibitors was identified and prioritized for further optimization. Severe solubility limitations associated with the series leading to low oral bioavailability and poor exposures, especially at higher doses, were overcome by moving to an aminopyridine core. Compound 33, with the optimal balance of on-target activity, selectivity, and pharmacokinetic parameters, progressed into in vivo studies and demonstrated good efficacy (10 mg/kg) in a rat model of airway inflammation. Sufficient exposures were achieved at high doses to support toxicological studies, where unexpected inflammatory cell infiltrates in cardiovascular tissue prevented further compound development.

HyperDSC studies of amorphous polyvinylpyrrolidone in a model wet granulation system.

Measurements of the properties of amorphous materials are very important to help in the understanding of how materials behave during manufacture, storage and use of medicines. However, there are few methods that are suited to the study of amorphous materials, especially if in multi-component systems or model formulations. The goal here was to explore the potential for the use of HyperDSC to study a model granulation system. It was found that the sensitivity of HyperDSC was such that the glass transition (Tg) of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) could be detected in granules made with realistic levels of this binder. The measured Tg in the granules, even after drying, was very different to that of PVP alone and to PVP in physical mixtures with lactose. It is argued that the granulation process has resulted in the dissolution of some lactose and that the amorphous binder holding the granules together is in fact a solid dispersion of PVP and lactose. Based on the standard Gordon-Taylor equation it was estimated that the solid dispersion contained 50% of PVP and lactose. Given that solid dispersions have a tendency to crystallise on storage, it could be expected that changes in the binder properties will occur with time after granulation. We believe that this is the first measurement of in situ properties of a binder in this way and opens the possibility of studies on formulated systems.

The use of inverse gas chromatography and gravimetric vapour sorption to study transitions in amorphous lactose.

The aim of this study was to measure the glass transition of amorphous lactose under well-controlled temperature and humidity, using inverse gas chromatography (IGC) and to relate these data to gravimetric vapour sorption experiments. Amorphous lactose (spray-dried) was exposed to a stepwise increment in the relative humidity (%RH) under isothermal conditions in an IGC. At the end of each conditioning step a decane injection was made, and the retention volumes were calculated using the maximum peak height (V(max)) method. The pressure drop across the column was recorded using the pressure transducers. These measurements were performed at various temperatures from 25 to 40 degrees C. The extent of water sorption at identical humidity (%RH) and temperature conditions was determined gravimetrically using dynamic vapour sorption (DVS). At each T, it was possible to determine: (1) a transition at low RH relating to the onset of mobility; (2) changes in retention volume relating to the point, where T(g) = T; (3) changes in pressure drop, which were related to the sample collapse. The rate and extent of water sorption was seen to alter at T(g) and also at a collapse point. Combinations of temperature and critical %RH (%cRH required to lower the dry glass transition temperature to the experimental temperature) obtained from IGC were comparable to those obtained from DVS. It was shown that at each T, the sample spontaneously crystallised, when T(g) was 32 degrees C below T. Inverse gas chromatograph can be used in this novel way to reveal the series of transitions that occur in amorphous materials.

The use of inverse phase gas chromatography to study the glass transition temperature of a powder surface.

PURPOSE: To measure the glass transition temperature (Tg) at the surface of a hydrophobic particle at different temperatures and humidities, on the hypothesis that the surface may be plasticized to a different extent to the bulk due to slow water sorption giving a concentration gradient of water through the particles. METHODS: Amorphous indomethacin was exposed to a range of relative humidities (RH) and temperatures in an inverse gas chromatograph (IGC). The retention volumes of decane were calculated at all conditions using center of mass (Vcom) and peak height (Vmax) methods. The extent of water sorption was determined gravimetrically. RESULTS: The Vcom retention volumes were found to deviate from Vmax results at certain critical humidities at each temperature. This was taken as a novel method for determining the Tg of the sample surface at different experimental conditions. Extrapolating the critical RH to lower the Tg to experimental temperature to 0% RH yeilded a Tg similar to literature values. Water sorption data provided valuable information on changes in mobility of the amorphous form as a function of temperature and RH. CONCLUSIONS: It is possible to use IGC to determine the Tg of the surface of particles at defined conditions. This overcomes the problems of conventional methods of assessing Tg, relating to disruption of water sorption on heating. This helps in the understanding of the physical form of the surface of hydrophobic particles and how and when the surface will start to crystallize.