Injection-molded capsule bodies and caps based on polymer blends for controlled drug delivery.

A variety of polymer:polymer blends was used to prepare hot melt extrudates and empty capsules (bodies and caps) by injection-molding using a benchtop extruder (Babyplast). KollidonSR:inulin and Carbothane:inulin blends were investigated. The impact of the blend ratio on the water uptake and dry mass loss kinetics upon exposure to 0.1 MHCl, phosphate buffer pH6.8 and culture medium optionally inoculated with fecal samples from Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) patients were studied. Hot melt extrudates were loaded with up to 60% theophylline, capsules were filled with drug powder. Increasing the inulin content led to increased water uptake and dry mass loss rates, resulting in accelerated drug release from the dosage forms, irrespective of the type of polymer blend. This can be attributed to the higher hydrophilicity/water-solubility of this polymer compared to KollidonSR and Carbothane. Interestingly, the presence of fecal samples in culture medium increased the water uptake and dry mass loss of hot melt extrudates to a certain extent, suggesting partial system degradation by bacterial enzymes. However, these phenomena did not translate into any noteworthy impact of the presence of colonic bacteria on theophylline release from the investigated extrudates or capsules. Hence, drug release can be expected to be independent of the location "small intestine vs. colon" from these dosage forms, which can be advantageous for long term release throughout the entire gastro intestinal tract.

Accelerated ketoprofen release from spray-dried polymeric particles: importance of phase transitions and excipient distribution.

HPMC-, PVPVA- and PVP-based microparticles loaded with 30% ketoprofen were prepared by spray drying suspensions or solutions in various water:ethanol blends. The inlet temperature, drying gas and feed flow rates were varied. The resulting differences in the ketoprofen release rates in 0.1 M HCl could be explained based on X-ray diffraction, mDSC, SEM and particle size analysis. Importantly, long term stable drug release could be provided, being much faster than: (i) drug release from a commercial reference product, (ii) the respective physical drug:polymer mixtures, as well as (iii) the dissolution of ketoprofen powder as received. In addition, highly supersaturated release media were obtained, which did not show any sign for re-crystallization during the observation period. Surprisingly, spraying suspensions resulted in larger microparticles exhibiting faster drug release compared to spraying solutions, which resulted in smaller particles exhibiting slower drug release. These effects could be explained based on the physico-chemical characteristics of the systems.

A new protocol to determine the solubility of drugs into polymer matrixes.

In this paper we present a new protocol to determine faster the solubility of drugs into polymer matrixes. The originality of the method lies in the fact that the equilibrium saturated states are reached by demixing of supersaturated amorphous solid solutions and not by dissolution of crystalline drug into the amorphous polymer matrix as for usual methods. The equilibrium saturated states are thus much faster to reach due to the extra molecular mobility resulting from the strong plasticizing effect associated with the supersaturation conditions. The method is validated using the indomethacin/polyvinylpyrrolidone mixture whose solubility diagram was previously determined by usual techniques. The supersaturated states have been directly obtained in the solid state by comilling, and the investigations have been performed by differential scanning calorimetry and powder X-ray diffraction.

Ethanol hydrates and solid solution formed by gas condensation: an in situ study by micro-Raman scattering and X-ray diffraction.

Thin films of ethanol-water solid mixtures formed by gas co-condensation are investigated in situ by micro-Raman scattering in the 800-1600 and 2800-3800 cm(-1) spectral regions. Information at the molecular level on the structure is derived from accompanying changes observed in band shapes and vibrational mode frequencies. Depending on the ethanol content, the formation of two distinct ethanol hydrates is spectroscopically characterized, and their structures are independently confirmed by X-ray diffraction measurements. The attribution of the different phases is made in comparison with literature data and in relation with the ethanol phase diagram. Raman characteristic spectral features of ethanol extremely diluted in ice and corresponding to a solid solution regime are reported.

Comparison of physical and inhalation properties of spray-dried and micronized terbutaline sulphate.

Terbutaline sulphate particles, for use in dry powder inhaler formulations, were prepared by spray-drying, using a Büchi 190 mini spray dryer. Spray-drying conditions were chosen to allow the production of spray-dried terbutaline sulphate with a size similar to micronized terbutaline sulphate, that is to say about 2.9 microm of volume mean diameter. The physical properties and in vitro inhalation behaviour of micronized and spray-dried terbutaline sulphate were compared. X-ray diffraction, DSC, SEM and laser size analysis were investigated. Spray-dying produced spherically shaped particles with amorphous structure. After blending with different lactoses, adhesion and aerodynamic properties were investigated. Evaluation of adhesion was carried out with a mechanical sieve and an Alpine air-jet sieve. The adhesion of terbutaline sulphate on the lactoses tested was lower in the case of the spray-dried drug. Aerodynamic evaluation of fine particle dose and emitted dose was conducted using a twin stage impactor. The emitted doses and the fine particle doses were higher with the spray-dried terbutaline sulphate. The Alpine air-jet sieve assays showed that there was a correlation between drug separation from a carrier by sieving and that obtained from longer in vitro deposition studies. There was a linear relationship between the adhesion characteristics and the fine particle dose.