Structural basis for the binding of famotidine, cimetidine, guanidine, and pimagedine with serine protease.

Serine proteases are among the important groups of enzymes having significant roles in cell biology. Trypsin is a representative member of the serine superfamily of enzymes, produced by acinar cells of pancreas. It is a validated drug target for various ailments including pancreatitis and colorectal cancer. Premature activation of trypsin is involved in the lysis of pancreatic tissues, which causes pancreatitis. It is also reported to be involved in colorectal carcinoma by activating other proteases, such as matrix metalloproteinase (MMPs). The development of novel trypsin inhibitors with good pharmacokinetic properties could play important roles in pharmaceutical sciences. This study reports the crystal structures of bovine pancreatic trypsin with four molecules; cimetidine, famotidine, pimagedine, and guanidine. These compounds possess binding affinity towards the active site (S1) of trypsin. The structures of all four complexes provided insight of the binding of four different ligands, as well as the dynamics of the active site towards the bind with different size ligands. This study might be helpful in designing of new potent inhibitors of trypsin and trypsin like serine proteases.

Identification, trace level quantification, and in silico assessment of potential genotoxic impurity in Famotidine.

Potential genotoxic impurities in medications are an increasing concern in the pharmaceutical industry and regulatory bodies because of the risk of human carcinogenesis. To prevent the emergence of these impurities, it is crucial to carefully examine not only the final product but also the intermediates and key starting material (KSM) used in drug synthesis. During the related substances analysis of KSM of Famotidine, an unknown impurity in the range of 0.5-1.0% was found prompting the need for isolation and characterization due to the possibility of its to infiltrate into the final product. In this study, the impurity was isolated and characterized as 5-(2-chloroethyl)-3,3-dimethyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-1,2,4,6-thiatriazine 1,1-dioxide using multiple instrumental analysis, uncovering a structural alert that raises concern. Considering the potential impact of impurity on human health, an in silico genotoxicity assessment was established using Derek and Sarah tool in accordance with ICH M7 guideline. Furthermore, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation were performed to evaluate the specific interaction of the impurity with DNA. The findings reveal consistent interaction of the impurity with the dG-rich region of the DNA duplex and binding at the minor groove. Both in silico prediction and molecular dynamic study confirmed the genotoxic character of the impurity. The newly discovered impurity in famotidine has not been reported previously, and there is currently no analytical method available for its identification and control. A highly sensitive HPLC-UV method was developed and validated in accordance with ICH requirements, enabling quantification of the impurity at trace level in famotidine ensuring its safe release.

Fabrication of gastro-floating sustained-release etoricoxib and famotidine tablets: design, optimization, in-vitro, and in-vivo evaluation.

In this study, a new gastro-floating sustained-release tablet (GFT) with a combination of Etoricoxib (ET) and Famotidine (FM) was successfully developed. GFTs were prepared by using a combination of hydrophilic swellable natural/semi-synthetic polymers as a controlled-release layer. Through a 24 full factorial statistical experimental design, the effects of formulation factors on the release of GFTs were conducted. The ideal floating tablet (FT) comprised konjac-gum (150 mg), guar-gum (26.57 mg), xanthan-gum (54.17 mg), and HPMC-K15-M (69.25 mg). The ideal FT exhibited a high swelling index (SI) (297.7%) and rapid FLT (around 50 s) in 0.1 N HCl as well as controlled release of ET (22.43% in 1 h and 77.47% in 8 h) and FM (24.89% in 1 h and 93.82% in 8 h) with the absence of any drug-excipient interactions. The AUC0∼72 (ng h/mL) of ET and FM in the GFTs were approximately double-fold of the market, respectively. The relative bioavailability was (207.48 ± 12.02% and 208.51 ± 13.11%) compared with commercial tablets. The X-ray imaging showed a promising buoyancy ability for approximately 8 h. These findings revealed the successful preparation of the sustained-release floating tablet with improved dual drug delivery.

Development and in vitro/in vivo evaluation of famotidine hydrochloride bioadhesive sustained release suspension.

To develop a new kind of famotidine-resin microcapsule for gastric adhesion sustained release by screening out suitable excipients and designing reasonable prescriptions to improve patient drug activities to achieve the expected therapeutic effect. The famotidine drug resin was prepared using the water bath method with carbomer 934 used as coating material. Microcapsules were prepared using the emulsified solvent coating method and appropriate excipients were used to prepare famotidine sustained release suspension. Pharmacokinetics of the developed microcapsules were studied in the gastrointestinal tract of rats. The self-made sustained-release suspension of famotidine hydrochloride effectively reduced the blood concentration and prolonged the action time. The relative bioavailability of the self-made suspension of the famotidine hydrochloride to the commercially available famotidine hydrochloride was 146.44%, with an average retention time of about 5h longer, which indicated that the new suspension had acceptable adhesion properties. The findings showed that the newly developed famotidine-resin microcapsule increased the bioavailability of the drug with a significant sustained-release property.

Design of multicomponent indomethacin-paracetamol and famotidine loaded nanoparticles for sustained and effective anti-inflammatory therapy.

Indomethacin is one of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that are widely prescribed drug for pain and inflammation. However, its notoriety of causing gastrointestinal effect, low water solubility, and its short half-life would affect patient compliance and its oral absorption and accordingly justify the need to develop a formula with a controlled and sustained release manner in combination with anti-ulcer drugs. Herein, we synthesized indomethacin-paracetamol co-drug loaded in nanoemulsion and encapsulated in famotiditine loaded polycaprolactone (PCL) nanoparticles. The synthesis of the co-drug was achieved by the formation of a hydrolyzable ester between the indomethacin and paracetamol. The synthesized co-drug was preloading in nanoemulsion (Co-NE), which encapsulated into famotidine PCL nanoparticles utilizing the nanoprecipitation approach. The developed nanosystem showed hydrodynamic size less than 200 nm and the zeta potential value above -30 mV. TEM images confirmed the morphological structure of the formed nanoemulsion and the loaded PCL nanoparticles. Stability studies revealed that the developed nanosystem was stable at different temperatures and pHs over 1 month. Moreover, improvement of the solubilities of these three drugs leading to have a controlled-release multicomponent system of both co-drug and famotidine over 3 days. This multicomponent nanoparticle might be a potential platform to overcome the obstacles of NSAIDs, synergize drugs with different mechanisms of actions by co-encapsulating a small-sized nanoemulsion into PCL nanoparticles for reaching the goal of effective anti-inflammatory therapy.

Soluplus® based solid dispersion as fast disintegrating tablets: a combined experimental approach for enhancing the dissolution and antiulcer efficacy of famotidine.

Famotidine (FM) is considered among the first-line therapy for treatment of gastric ulcers; however, its poor aqueous solubility resulted in low bioavailability and limited therapeutic efficacy. Therefore, fast disintegrating tablet (FDT) incorporating FM solid dispersion was developed in a combined formulation approach for efficient treatment of ulcers. Within the investigated polymers, solid dispersions were prepared using the novel copolymer, Soluplus® (SP) by kneading and freeze-drying techniques at various FM:SP ratios. FM solid dispersion prepared at 1:10 ratio using freeze drying (FM-SP10) manifested the highest saturation solubility, having smooth porous surface with the complete conversion of FM to the amorphous form. FDTs of FM-SP10 was produced by direct compression using three ready-to-use excipients; F-melt, Pearlitol Flash, and Fujicalin. All tablets showed adequate thickness, diameter, weight variation, drug content, and friability (<1%). Fujicalin-FDTs (FM-FDT-FU) exhibited the shortest disintegration time with almost complete dissolution of the drug (>95%) within 30 min. It also revealed remarkable antiulcerogenic effect on ethanol induced gastric ulcers in terms of ulcer and protection indices compared to the market product. Pretreated rats with FM-FDT-FU demonstrated normal gastric area with the absence of edema and leucocytes infiltration, supported by the histological examination. FM-FDT-FU administration protected the stomach from oxidative damage and severe inflammatory response via the significant increase of glutathione level and the decreased levels of nitric oxide, interleukin and cyclooxygenase. Thus, the present study provides a promising dosage form of FM characterized by superior antiulcerogenic potential with desired tableting properties.

Inhibition of α-, ß-, γ-, δ-, ζ- and η-class carbonic anhydrases from bacteria, fungi, algae, diatoms and protozoans with famotidine.

Famotidine, an antiulcer drug belonging to the H2 antagonists class of pharmacological agents, was recently shown to potently inhibit human (h) and bacterial carbonic anhydrases (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1). We investigated the inhibitory effects of famotidine against all classes of CAs from the pathogenic bacteria Vibrio cholerae, Burkholderia pseudomallei and Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rv3273 ß-CA, as well as the CAs from the nonpathogenic bacteria/cyanobacteria Sulfurihydrogenibium yellowstonensis, S. azorense, Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis, Colwellia psychrerythraea and Nostoc commune. The δ- and ζ-CAs from the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii, the fungal enzymes from Cryptococcus neoformans, Candida glabrata and Malassezia globosa, as well as the protozoan enzymes from Trypanosoma cruzi and Plasmodium falciparum, were also investigated. Anopheles gambiae ß-CA was also investigated. All these enzymes were effectively inhibited by famotidine, with affinities between the low nanomolar to the micromolar range. The best inhibition was observed against C. glabrata ß-CA and TweCAζ, with KIs ranging between 13.6 and 22.1 nM.

Tablet formulation of Famotidine-loaded P-gp inhibiting nanoparticles using PLA-g-PEG grafted polymer.

Our work aimed at evaluating the use of permeability glycoprotein (P-gp) inhibiting nanoparticles (NPs) as a part of a suitable oral solid dosage to improve bioavailability. Famotidine (Pepcid®), a stomach acid production inhibitor, was used as a drug model to test our hypothesis. Famotidine-loaded NPs were prepared by solvent emulsion evaporation using PEG grafted on a polylactide acid (PLA) polymer backbone (PLA-g-PEG), with a 5% molar ratio of PEG versus lactic acid monomer and PEG of either 750 or 2000 Da molecular weight. Tablet formulation was composed of 40% Famotidine-loaded NPs, 52.5% microcrystalline cellulose as filler, 7% pre-gelatinized starch as binder/disintegrant, and 0.5% magnesium stearate as lubricant. Tablets containing 1.6 mg of Famotidine were prepared at an average weight of 500 mg, thickness of 6.2-6.5 mm, hardness of 5-8 kp, and disintegration time of <1 min. Our results suggest that Famotidine-loaded NPs using grafted PEG-g-PLA polymers can be formulated as an oral solid dosage form while effectively inhibiting P-gp mediated Famotidine efflux, irrespective of PEG molecular weights. This could therefore represent an attractive formulation alternative to enhance oral permeability and bioavailability of drugs that are P-gp substrates.

Fabrication of Ag-doped ZnO by mechanochemical combustion method and their application into photocatalytic Famotidine degradation.

Ag/ZnO nanocomposites are successfully synthesized at different Ag contents through simple, effective, high yield and low-cost mechanochemical combustion technique, with the addition of silver acetate to zinc acetate and oxalic acid mixture. The synthesized materials are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron spectroscopy (SEM), BET surface area analysis, UV - visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV - DRS) and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). It is shown that the prepared nanocomposites are composed of metallic Ag0 and wurtzite ZnO. The photocatalytic performance of different composites is evaluated by the degradation of Famotidine (FMT) under UV irradiation. The results indicate it that the maximum photodegradation rate is obtained with 6 wt% metallic Ag-decorated ZnO, and it is 2.1 times better than that obtained with pure ZnO. The photocatalytic degradation of FMT with Ag/ZnO is affected by various parameters such as calcination temperature and time, doping concentrations and reusability. The Ag/ZnO demonstrates higher activity due to the reduction of electron - hole recombination and Ag0 metal catalyst. The possible photocatalytic degradation mechanism of FMT with Ag/ZnO is estimated from the scavenger test.

In vitro Spectroscopic studies on drug interaction of cefpodoxime proxetil and H2 receptor blockers.

One of the relatively advance 3rd generation cephalosporins, cefpodoxime proxetil, is being used all-around. Generally, these are used for the cure of infections allied to urinary and respiratory tract. These cephalosporins have showed a remarkable in vitro activity against many strains of bacteria which are resistant to other orally used active medicinal substances. It is the first oral 3rd generation cephalosporin to be used in the cure of skin infections. The practice of H2 receptor antagonists, concerning lots of treatments recommended in patients with different types of ulcers and allergic urticarial condition, is raising hazards of unwanted secondary outcomes and drug interactions. Learning of in-vitro interaction between cefpodoxime poxetil and H2 blockers (Ranitidine, Famotidine and Cimetidine) were examined applying UV/Visible spectrophotometry and Infrared spectrometry. In the existence of H2 receptor blockers, the cefpodoxime proxetil availability was found to be decreased in vitro only under specific conditions. Furthermore, complexes of Cefpodoxime proxetil-H2 receptor antagonists were manufactured approving the interaction of these drugs. Finally, the above mentioned spectrophotometric techniques were employed to examine the complexes formed (Cefpodoxime proxetil-cimetidine, cefpodoxime proxetil-famotidine and cefpodoxime proxetil-ranitidine).

Molecular Encapsulation of Histamine H2-Receptor Antagonists by Cucurbit[7]Uril: An Experimental and Computational Study.

The histamine H2-receptor antagonists cimetidine, famotidine and nizatidine are individually encapsulated by macrocyclic cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]), with binding affinities of 6.57 (±0.19) × 10³ M(-1), 1.30 (±0.27) × 104 M(-1) and 1.05 (±0.33) × 105 M(-1), respectively. These 1:1 host-guest inclusion complexes have been experimentally examined by ¹H-NMR, UV-visible spectroscopic titrations (including Job plots), electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), as well as theoretically by molecular dynamics (MD) computation. This study may provide important insights on the supramolecular formulation of H2-receptor antagonist drugs for potentially enhanced stability and controlled release based on different binding strengths of these host-guest complexes.

Derivative emission spectrofluorimetry: Application to the analysis of newly approved FDA combination of ibuprofen and famotidine in tablets.

A new combination of ibuprofen (NSAID) and famotidine (H2 receptor antagonist) was recently approved by the FDA. It was formulated to relief pain while decreasing the risk of ulceration, which is a common problem for patients receiving NSAID. A rapid and simple derivative emission spectrofluorimetric method is proposed for the simultaneous analysis of this combination in their pharmaceutical preparation. The method is based upon measurement of the native fluorescence intensity of the two drugs at λex = 233 nm in acetonitrile. The emission data were differentiated using the first (D1) derivative technique. The plots of derivative fluorescence intensity versus concentration were rectilinear over a range of 2-35 and 0.4-8 µg/mL for both ibuprofen (IBU) and famotidine (FAM), respectively. The method was sensitive as the limits of detection were 0.51 and 0.12 µg/mL and limits of quantitation were 1.70 and 0.39 µg/mL, for IBU and FAM respectively. The proposed derivative emission spectrofluorimetric method was successfully applied for the determination of the two drugs in their synthetic mixtures and tablets with good accuracy and precision. The proposed method was validated as per ICH guidelines.

Development and validation of chromatographic methods for simultaneous determination of ibuprofen and famotidine in presence of related substances in pharmaceutical formulations.

Two validated methods for the simultaneous determination of ibuprofen and famotidine in the presence of ibuprofen impurity (4-isobutylacetophenone) and or famotidine degradation products were described. The first method was a simple TLC method where separation was performed on silica gel platesusing ethyl acetate: methanol: ammonia (9:2:1, by volume) as a mobile phase. Rf values were found to be 0.40, 0.94, 0.66, 0.27, 0.83 for ibuprofen, 4-isobutylacetophenone, famotidine, famotidine acid and basic degradation products, respectively. The second method is by HPLC on C18 column using methanol: phosphate buffer pH 3 (80:20, v/v) as a mobile phase. Retention times were found to be 2.2, 9.9, and 8.6 for famotidine, ibuprofen, and 4-isobutylacetophenone, respectively. Both methods were validated according to the ICH guidelines and applied for the determination of the two drugs in pure powder and combined dosage form without interference from the excipients.

An overview of famotidine polymorphs: solid-state characteristics, thermodynamics, polymorphic transformation and quality control.

Crystal polymorphism of pharmaceuticals has well-known profound effects on the physical, chemical, and pharmaceutical properties of drugs, which can result in changes in the solubility, stability, dissolution, bioavailability, and efficacy of drugs. In this review article, famotidine (FAM), which has a well-known trade name of Pepcid®, was selected as a model drug. Although FAM has three polymorphs (forms A, B and C), forms A and B have been commonly discussed. The active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) in the commercial version of FAM is the metastable form B. FAM has been a concern of FDA because of the physical properties, solubilities, bioavailabilities, or bioequivalencies of the different polymorphic forms. In addition, a patent infringement suit of FAM polymorph had been made sound legal arguments in the pharmaceutical market. We review the solid-state characteristics, thermodynamics, polymorphic transformation, and quality control of FAM in drug products. In particular, pharmaceutical processes, such as grinding, compression, and heating temperature have a significant effect on the polymorphic transformation of FAM. Moreover, environmental humidity and residual water content should be well controlled to prevent polymorphic transformation of FAM during pharmaceutical processing. Several thermal and spectroscopic analytical techniques used for qualitative and quantitative determinations of polymorphic transformation of FAM after different treatments or quality control of FAM in the commercial tablets before and after the expiration dates have been discussed.

Hydrogel polysaccharides of tamarind and xanthan to formulate hydrodynamically balanced matrix tablets of famotidine.

The gastroretentive dosage form of famotidine was modified using tamarind seed powders to prolong the gastric retention time. Tamarind seeds were used in two different forms having different swelling and gelling properties: with husk (TSP) or without husk (TKP). TKP (TKP1 to TKP 6) and TSP (TSP1 to TSP 6) series were prepared using tamarind powder:xanthan in the ratios of 5:0, 4:1, 3:2, 2:3, 1:4, 0:5, respectively. The matrix tablets were prepared by the wet granulation method and evaluated for pharmacopoeial requirements. TKP2 was the optimum formulation as it had a short floating lag time (FLT<30 s) and more than 98.5% drug release in 12 h. The dissolution data were fitted to popular mathematical models to assess the mechanism of drug release, and the optimum formulation showed a predominant first order release and diffusion mechanism. It was concluded that the TKP2 prepared using tamarind kernel powder:xanthan (4:1) was the optimum formulation with shortest floating lag time and more than 90% release in the determined period of time.

Stability-Indicating HPLC Method for Determination of Ibuprofen and Famotidine Degradation Products.

A new stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the quantitative determination of ibuprofen and famotidine degradation products in combined pharmaceutical products was developed and validated. The current aim of this study is to develop a rapid, accurate and robust analytical stability indicating impurity method that can separate ibuprofen, famotidine and their related impurities by using a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. A Zorbax SB-Phenyl column (4.6 × 150 mm2, 5-µm particle size) with mobile phase containing phosphate buffer solution with a pH value of 3.0 and acetonitrile was used. The flow rate was 0.8 mL/min and the analytes were detected by UV detector at 265 nm. The retention times of ibuprofen and famotidine were 18.43 and 5.14 min, respectively. This method was validated to confirm specificity, linearity, sensitivity (limit of detection and limit of quantitation), precision, accuracy, robustness and sample stability according to the International Conference on Harmonization guidelines. Studies have been completed and reported with two active substances in the combined dosage form and seven impurities in total. There is no method in the literature that simultaneously distinguishes and quantitatively analyzes both active substances and degradation products.

Electrospun formulations containing crystalline active pharmaceutical ingredients.

PURPOSE: To investigate the use of electrospinning for forming solid dispersions containing crystalline active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and understand the relevant properties of the resulting materials. METHOD: Free surface electrospinning was used to prepare nanofiber mats of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) and crystalline albendazole (ABZ) or famotidine (FAM) from a suspension of the drug crystals in a polymer solution. SEM and DSC were used to characterize the dispersion, XRD was used to determine the crystalline polymorph, and dissolution studies were performed to determine the influence of the preparation method on the dissolution rate. RESULTS: The electrospun fibers contained 31 wt% ABZ and 26 wt% FAM for the 1:2 ABZ:PVP and 1:2 FAM:PVP formulations, respectively, and both APIs retained their crystalline polymorphs throughout processing. The crystals had an average size of about 10 µm and were well-dispersed throughout the fibers, resulting in a higher dissolution rate for electrospun tablets than for powder tablets. CONCLUSIONS: Previously used to produce amorphous formulations, electrospinning has now been demonstrated to be a viable option for producing fibers containing crystalline API. Due to the dispersion of the crystals in the polymer, tablets made from the fiber mats may also exhibit improved dissolution properties over traditional powder compression.

Famotidine inhibits glycogen synthase kinase-3ß: an investigation by docking simulation and experimental validation.

Famotidine was investigated as an inhibitor of glycogen synthase kinase-3ß (GSK-3ß) in an attempt to explain the molecular mechanism of its hypoglycemic side effects. The investigation included simulated docking experiments, in vitro enzyme inhibition assay, glycogen sparing studies using animal models and single dose oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Docking studies showed how famotidine is optimally fit within the binding pocket of GSK-3ß via numerous attractive interactions with some specific amino acids. Experimentally, famotidine could inhibit GSK-3ß (IC50 = 1.44 µM) and increased significantly liver glycogen spares in fasting animal models. Moreover, a single oral dose of famotidine was shown to decrease the glycemic response curve after 75 g OGTT.

Particle condition change in emulsion admixture evaluated by in situ flow particle imaging analysis.

We evaluated the particle state change in emulsion admixtures using in situ flow particle imaging analysis (FPIA). Ropion® intravenous (flurbiprofen axetil: Ropion®) served as the model emulsion formulation. A binary mixture of Ropion® and normal saline (NS), and a ternary admixture of Ropion®, NS, and Gaster® injection (famotidine: Gaster®) or Primperan® injection (metoclopramide hydrochloride: Primperan®) were prepared and the change in emulsion particle state was analyzed using FPIA under in situ condition. The effect of storage on pH change and the chemical stability of flurbiprofen axetil were also investigated. In Ropion®, various particle images (mean diameter: 2.4 µm) were obtained. From our analysis of changes in scattergrams and particle images, changing behaviors of emulsion particles as a function of storage time depended on the systems of admixture samples. In Ropion®/NS and Ropion®/Gaster®/NS systems, mean particle size and particle number increased with lengthening storage time; however, these values were dramatically increased beyond 6 h in the Ropion®/Primperan®/NS system, corresponding to a decrease in measured pH. The decomposition of flurbiprofen axetil due to incompatibility was not observed in all systems. Detailed information on the change in emulsion particle state was obtained using FPIA, indicating that this method is useful to evaluate state changes in emulsion admixtures under in situ condition.

Physico-chemical comparison of famotidine tablets prepared via dry granulation and direct compression techniques.

Famotidine is generally employed for the treatment of gastric ulcer. The present study was conducted to fabricate famotidine tablets using various diluents. The binder was incorporated to the formulations in different proportions. Both the dry granulation and direct compression techniques were employed to develop the tablets. Physical evaluation of tablets i.e. tablets hardness, friability, weight variation, thickness and diameter was determined. In vitro dissolution studies of the prepared tablets were carried out for 60 min using the USP apparatus II and 900 ml 0.1 M HCl stirred at 37 ± 0.5°C with a speed of 50 rpm. Physical analysis of tablets prepared via direct compression showed satisfactory results regarding the weight variation, hardness and friability, since their respective values were within the BP limits. All the prepared famotidine tablets exhibited diffusion based mode of drug release. 100% release of drug occurred in less than 60 min. The drug release from all the formulated tablets has elaborated the involvement of diffusion (Higuchian drug release). This comparative study exhibited that physical parameters of tablets are affected by the technique of tabletting.