Inhaled JAK Inhibitor GDC-0214 Nanoaggregate Powder Exhibits Improved Pharmacokinetic Profile in Rats Compared to the Micronized Form: Benefits of Thin Film Freezing.

Asthma is a common chronic disease affecting the airways in the lungs. The receptors of allergic cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, and IL-13, trigger the Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) pathway, which involves the pathogenesis of asthma. GDC-0214 is a JAK inhibitor that was developed as a potent and selective target for the treatment of asthma, specifically targeting the lungs. While inhaled GDC-0214 is a promising novel treatment option against asthma, improvement is still needed to achieve increased potency of the powder formulation and a reduced number of capsules containing powder to be inhaled. In this study, high-potency amorphous powder formulations containing GDC-0214 nanoaggregates for dry powder inhalation were developed using particle engineering technology, thin film freezing (TFF). A high dose per capsule was successfully achieved by enhancing the solubility of GDC-0214 and powder conditioning. Lactose and/or leucine as excipients exhibited optimum stability and aerosolization of GDC-0214 nanoaggregates, and aerosolization of the dose was independent of air flow through the device between 2 and 6 kPa pressure drops. In the rat PK study, formulation F20, which contains 80% GDC-0214 and 20% lactose, resulted in the highest AUC0-24h in the lungs with the lowest AUC0-24h in the plasma that corresponds to a 4.8-fold higher ratio of the lung-to-plasma exposures compared to micronized crystalline GDC-0214 powder administered by dry powder inhalation. Therefore, GDC-0214 nanoaggregates produced by TFF provided an improved dry powder for inhalation that can lead to enhanced therapeutic efficacy with a lower risk of systemic toxicity.

Effect of Counterions on Dissolution of Amorphous Solid Dispersions Studied by Surface Area Normalized Dissolution.

Solubility enhancement has become a common requirement for formulation development to deliver poorly water soluble drugs. Amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) and salt formation have been two successful strategies, yet there are opportunities for further development. For ASDs, drug-polymer phase separation may occur at high drug loadings during dissolution, limiting the increase of drug loadings in ASD formulations. For salt formation, a salt form with high crystallinity and sufficient solid-state stability is required for solid dosage form development. This work studied the effect of counterions on the dissolution performance of ASDs. Surface area normalized dissolution or intrinsic dissolution methodology was employed to eliminate the effect of particle size and provide a quantitative comparison of the counterion effect on the intrinsic dissolution rate. Using indomethacin (IMC)-poly(vinylpyrrolidone-co-vinyl acetate) ASD as a model system, the effect of different bases incorporated into the ASD during preparation, the molar ratios between the base and IMC, and the drug loadings in the ASD were systematically studied. Strong bases capable of ionizing IMC significantly enhanced drug dissolution, while a weak base did not. A physical mixture of a strong base and the ASD also enhanced the dissolution rate, but the effect was less pronounced. At different base to IMC molar ratios, dissolution enhancement increased with the base to IMC ratio. At different drug loadings, without a base, the IMC dissolution rate decreased with the increase of drug loading. After incorporating a strong base, it increased with the increase of drug loading. The observations from this study were thought to be related to both the ionization of IMC in ASDs and the increase of microenvironment pH by the incorporated bases. With the significant enhancement of the drug dissolution rate, our work provides a promising approach of overcoming the dissolution limitation of ASD formulations at high drug loadings.

Elucidating Molecular- and Particle-Level Changes during the Annealing of a Micronized Crystalline Drug.

Micronization of crystalline active pharmaceutical ingredients can lead to formation of a thermodynamically unstable material with surface disorder. This material undergoes structural stabilization and particle-level changes over time that, in turn, alters the surface properties and interparticle interactions of the micronized drug. The unstable nature of the micronized drug can lead to variability in the performance of dry powder inhaler drug products. To improve the physicochemical stability of the micronized drug, an annealing step is often introduced. However, there is limited understanding of changes in the micronized drug under different annealing conditions. In this study, we examine the molecular- and particle-level changes occurring in a micronized drug during annealing under varying temperature and humidity conditions using orthogonal techniques. We demonstrate the use of surface free energy (SFE) measured by inverse gas chromatography (IGC) to monitor surface-specific changes. Micronization led to an increase in SFE, which progressively reduced during annealing. SFE trends correlated with the molecular-level surface disorder patterns measured by relative humidity perfusion microcalorimetry. The interparticle interactions tracked using IGC and atomic force microscopy show that as the micronized drug stabilized, there was a transition from dominant drug-drug cohesive forces to drug-lactose adhesive forces. For the nonhygroscopic model compound, combined high temperature-high humidity conditions showed fastest annealing kinetics. Further, the SFE descriptor enabled us to differentiate the extent of mechanical activation of the neat micronized drug and co-micronized drug-magnesium stearate blends. The study identifies tools for characterizing postmicronization material changes that can help develop materials with consistent quality.

Utilization of In Vitro, In Vivo and In Silico Tools to Evaluate the pH-Dependent Absorption of a BCS Class II Compound and Identify a pH-Effect Mitigating Strategy.

PURPOSE: To describe a stepwise approach to evaluate the pH effect for a weakly basic drug by in vitro, in vivo and in silico techniques and identify a viable mitigation strategy that addresses the risk. METHODS: Clinical studies included assessment of the pH effect with famotidine. In vitro dissolution was evaluated in various biorelevant media and in a pH-shift test. PK studies in dogs were conducted under pentagastrin or famotidine pre-treatment and GastroPlus was employed to model human and dog PK data and simulate the performance in human. RESULTS: Clinical data indicated considerable pH dependent absorption of the drug when dosed in the presence of H2-antagonists. In vitro dissolution and in vivo dog data confirmed that the observed pH effect was due to reduced dissolution rate and lower solubility at increased gastric and intestinal pH. A salt form was identified to overcome the effect by providing fast dissolution and prolonged supersaturation. GastroPlus simulations predicted a mitigation of the pH effect by the salt. CONCLUSIONS: The drug exhibited a strong pH-effect in humans. The in vitro, in vivo and modeling approach provides a systematic workflow to evaluate the risk of a new drug and identify a strategy able to mitigate the risk.

Assessment of Biopharmaceutical Performance of Supersaturating Formulations of Carbamazepine in Rats Using Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling.

There is an overgrowing emphasis on supersaturating drug delivery systems (SDDS) with increase in number of poorly water-soluble compounds. However, biopharmaceutical performance from these formulations is limited by phase transformation to stable crystalline form due to their high-energy physical form. In the present study, in vitro kinetic solubility in water and dissolution in biorelevant medium integrated with in silico physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling was used to predict biopharmaceutical performance of SDDS of poorly water-soluble compound, carbamazepine (CBZ). GastroPlus™ with advanced compartmental absorption and transit model was used as a simulation tool for the study. Wherein, the model was developed using physicochemical properties of CBZ and disposition parameters obtained after intravenous administration of CBZ (20 mg/kg) into Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Biorelevant medium was selected by screening different dissolution media for their capability to predict oral plasma concentration-time profile of marketed formulation of CBZ. In vivo performance of SDDS was predicted with the developed model and compared to observed plasma concentration-time profile obtained after oral administration of SDDS into SD rats (20 mg/kg). The predictions, with strategy of using kinetic solubility and dissolution in the selected biorelevant medium, were consistent with observed biopharmaceutical performance of SDDS. Additionally, phase transformation of CBZ during gastrointestinal transit of formulations was evaluated and correlated with in vivo dissolution deconvoluted by Loo-Reigelman analysis.

A Fluorescence-Based High-Throughput Coupled Enzymatic Assay for Quantitation of Isoaspartate in Proteins and Peptides.

Formation of isoaspartate (IsoAsp) from spontaneous asparagine (Asn) deamidation or aspartate (Asp) isomerization is one of the most common non-enzymatic pathways of chemical degradation of protein and peptide pharmaceuticals. Rapid quantitation of IsoAsp formation can enable rank-ordering of potential drug candidates, mutants, and formulations as well as support shelf life prediction and stability requirements. A coupled enzymatic fluorescence-based IsoAsp assay (CEFIA) was developed as a high-throughput method for quantitation of IsoAsp in peptides and proteins. In this note, application of this method to two therapeutic candidate proteins with distinct structural scaffolds is described. In addition, the results obtained with this method are compared to those from conventional assays.

Decoupling the contribution of surface energy and surface area on the cohesion of pharmaceutical powders.

PURPOSE: Surface area and surface energy of pharmaceutical powders are affected by milling and may influence formulation, performance and handling. This study aims to decouple the contribution of surface area and surface energy, and to quantify each of these factors, on cohesion. METHODS: Mefenamic acid was processed by cryogenic milling. Surface energy heterogeneity was determined using a Surface Energy Analyser (SEA) and cohesion measured using a uniaxial compression test. To decouple the surface area and surface energy contributions, milled mefenamic acid was "normalised" by silanisation with methyl groups, confirmed using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy. RESULTS: Both dispersive and acid-base surface energies were found to increase with increasing milling time. Cohesion was also found to increase with increasing milling time. Silanised mefenamic acid possessed a homogenous surface with a surface energy of 33.1 ± 1.4 mJ/m(2) , for all milled samples. The cohesion for silanised mefenamic acid was greatly reduced, and the difference in the cohesion can be attributed solely to the increase in surface area. For mefenamic acid, the contribution from surface energy and surface area on cohesion was quantified to be 57% and 43%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Here, we report an approach for decoupling and quantifying the contribution from surface area and surface energy on powder cohesion.

Role of Self-Association and Supersaturation in Oral Absorption of a Poorly Soluble Weakly Basic Drug.

PURPOSE: Precipitation of weakly basic drugs in intestinal fluids can affect oral drug absorption. In this study, the implications of self-association of brivanib alaninate in acidic aqueous solution, leading to supersaturation at basic pH condition, on its solubility and oral absorption were investigated. METHODS: Self-association of brivanib alaninate was investigated by proton NMR spectroscopy, surface tension measurement, dynamic light scattering, isothermal titration calorimetry, and molecular modeling. Drug solubility was determined in various pH media, and its tendency to supersaturate upon pH shift was investigated in buffered and biorelevant aqueous solutions. Pharmacokinetic modeling of human oral drug absorption was utilized for parameter sensitivity analyses of input variables. RESULTS: Brivanib alaninate exhibited continuous, and pH- and concentration-dependent self-association. This phenomenon resulted in positive deviation of drug solubility at acidic pH and the formation of a stable supersaturated drug solution in pH-shift assays. Consistent with the supersaturation phenomenon observed in vitro, oral absorption simulations necessitated invoking long precipitation time in the intestine to successfully predict in vivo data. CONCLUSIONS: Self-association of a weakly basic drug in acidic aqueous solution can increase its oral absorption by supersaturation and precipitation resistance at the intestinal pH. This consideration is important to the selection of parameters for oral absorption simulation.

Molecular basis of crystal morphology-dependent adhesion behavior of mefenamic acid during tableting.

PURPOSE: The molecular basis of crystal surface adhesion leading to sticking was investigated by exploring the correlation of crystal adhesion to oxidized iron coated atomic force microscope (AFM) tips and bulk powder sticking behavior during tableting of two morphologically different crystals of a model drug, mefenamic acid (MA), to differences in their surface functional group orientation and energy. METHODS: MA was recrystallized into two morphologies (plates and needles) of the same crystalline form. Crystal adhesion to oxidized iron coated AFM tips and bulk powder sticking to tablet punches was assessed using a direct compression formulation. Surface functional group orientation and energies on crystal faces were modeled using Accelrys Material Studio software. RESULTS: Needle-shaped morphology showed higher sticking tendency than plates despite similar particle size. This correlated with higher crystal surface adhesion of needle-shaped morphology to oxidized iron coated AFM probe tips, and greater surface energy and exposure of polar functional groups. CONCLUSIONS: Higher surface exposure of polar functional groups correlates with higher tendency to stick to metal surfaces and AFM tips, indicating involvement of specific polar interactions in the adhesion behavior. In addition, an AFM method is identified to prospectively assess the risk of sticking during the early stages of drug development.

Impact of excipient interactions on drug bioavailability from solid dosage forms.

Excipients are generally pharmacologically inert, but can interact with drugs in the dosage form and the physiological factors at the site of absorption to affect the bioavailability of a drug product. A general mechanistic understanding of the basis of these interactions is essential to design robust drug products. This paper focuses on drug-excipient interactions in solid dosage forms that impact drug bioavailability, the drug substance and drug product properties affected by excipients, and the impact of excipients on physiologic processes. The extent to which drug bioavailability is affected by these interactions would vary on a case-by-case basis depending upon factors such as the potency and dose of the drug, therapeutic window, site of absorption, rate limiting factor in drug absorption (e.g., permeability or solubility limited), or whether drug metabolism, efflux, complexation, or degradation at the site of absorption play a role in determining its bioavailability. Nonetheless, a mechanistic understanding of drug-excipient interactions and their impact on drug release and absorption can help develop formulations that exhibit optimum drug bioavailability.

Impact of excipient interactions on solid dosage form stability.

Drug-excipient interactions in solid dosage forms can affect drug product stability in physical aspects such as organoleptic changes and dissolution slowdown, or chemically by causing drug degradation. Recent research has allowed the distinction in chemical instability resulting from direct drug-excipient interactions and from drug interactions with excipient impurities. A review of chemical instability in solid dosage forms highlights common mechanistic themes applicable to multiple degradation pathways. These common themes include the role of water and microenvironmental pH. In addition, special aspects of solid-state reactions with excipients and/or excipient impurities add to the complexity in understanding and modeling reaction pathways. This paper discusses mechanistic basis of known drug-excipient interactions with case studies and provides an overview of common underlying themes. Recent developments in the understanding of degradation pathways further impact methodologies used in the pharmaceutical industry for prospective stability assessment. This paper discusses these emerging aspects in terms of limitations of drug-excipient compatibility studies, emerging paradigms in accelerated stability testing, and application of mathematical modeling for prediction of drug product stability.

Physicochemical interactions in solid dosage forms.

Complete characterization and mechanistic understanding of physicochemical interactions in solid dosage forms are not only important for consistent manufacturability, stability, and bioavailability of the drug product, but are also expected under the quality-by-design paradigm of drug development. Lack of this understanding can impact successful and timely development, scale-up, and commercial manufacture of dosage forms. This article highlights the stability and bioavailability implications of physicochemical interactions in dosage forms citing a couple of examples where such interactions necessitated the recall of commercial drug products.

Effect of Lipidic Excipients on the Particle Properties and Aerosol Performance of High Drug Load Spray Dried Particles for Inhalation.

High drug load inhalable particles were prepared by co-spray drying a hydrophobic, crystalline, small molecule drug with various lipid or phospholipid excipients at a 9:1 molar ratio to understand the primary drivers of aerosol performance. The effect of excipient structure on solid-state, surface characteristics, and aerodynamic performance of the co-spray dried particles was studied while keeping the spray drying parameters constant. Spray drying of the drug with lipids produced crystalline drug particles, whereas phospholipids produced partially amorphous drug particles. All of the co-spray dried particles were nearly spherical with a smooth surface, except for the spray dried drug particles without excipients - which showed the presence of rough crystals on the surface. All co-spray dried particles showed surface enrichment of the excipient. The surface enrichment of the phospholipids was higher compared to the lipids. Co-spray dried particles that showed higher surface enrichment of excipients showed improved aerosol performance. In comparing all the excipients studied, distearyolphosphatidylcholine (DSPC) showed maximum enrichment on the particle surface and thereby significantly improved aerosol performance. This study demonstrated that the addition of small amounts of lipid excipients during spray drying can change surface morphology, composition, and cohesion, impacting aerosol performance of drugs.

Precipitation Behavior of Highly Soluble Amphiphilic Drugs in Solution: Physical Instability of Drugs in Solution.

Physical instability of aqueous drug solutions, such as precipitation upon storage, has so far been difficult to predict or model. Understanding the molecular basis of such phenomena can help mitigate by influencing the product composition and by providing a mechanistic basis of experimental and in silico investigations. In this study, inconsistent precipitation of a model drug, GNE-01 in aqueous solutions was investigated. Chromatographic analyses of the drug solution that showed precipitation upon storage versus the one that did not indicate lack of covalent modification or degradation of the drug, suggesting that the precipitation was a physical phenomenon. Molecular level investigations were conducted using surface tension measurement and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The studies revealed self-association of the weakly basic drug in solution at slightly acidic pH values which was strengthened by the presence of polyionic excipients. The role of polyionic excipients in facilitating drug precipitation on storage was indicative of shifting solution equilibria in favor of a lower solubility drug-excipient complex. This study highlighted the importance of molecular understanding in mitigating difficult to predict physical instability of self-associating drugs in solution.

Effect of magnesium stearate surface coating method on the aerosol performance and permeability of micronized fluticasone propionate.

In this study, we evaluated the aerodynamic performance, dissolution, and permeation behavior of micronized fluticasone propionate (FP) and magnesium stearate (MgSt) binary mixtures. Micronized FP was dry mixed with 2% w/w MgSt using a tumble mixer and a resonant acoustic mixer (RAM) with and without heating. The mixing efficacy was determined by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis. Additional techniques were used to determine powder properties such as the dynamic vapor sorption (DVS), particle size distribution (PSD) by laser diffraction light scattering, and particle surface properties by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The aerodynamic performance was studied by the next-generation impactor (NGI) using drug-loaded capsules in a PlastiApi® device. Physiochemical properties such as porosity, particle size distribution, and surface area of the formulations were studied with adsorption and desorption curves fitted to several well-known models including Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), Barret Joyner Halenda (BJH), and the density functional theory (DFT). The dissolution behavior of the formulations collected on the transwell inserts incorporated into stages 3, 5, and 7 of the NGI with a membrane providing an air interface was evaluated. Drug permeability of formulations was assessed by directly depositing particles on Calu-3 cells at the air-liquid interface (ALI). Drug concentration was determined by LC-MS/MS. A better MgSt mixing on micronized FP particles was achieved by mixing with a RAM with and without heating than with a tumble mixer. A significant concomitant increase in the % of emitted dose and powder aerosol performance was observed after MgSt mixing. Formulation 4 (RAM mixing at room temperature) showed the highest rate of permeability and correlation with dissolution profile. The results show that the surface enrichment of hydrophobic MgSt improved aerosolization properties and the dissolution and permeability rate of micronized FP by reducing powder agglomerations. A simple low-shear acoustic dry powder mixing method was found to be efficient and substantially improved the powder aerosolization properties and enhanced dissolution and permeability rate.

Subcellular fate and off-target effects of siRNA, shRNA, and miRNA.

RNA interference (RNAi) strategies include double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), small interfering RNA (siRNA), short hairpin RNA (shRNA), and microRNA (miRNA). As this is a highly specific technique, efforts have been made to utilize RNAi towards potential knock down of disease-causing genes in a targeted fashion. RNAi has the potential to selectively inhibit gene expression by degrading or blocking the translation of the target mRNA. However, delivering these RNAs to specific cells presents a significant challenge. Some of these challenges result from the necessity of traversing the circulatory system while avoiding kidney filtration, degradation by endonucleases, aggregation with serum proteins, and uptake by phagocytes. Further, non-specific delivery may result in side-effects, including the activation of immune response. We discuss the challenges in the systemic delivery to target cells, cellular uptake, endosomal release and intracellular transport of RNAi drugs and recent progress in overcoming these barriers. We also discuss approaches that increase the specificity and metabolic stability and reduce the off-target effects of RNAi strategy.

Reactive impurities in excipients: profiling, identification and mitigation of drug-excipient incompatibility.

Reactive impurities in pharmaceutical excipients could cause drug product instability, leading to decreased product performance, loss in potency, and/or formation of potentially toxic degradants. The levels of reactive impurities in excipients may vary between lots and vendors. Screening of excipients for these impurities and a thorough understanding of their potential interaction with drug candidates during early formulation development ensure robust drug product development. In this review paper, excipient impurities are categorized into six major classes, including reducing sugars, aldehydes, peroxides, metals, nitrate/nitrite, and organic acids. The sources of generation, the analytical method for detection, the stability of impurities upon storage and processing, and the potential reactions with drug candidates of these impurities are reviewed. Specific examples of drug-excipient impurity interaction from internal research and literature are provided. Mitigation strategies and corrective measures are also discussed.

Modeling the Tablet Disintegration Process Using the Finite Difference Method.

The purpose of the study is to present the finite difference method (FDM) and demonstrate its utility in modeling mass transport processes that are pharmaceutically relevant. In particular, diffusion processes are ideally suited for FDM because the governing equation, Fick's second law of diffusion, can be readily solved using FDM over a finite space and time. The method entails the mesh creation, space and time discretization, and solving Fick's second law at each node using finite difference-based numerical schemes. We applied FDM to study tablet disintegration, in which the tablet water uptake was simulated with an effective water diffusion coefficient; the tablet disintegration was controlled by a designated critical water content parameter, beyond which the node is treated as being disintegrated from the tablet. The resulting simulation agreed with the experimental tablet disintegration behaviors, under both disintegration-controlled and water uptake-controlled conditions. This study highlighted the unique advantage of FDM, capable of providing spatial-temporal information on water uptake and evolution of tablet size and shape during tablet disintegration, which was otherwise not available using other methods. The FDM method enabled more in-depth tablet disintegration studies. The model also has the potential to be calibrated and incorporated in tablet formulation DoE studies.

A Scale-Up, Phenomenological Model Incorporating the Effect of Both Feed Frame Lubrication and Tumble Blending-Driven Lubrication on Tablet Mechanical Strength.

In tablet manufacturing, mixing operations in tumble blending (TB) and in the feed frame (FF) of the rotary press can both increase lubricity, negatively influencing the tablet mechanical strength. While the TB-driven lubrication was systematically studied, no reliable bench-scale methods exist for the effect of FF lubrication. Because TB and FF mixing are usually two successive operations in tablet manufacturing, we developed a phenomenological model to incorporate the impact of TB-driven lubrication and the FF lubrication on the tablet tensile strength (TS). We noted that exponential decay functions can describe the evolution of the tablet TS as the function of the extent of TB, as well as the residence time in FF. Hence, the overall lubrication sensitivity can be modeled by incorporating two distinct exponential decay functions. The model can be calibrated through bench-scale experiments. Using an investigational powder blend, we showed that this approach accurately predicted the tablet TS in a scale-up tablet compression study, thereby verifying its utility. This model can serve as a scale-up diagnostic and risk-assessment tool, with the ability to adjust the overall effect of lubrication by changing the TB scale and the FF residence time commensurate with the large-scale operations.