Accelerated stability modeling of recrystallization from amorphous solid Dispersions: A Griseofulvin/HPMC-AS case study.

Amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) represent an important approach for enhancing oral bioavailability for poorly water soluble compounds; however, assuring that these ASDs do not recrystallize to a significant extent during storage can be time-consuming. Therefore, various efforts have been undertaken to predict ASD crystallization levels with kinetic models. However, only limited success has been achieved due to limits on crystal content quantification methods and the complexity of crystallization kinetics. To increase the prediction accuracy, the accelerated stability assessment program (ASAP), employing isoconversion (time to hit a specification limit) and a modified Arrhenius approach, are employed here for predictive shelf-life modeling. In the current study, a model ASD was prepared by spray drying griseofulvin and HPMC-AS-LF. This ASD was stressed under a designed combinations of temperature, relative humidity and time with the conditions set to ensure stressing was carried out below the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the ASD. Crystal content quantification method by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) with sufficient sensitivity was developed and employed for stressed ASD. Crystallization modeling of the griseofulvin ASD using ASAPprime® demonstrated good agreement with long-term (40 °C/75 %RH) crystallinity levels and support the use of this type of accelerated stability studies for further improving ASD shelf-life prediction accuracy.

Accelerated shelf life modeling of appearance change in drug products using ASAPprime®.

An accelerated stability model approach was demonstrated to accurately predict the long-term shelf life of example drug substances and drug products (indigo carmine tablets and L-ascorbic acid powder) where appearance changes were shelf life-limiting. The products were exposed outside of packaging to conditions from 50 to 90 °C and 0-80% relative humidity for up to one month to accelerate appearance changes. The appearance changes of stressed samples were quantitated using the CIELAB color scale (calculated ΔE*), where a visual assessment of appearance changes likely to be noticeable was used to assign a ΔE* specification limit. ASAPprime® software was employed to create an isoconversion paradigm, modeled in packaging by the moisture-modified Arrhenius equation, that predicted the color changes of the products within the error bars of the model to nine months at 25 °C/60% RH, 30 °C/65% RH, and 40 °C/75% RH. Overall, these case studies indicate that the ASAPprime® approach for accelerated stability studies are a fast, accurate approach to modeling appearance changes.

Stability screening of pharmaceutical cocrystals.

An efficient protocol for assessing both the chemical and physical stability of cocrystalline forms of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) is proposed. In this protocol, the cocrystalline material is used to prepare two standard formulations, mimicking wet granulations, to make low-dose tablets. After designed stress testing at a range of temperatures and RH conditions, degradant formation is modeled from the data using ASAPprime® to determine if the tablets have a minimum of a one-year shelf-life (25 °C/60% RH open). When the cocrystals provide a kinetic solubility enhancement over the un-complexed API, a physical assessment of the cocrystal stability is carried out using the same tablets at selected stress conditions. For this assessment, kinetic solubility (where the amount of buffer used to dissolve the tablet is adjusted to completely dissolve the cocrystalline form but leave most of the un-complexed form out of solution) changes are used to indicate whether there is a significant risk for physical instability on long-term storage. This process was exemplified using model cocrystals of APIs.

Accelerated Stability Modeling for Peptides: a Case Study with Bacitracin.

The Accelerated Stability Assessment Program (ASAP) was applied for the first time to a peptide, the antibiotic active pharmaceutical ingredient bacitracin. Bacitracin and its complex with zinc were exposed to temperature and relative humidity conditions from 50 to 80°C and from 0 to 63% for up to 21 days. High-performance liquid chromatography was used to analyze the stressed samples for both degradant formation and loss of the active (bacitracin A) and two inactive isoforms, with identities confirmed by mass spectrometry. These data were then analyzed using a humidity-corrected Arrhenius equation and isoconversion approach to create a shelf-life predicting model for typical storage conditions. Model fitting was found to be good with low residuals in both temperature and relative humidity axes for all parameters examined. The generated model's predictions for both the native and zinc complex of bacitracin for both formation of the major degradation product (F) and loss of the active isoform (A) were consistent with longer-term measured values at 30°C/53%RH and 40°C/75%RH, validating this approach for accelerating the determination of long-term stability of a peptide.

Modeling of in-use stability for tablets and powders in bottles.

A model is presented for determining the time when an active pharmaceutical ingredient in tablets/powders will remain within its specification limits during an in-use period; that is, when a heat-induction sealed bottle is opened for fixed time periods and where tablets are removed at fixed time points. This model combines the Accelerated Stability Assessment Program to determine the impact on degradation rates of relative humidity (RH) with calculations of the RH as a function of time for the dosage forms under in-use conditions. These calculations, in a conservative approach, assume that the air inside bottles with broached heat-induction seals completely exchanges with the external environment during periods when the bottle remains open. The solid dosages are assumed to sorb water at estimable rates during these openings. When bottles are capped, the moisture vapor transmission rate can be estimated to determine the changing RH inside the bottles between opening events. The impact of silica gel desiccants can also be included in the modeling.

A scientific and statistical analysis of accelerated aging for pharmaceuticals. Part 1: accuracy of fitting methods.

Three competing mathematical fitting models (a point-by-point estimation method, a linear fit method, and an isoconversion method) of chemical stability (related substance growth) when using high temperature data to predict room temperature shelf-life were employed in a detailed comparison. In each case, complex degradant formation behavior was analyzed by both exponential and linear forms of the Arrhenius equation. A hypothetical reaction was used where a drug (A) degrades to a primary degradant (B), which in turn degrades to a secondary degradation product (C). Calculated data with the fitting models were compared with the projected room-temperature shelf-lives of B and C, using one to four time points (in addition to the origin) for each of three accelerated temperatures. Isoconversion methods were found to provide more accurate estimates of shelf-life at ambient conditions. Of the methods for estimating isoconversion, bracketing the specification limit at each condition produced the best estimates and was considerably more accurate than when extrapolation was required. Good estimates of isoconversion produced similar shelf-life estimates fitting either linear or nonlinear forms of the Arrhenius equation, whereas poor isoconversion estimates favored one method or the other depending on which condition was most in error.

Impact of sertraline salt form on the oxidative stability in powder blends.

Oxidation of active pharmaceutical ingredients is a common chemical degradation process occurring in solid dosage forms. The aim of this study was to investigate the tendency of various sertraline salts to oxidize in powder blends containing a basic additive. A different extent of conversion of each salt to the free base was observed to occur in the presence of the basic additive, consistent with their respective pHmax values. Sertraline was found to undergo oxidation as the unioinized form, in both solution and powder blends that incorporated an oxidizing agent. In contrast, the ionized form of sertraline remained stable in both cases. Three sertraline salts undergoing a significant extent of conversion from salt to free form in the presence of tribasic sodium phosphate were found to oxidize extensively while sertraline benzoate which had a considerably lower extent of free base formation was more resistant to oxidation. The oxidative degradants were produced through oxidation at the amine functional group of sertraline which is where sertraline is ionized as the salt form. The link between oxidation tendency and the ionization state of sertraline in powder mixtures has thus been demonstrated in this study.

A generalized relation for solid-state drug stability as a function of excipient dilution: temperature-independent behavior.

A proposed generalized relationship for the impact of excipients on the solid-state chemical stability of drug products is presented and shown to be consistent across multiple degradation products with two example drugs. In this model, when the number of drug particles is comparable to the number of excipient particles, the impact of the excipient on the degradant formation rate is independent of drug concentration. In contrast, when the number of drug particles is in excess of the number of excipient particles, a power-law relation (linear correlation between the logarithm of the degradant formation rate and the logarithm of the reciprocal of the drug concentration) is proposed based on a "quasi-liquid" model where drug particles fill in interstices between excipients. As predicted by this model, the experimental power-law lines have slopes of about 2/3 independent of temperature (0.61 ± 0.13 for n = 30 counting multiple degradation products and a range of temperatures and relative humidities for two drug products).

Relative humidity hysteresis in solid-state chemical reactivity: a pharmaceutical case study.

The chemical reaction rate for solid-state product formation in a pharmaceutical case study was monitored by equilibration with either a 75%, 21.5%, 75% relative humidity (RH) cycle ("high-low-high", HLH) or a 21.5%, 75%, 21.5% RH cycle ("low-high-low", LHL). For the HLH cycle, it was found that the degradant formation rate was reversible; that is, the rate at the final 75% RH step was equivalent to the rate at the initial 75% RH step. For samples equilibrated with the LHL cycle, a significantly higher rate of product formation was seen when the low RH condition was re-established than for the initial sample that had never been exposed to high RH. The observed hysteresis in degradant formation rate as a function of RH is not explained by hysteresis in the bulk moisture sorption isotherm, which is minimal in the case studied. It is suggested that high RH exposure impacts the solid-solid interface by either changing the amount of solid-solution present, by altering the mechanical properties of the material such that there is a greater mobility even when moisture is removed, or by altering the interfacial material to have a greater amount of moisture present even when dried.

Osmotic capsules: A universal oral, controlled-release drug delivery dosage form.

An osmotic, oral, controlled-release capsule is described. This capsule provides drug delivery at fixed delivery rates (T(80%)=6 or 14h) independent of drug properties (e.g., solubility) or drug loading, thereby allowing rapid development of investigational or commercial drugs, especially for proof-of-concept type clinical studies. The capsule body and cap are prepared with cellulose acetate and polyethylene glycol in acetone and water using high density polyethylene molds as templates and a conventional tablet pan coater. After the shells are removed from the molds manually, a laser hole is drilled in the end of the capsule body. The drug is introduced as a shaped tablet admixed with polyethylene oxide. A "push" tablet consisting of high molecular weight polyethylene oxide, microcrystalline cellulose, and sodium chloride is also inserted into the capsule body. The capsule halves lock together due to ridges, alleviating the need for a banding operation.

Package selection for moisture protection for solid, oral drug products.

This review describes how best to select the appropriate packaging options for solid, oral drug products based on both chemical and physical stability, with respect to moisture protection. This process combines an accounting for the initial moisture content of dosage form components, moisture transfer into (out of) packaging based on a moisture vapor transfer rate (MVTR), and equilibration between drug products and desiccants based on their moisture sorption isotherms to provide an estimate of the instantaneous relative humidity (RH) within the packaging. This time-based RH is calculationally combined with a moisture-sensitive Arrhenius equation (determined using the accelerated stability assessment program, ASAP) to predict the drug product's chemical stability over time as a function of storage conditions and packaging options. While physical stability of dosage forms with respect to moisture has been less well documented, a process is recommended based on the threshold RH at which changes (e.g., dosage form dissolution, tablet hardness, drug form) become problematic. The overall process described allows packaging to be determined for a drug product scientifically, with the effect of any changes to storage conditions or packaging to be explicitly accounted for.

Use of scoring to induce reproducible drug delivery from osmotic pulsatile tablets.

An osmotic-controlled pulsatile delivery technology was developed for targeted drug delivery. This novel system consists of a tablet core surrounded by an osmotic coating that has been mechanically compromised in strategic locations to facilitate reliable drug release at a given time point after administration. The tablet core contains a high drug load in addition to several osmotic agents and swellable polymers, and the surrounding mechanically-compromised osmotic coating consists of a semipermeable membrane that has been scored with a razor blade in several key locations. The components in the tablet core attract water into the core, causing it to swell and propagate the scores in the coating along the length of the tablet. After the scores have fully propagated, the coating bursts open, releasing the tablet core's contents, including the drug, into the surrounding media. The variables that were investigated in this study included the configuration of the scores in the coating, the length of the scores, and the distance between the scores. The delivery system developed in this work is able to generate a reproducible dissolution profile consisting of a specific targeted lag time, between five minutes and two hours, followed by immediate release of the drug from the core. The performance of the system was validated in vitro using the drug salicylic acid. Unlike previously developed osmotic pulsatile delivery systems, the present system is able to accommodate higher drug loading levels, it is easier to manufacture, and has demonstrated more reproducible burst times (i.e. burst time) than several other pulsatile systems.

Extrudable core system: development of a single-layer osmotic controlled-release tablet.

A new controlled-release, extrudable core system (ECS) tablet has been developed which osmotically delivers high doses of low solubility active pharmaceutical ingredients (API's). The tablet has a single core formed in a modified oval shape with a semi-permeable coating. The core contains hydroxyethylcellulose, which serves to entrain the API particles as they are extruded out a hole in the coating at one end of the tablet, and a sugar, which provides the osmotic driving force for water imbibing. The dosage form has been successfully shown to control delivery of API over a range of delivery rates even with 50% of the tablet being API (up to about 500 mg).

N-methylation and N-formylation of a secondary amine drug (varenicline) in an osmotic tablet.

Significant degradation of the amine-based smoking cessation drug varenicline tartrate in an early development phase osmotic, controlled-release (CR) formulation yields predominantly two products: N-methylvarenicline (NMV) and N-formylvarenicline (NFV). NMV is produced by reaction of the amine moiety with both formaldehyde and formic acid in an Eschweiler-Clarke reaction, while NFV is formed by reaction of formic acid alone with varenicline. This represents the first report of these reactions occurring on storage of solid pharmaceutical formulations. Both formaldehyde and formic acid are formed from oxidative degradation of polyethylene glycol (PEG) used in an osmotic coating through a process heavily dependent on the physical state of the PEG. When the concentration of PEG in the coating is sufficiently low, the PEG remains phase compatible with the other component of the coating (cellulose acetate) such that its degradation (and the resulting drug reactivity) is effectively eliminated. Antioxidants in the coating and oxygen scavengers in the packaging also serve to prevent the PEG degradation, and consequently provide for drug stability.

A critical review of gastric retentive controlled drug delivery.

The promise of gastric retentive drug delivery systems has propagated numerous investigations and the formation of a number of companies. Three technologies have involved a substantial number of human clinical trials: mucoadhesion, density modification, and expansion. Standard, nondisintegrating controlled-release tablets can display significant gastric retention times, with that retention time being proportional to the calorie intake. When these data for standard tablets are factored in, gastric retention technologies do not appear to offer significant additional retention times. Although the goal remains valuable, the promise of gastric retentive drug delivery systems remains unfulfilled at this time.

Improved protocol and data analysis for accelerated shelf-life estimation of solid dosage forms.

PURPOSE: To propose and test a new accelerated aging protocol for solid-state, small molecule pharmaceuticals which provides faster predictions for drug substance and drug product shelf-life. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The concept of an isoconversion paradigm, where times in different temperature and humidity-controlled stability chambers are set to provide a critical degradant level, is introduced for solid-state pharmaceuticals. Reliable estimates for temperature and relative humidity effects are handled using a humidity-corrected Arrhenius equation, where temperature and relative humidity are assumed to be orthogonal. Imprecision is incorporated into a Monte-Carlo simulation to propagate the variations inherent in the experiment. In early development phases, greater imprecision in predictions is tolerated to allow faster screening with reduced sampling. Early development data are then used to design appropriate test conditions for more reliable later stability estimations. RESULTS: Examples are reported showing that predicted shelf-life values for lower temperatures and different relative humidities are consistent with the measured shelf-life values at those conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The new protocols and analyses provide accurate and precise shelf-life estimations in a reduced time from current state of the art.

Purification of pharmaceutical excipients with supercritical fluid extraction.

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), with carbon dioxide as the solvent, was tested for its ability to remove common reactive impurities from several pharmaceutical excipient powders including starch, microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC), polyethylene oxide (PEO), and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Extraction of the small molecule impurities, formic acid and formaldehyde, was conducted using SFE methods under conditions that did not result in visible physical changes to polymeric excipient powders. It could be shown that spiked, largely surface-bound, impurities could be removed effectively; however, SFE could only remove embedded impurities in the excipient particles after significant exposure times due to slow diffusion of the impurities to the particle surfaces. Attempts at hydrogen peroxide extraction were hindered by its low solubility in CO2, thereby effectively precluding SFE for removal of hydrogen peroxide from excipients. This work suggests that SFE will only be commercially useful for removal of low molecular weight impurities in polymeric excipients when migration of the impurities to the particle surfaces is sufficiently rapid for extraction to be completed in a reasonable time frame.

Accelerated aging: prediction of chemical stability of pharmaceuticals.

Methods of rapidly and accurately assessing the chemical stability of pharmaceutical dosage forms are reviewed with respect to the major degradation mechanisms generally observed in pharmaceutical development. Methods are discussed, with the appropriate caveats, for accelerated aging of liquid and solid dosage forms, including small and large molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients. In particular, this review covers general thermal methods, as well as accelerated aging methods appropriate to oxidation, hydrolysis, reaction with reactive excipient impurities, photolysis and protein denaturation.

Reactions of aliphatic thiyl radicals in the solid state: photoisomerization of trans-4,5-dihydroxy-1,2-dithiacyclohexane and oxidation of dithiothreitol.

A description of free-radical reactions in the solid state is important for some processes causing long-term stability problems of natural and synthetic products. Recent studies revealed that, in the solid state, mercaptooctadecanethiyl radicals, C(18)H(37)S., do not abstract a hydrogen atom from mercaptooctadecane, C(18)H(37)SH, but yield perthiyl radicals, C(18)H(37)SS., via a net sulfur transfer (Faucitano et al. ChemPhysChem 2005, 6, 1100-1107). Here, we demonstrate that such a sulfur transfer is not a general phenomenon of thiyl-radical reactions in the solid state, providing experimental evidence for a solid-state hydrogen-transfer reaction between a dithiyl radical, generated through the photolysis of trans-4,5-dihydroxy-1,2-dithiacyclohexane (DTT(ox)), and dithiothreitol. The photolysis of crystalline solid deposits of DTT(ox) yields two isomers of 2,3-dihydroxy-1-mercaptotetrahydrothiophene with a combined quantum yield of Phi(F) = 0.39 +/- 0.02. This quantum yield was increased to Phi(F) = 0.87 +/- 0.13 when the solid deposits contained an additional dithiol, dl-1,4-dimercapto-2,3-butanediol (DTT), at a ratio of DTT/DTT(ox) = 10:1. This increase in quantum yield depended, in part, on the presence of oxygen but was independent of residual moisture in the solid samples. Mechanistically, the formation of 2,3-dihydroxy-1-mercaptotetrahydrothiophene can be rationalized by the H transfer from DTT to a photochemically formed dithiyl radical from DTT(ox), yielding 2 equiv of monothiyl radicals from DTT, followed by a series of radical transformations.

Press-coating of immediate release powders onto coated controlled release tablets with adhesives.

A novel adhesive coating was developed that allows even small quantities of immediate-release (IR) powders to be press-coated onto controlled-release (CR), coated dosage forms without damaging the CR coating. The process was exemplified using a pseudoephedrine osmotic tablet (asymmetric membrane technology, AMT) where a powder weighing less than 25% of the core was pressed onto the osmotic tablet providing a final combination tablet with low friability. The dosage form with the adhesive plus the press-coated powder showed comparable sustained drug release rates to the untreated dosage form after an initial 2-h lag. The adhesive layer consisted of an approximately 100- microm coating of Eudragit RL, polyethylene glycol (PEG) and triethyl citrate (TEC) at a ratio of 5:3:1.2. This coating provides a practical balance between handleability before press-coating and good adhesion.