Laboratory Performance Testing of Aqueous Nasal Inhalation Products for Droplet/Particle Size Distribution: an Assessment from the International Pharmaceutical Aerosol Consortium on Regulation and Science (IPAC-RS).

Although nasal inhalation products are becoming more and more important for the delivery of medicines, characterization of these products for quality control and assessment of bioequivalence is complicated. Most of the problems encountered are associated with the assessment of aerodynamic droplet/particle size distribution (APSD). The droplets produced by the various nasal devices are large, and for suspension products, individual droplets may contain multiple drug particles or none at all. Assessment of suspension products is further complicated by the presence of solid excipient particles. These complications make it imperative that the limitations of the instruments used for characterization as well as the underlying assumptions that govern the interpretation of data produced by these instruments are understood. In this paper, we describe various methodologies used to assess APSD for nasal inhalation products and discuss proper use, limitations, and new methodologies on the horizon.

Evaluation of Abbreviated Impactor Measurements (AIM) and Efficient Data Analysis (EDA) for Dry Powder Inhalers (DPIs) Against the Full-Resolution Next Generation Impactor (NGI).

The full-resolution next generation impactor (NGI) and three abbreviated impactor systems were used to obtain the apparent aerodynamic particle size distribution (APSD) and other quality measures for marketed dry powder inhalers (DPIs) using the compendial method and efficient data analysis (EDA). APSD for the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) in Spiriva® Handihaler®, Foradil® Aerolizer®, and Relenza® Diskhaler® was obtained using a full-resolution NGI at 39, 60, and 90 L/min, respectively. Two reduced NGI (rNGI) configurations, the filter-only configuration (rNGI-f) and the modified-cup configuration (rNGI-mc), and the fast-screening impactor (FSI) with appropriate inserts to provide a 5-µm cut size were evaluated. The fine particle dose (FPD) obtained using the FSI for Spiriva was statistically similar to that obtained using the full NGI. However, the FPD for both Foradil and Relenza obtained using the FSI was significantly different from that obtained using the full NGI. Despite this, no significant differences were observed for the fine particle fraction (FPF) obtained using the FSI relative to that obtained from the full NGI for any of the DPIs. The use of abbreviated impactor systems appears promising with good agreement observed with the full-resolution NGI, except for small differences observed for the rNGI-mc configuration. These small differences may be product- and/or flow rate-specific, and further evaluation will be required to resolve these differences.

Evaluation of an abbreviated impactor for fine particle fraction (FPF) determination of metered dose inhalers (MDI).

Abbreviated impactors have been developed recently to allow more rapid evaluation of inhalation products as alternates to the eight-stage Andersen Cascade Impactor (ACI) which has been widely used in the pharmaceutical industry for assessing aerodynamic particle size distribution. In this paper, a two-stage abbreviated impactor, Westech Fine Particle Dose Impactor (WFPD), was used to characterize the aerodynamic particle size of metered dose inhaler (MDI) products, and the results were compared with those obtained using the standard eight-stage ACI. Seven commercial MDI products, with different propellants (chlorofluorocarbon/hydrofluoroalkane) and formulation types (suspension/solution, dry/normal/wet), were tested in this study by both WFPD and ACI. Substantially equivalent measures of fine particle fraction were obtained for most of the tested MDI products, but larger coarse particle fraction and extra-fine particle fraction values were measured from WFPD relative to those measured using the ACI. Use of the WFPD also produced more wall loss than the ACI. Therefore, it is recommended that the system suitability be evaluated on a product-by-product basis to establish substantial equivalency before implementing an abbreviated impactor measurement methodology for routine use in inhaler product characterization.

Measurement of drug in small particles from aqueous nasal sprays by Andersen Cascade Impactor.

PURPOSE: To determine if cascade impactor (CI) measurement of drug in small particles from aqueous nasal sprays, described in FDA's 2003 draft Nasal Bioavailability/Bioequivalence Guidance, can be optimized to reduce measurement variability. To examine the influence of flow rate configurations and number of impactor stages on CI deposition and explore the importance of inlet volume. METHODS: A total of eight assemblies and manual vs. automatic actuation were tested for deposition on the sum of all stages of the CI, and for Group 2 total drug mass per the Guidance. Mean deposition and variance about the mean were determined for each assembly. RESULTS: The path length for a spherical 1 l inlet was too short to allow adequate aerosol formation. Data variance was reduced by a factor of two or more by using an automatic actuator relative to manual actuation. Impactor assembly modification did not improve variance over the standard assembly. CONCLUSIONS: Use of a spherical inlet (≥ 2 l volume) and automatic actuation are recommended for comparative measurements of drug in small particles arising from aqueous nasal sprays. The standard (8-stage) 28.3 lpm CI flow rate configuration is recommended when using the Andersen Cascade Impactor (ACI), as no other assembly showed a distinct advantage.

Evaluating elevated release liner adhesion of a transdermal drug delivery system (TDDS): a study of Daytrana™ methylphenidate transdermal system.

BACKGROUND: Complaints from healthcare providers that the adhesive on the Daytrana™ methylphenidate transdermal drug delivery system (TDDS) adhered to the release liner to such an extent that the release liner could not be removed prompted this study. Daytrana™ has a packaging system consisting of a moisture-permeable pouch contained within a sealed tray containing a desiccant; the tray is impermeable to ambient moisture. The objective of this project was to determine if the Daytrana™ packaging system influenced the difficulty in removing the release liner. METHOD: Both a sealed tray and an open tray containing sealed pouches were placed into an environmental chamber at 25°C and 60% relative humidity for 30 days; afterwards, release liner removal testing using a peel angle of 90° and a peel speed of 300 mm/min was performed. RESULTS: TDDS from open chamber trays required less force to remove the release liner than did TDDS from closed chamber trays. For the 10 mg/9 h TDDS and the 15 mg/9 h TDDS (the dosages examined), there were substantial differences in release liner removal force between an old lot and a new lot for closed chamber trays but not for open chamber trays. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate that for this particular TDDS, storage conditions such as humidity influence release liner adhesion. This project also demonstrates that, to ensure adequate product quality, adhesion needs to become an important design parameter, and the design of a TDDS should consider the ability to remove the release liner under anticipated storage conditions.

Assessment of the influence factors on nasal spray droplet velocity using phase-Doppler anemometry (PDA).

Droplet velocity is an important parameter that can be used to characterize nasal spray products. In this study, a phase-Doppler anemometry (PDA) system was used to measure the droplet velocities of nasal sprays. A survey of seven commercial nasal spray products showed a range of droplet velocities from 6.7 to 19.2 m/s, all significantly different from each other. A three-level, four-factor Box-Behnken design of experiments (DOE) methodology were applied to investigate the influences of actuation parameters and formulation properties on nasal spray droplet velocity using a set of placebo formulations. The DOE study shows that all four input factors (stroke length, actuation velocity, concentration of the gelling agent, and concentration of the surfactant) have significant influence on droplet velocity. An optimized quadratic model generated from the DOE results describes the inherent relationships between the input factors and droplet velocity thus providing a better understanding of the input factor influences. Overall, PDA provides a new in vitro characterization method for the evaluation of inhalation drugs through assessment of spray velocity and may assist in product development to meet drug delivery equivalency requirements.

Reservoir based fentanyl transdermal drug delivery systems: effect of patch age on drug release and skin permeation.

PURPOSE: To understand and evaluate the stability and skin permeation profiles of fentanyl reservoir systems as a function of patch age. METHODS: Drug release and skin permeation studies were performed using a modified USP apparatus 5 with a novel sample preparation technique. RESULTS: The amount of fentanyl present in the EVA/adhesive layer (EAL) increased from about 17% of label claim (LC) at 5 months to 25% LC at 22 months. The increase in the drug concentration was mainly observed in the peripheral EAL. Simultaneously, the alcohol content of the patch decreased as a function of patch age. A significant effect of patch age on the drug content in the EAL and the drug release from the system was observed; however, skin permeation studies did not indicate an increase in drug delivery rate. CONCLUSIONS: Novel sample preparation technique with USP Apparatus 5 allowed determination of in vitro skin permeation rates for fentanyl transdermal patches with different designs. Permeation rates with cadaver skin as substrate were found not to change with patch age despite changing drug concentration in the EAL.

Assessment of the influence factors on in vitro testing of nasal sprays using Box-Behnken experimental design.

The purpose of the research was to investigate the influences of actuation parameters and formulation physical properties on nasal spray delivery performance using design of experiment (DOE) methodology. A 3-level, 4-factor Box-Behnken design with a total of 27 experimental runs was used in this study. Nine simulated aqueous formulations with different viscosities and surface tensions were prepared using carboxymethylcellulose sodium (CMC, gelling agent) and Tween80 (surfactant) each at three concentration levels. Four factors, actuation stroke length, actuation velocity, concentration of gelling agent, and concentration of surfactant were investigated for their influences on measured responses of shot weight, spray pattern, plume geometry and droplet size distribution (DSD). The models based on data from the DOE were then optimized by eliminating insignificant terms. Pfeiffer nasal spray pump units filled with the simulated formulations were used in the study. Nasal pump actuation stroke length exerts a strong, independent influence on shot weight, and also slightly affects spray pattern and plume geometry. Actuation velocity and concentration of gelling agent have significant effects on spray pattern, plume geometry and DSD, in a complicated manner through interaction terms. Concentration of surfactant has little, if any, influence on nasal spray characteristics. Results were fitted to quadratic models describing the inherent relationships between the four factors evaluated and nasal spray performance. The DOE study helped us to identify the source of variability in nasal spray product performance, and obtained better understanding in how to control the variability. Moreover, the quadratic models developed from the DOE study quantitatively describe the inherent relationships between the factors and nasal spray performance characteristics. With the assistance of the response surfaces developed from the DOE model, the time and labor in designing a nasal spray product to achieve desired product performance characteristics can be reduced.

Studies of variability in dissolution testing with USP apparatus 2.

In this study, gauge repeatability and reproducibility (gauge R&R) was used to analyze variability for USP apparatus 2 dissolution measurement systems. Experiments were designed to assess the variability due to apparatus, operator, and sample tablet. Since dissolution testing is a destructive test, a nested model was used for data analysis. Additionally, perturbation tests with both disintegrating and nondisintegrating tablets were performed to study the variability due to sample position within the dissolution vessel. For the gauge R&R study, two well-trained chemists used two mechanically calibrated USP apparatus 2 units. Six tests were performed by each operator on each apparatus. Evaluation of dissolution test results at 30 min using an internal DPA calibrator tablet NCDA#2 (10 mg prednisone) indicates that the main contribution to the total variance, approximately 70%, is due to the sample tablets, approximately 25% is from the apparatus and approximately 5% is due to the operators. There is no significant difference between operators and apparatuses as shown by the gauge R&R studies. In addition, dissolution results can be strongly affected by the position of the tablet within the vessel. Similarity (f1) and dissimilarity (f2) factors were calculated to statistically evaluate differences between perturbed and normal dissolution tests.

PQRI recommendations on particle-size analysis of drug substances used in oral dosage forms.

This document provides information for the Pharmaceutical Industry and the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the selection of suitable particle-size analysis techniques, development and validation of particle-size methods, and the establishment of acceptance criteria for the particle size of drug substances used in oral solid-dosage forms. The document is intended for analysts knowledgeable in the techniques necessary to conduct particle-size characterization (a table of acronyms is provided at the end of the document). It is acknowledged that each drug substance, formulation, and manufacturing process is unique and that multiple techniques and instruments are available to the analyst.

Transdermal drug delivery system (TDDS) adhesion as a critical safety, efficacy and quality attribute.

Transdermal drug delivery systems (TDDS), also known as "patches," are dosage forms designed to deliver a therapeutically effective amount of drug across a patient's skin. The adhesive of the transdermal drug delivery system is critical to the safety, efficacy and quality of the product. In the Drug Quality Reporting System (DQRS), the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received numerous reports of "adhesion lacking" for transdermal drug delivery systems. This article provides an overview of types of transdermals, their anatomy, the role of adhesion, the possible adhesion failure modes and how adhesion can be measured. Excerpts from FDA reports on the lack of adhesion of transdermal system products are presented. Pros and cons of in vitro techniques, such as peel adhesion, tack and shear strength, in vivo techniques used to evaluate adhesive properties are discussed. To see a decrease in "adhesion lacking" reports, adhesion needs to become an important design parameter and suitable methods need to be available to assess quality and in vivo performance. This article provides a framework for further discussion and scientific work to improve transdermal adhesive performance.

The influence of actuation parameters on in vitro testing of nasal spray products.

Nasal spray drug products are normally characterized via measurement of shot weight, spray pattern, plume geometry, and droplet size distribution (DSD). In this project, the actuation parameters, such as stroke length, actuation velocity, and actuation acceleration, were investigated to ascertain how they affect nasal spray characteristics. Pfeiffer nasal spray pump units filled with water were used in the study. Actuation parameters were adjusted using an electronic automated actuation system, SprayVIEW NSx. Spray pattern and plume geometry measurements were carried out using a high speed optical spray characterization system, SprayVIEW NSP, and DSD analysis was performed using a Malvern 2600 laser diffraction system. Our results show that different actuation parameters affect the nasal spray characteristics in different ways and to different degrees. Among all the actuation parameters, stroke length and actuation velocity have significant effects on the nasal spray characteristics, while the other actuation parameters have little, if any, effect. Compared to spray pattern, plume geometry and DSD, shot weight provides very little characterization information. The findings from this work suggest that, for in vitro bioavailability (BA) and bioequivalence (BE) studies of nasal spray products, the actuation parameters, stroke length, and velocity must be carefully selected. Spray pattern, plume geometry, and DSD appear to provide critical data for assessment of nasal pump performance.

Effects of deaeration methods on dissolution testing in aqueous media: a study using a total dissolved gas pressure meter.

Dissolution testing is a critical method for the determination of pharmaceutical product quality and bioequivalence. For some products, dissolved gases in the dissolution medium affect dissolution results thus requiring degassing of the medium prior to use. In this study, we use a total dissolved gas and oxygen meter to measure both oxygen and total gases in dissolution media before and after application of a variety of deaeration methods. Dissolution testing results using a 10 mg Prednisone tablet (NCDA #2) are compared with the percent saturation of oxygen and total gases found in the medium. Reaeration of the medium during different stirring rates was also measured. This study confirms that measurement of total gases and not just oxygen in the medium is necessary to assess adequacy for dissolution testing. For those deaeration techniques that are performed at room temperature, the percent saturation of the total dissolved gases must be well below 100% to prevent outgassing once medium is brought to dissolution test method temperature, typically 37 degrees C.

Developing an in vitro understanding of patient experience with hydrofluoroalkane-metered dose inhalers.

As a result of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, manufacturers of metered dose inhalers began reformulating their products to use hydrofluoroalkanes (HFAs) as propellants in place of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Although the new products are considered safe and efficacious by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a large number of complaints have been registered via the FDA's Adverse Events Reporting System (FAERS)-more than 7000 as of May 2013. To develop a better understanding of the measurable parameters that may, in part, determine in vitro performance and thus patient compliance, we compared several CFC- and HFA-based products with respect to their aerodynamic performance in response to changes in actuator cleaning interval and interactuation delay interval. Comparison metrics examined in this study were: total drug delivered ex-actuator, fine particle dose (<5 µm), mass median aerodynamic diameter, plume width, plume temperature, plume impaction force, and actuator orifice diameter. Overall, no single metric or test condition distinguishes HFA products from CFC products, but, for individual products tested, there were a combination of metrics that differentiated one from another.

Evaluation of metered dose inhaler spray velocities using phase Doppler anemometry (PDA).

Droplet velocity is an important parameter which can significantly influence inhalation drug delivery performance. Together with the droplet size, this parameter determines the efficiency of the deposition of MDI products at different sites within the lungs. In this study, phase Doppler anemometry (PDA) was used to investigate the instantaneous droplet velocity emitted from MDIs as well as the corresponding droplet size distribution. The nine commercial MDI products surveyed showed significantly different droplet velocities, indicating that droplet velocity could be used as a discriminating parameter for in vitro testing of MDI products. The droplet velocity for all tested MDI products decreased when the testing distance was increased from 3 cm to 6 cm from the front of mouthpiece, with CFC formulations showing a larger decrease than HFA formulations. The mean droplet diameters of the nine MDIs were also significantly different from one-another. Droplet size measurements made using PDA (a number-based technique) could not be directly compared to results obtained using laser light scattering measurements (a volume-based technique). This work demonstrates that PDA can provide unique information useful for characterizing MDI aerosol plumes and evaluating MDI drug delivery efficiency. PDA could also aid the evaluation of in vitro equivalence in support of formulation or manufacturing changes and in evaluation of abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs) for MDIs.

Effects of device and formulation on in vitro performance of dry powder inhalers.

The study examined the sensitivity of DPI in vitro performance to formulation and device changes. Rotahaler/Rotacaps was selected as the reference DPI drug product, and Aerolizer was selected as the test device. Since the test device was recognized to have much greater efficiency of dispersion, simple modifications to both formulation and device were made in an effort to provide a closer match to the in vitro performance of the reference product. The modifications included varying the drug and lactose particle sizes and/or lactose fine particle content in the test formulations, as well as lowering the specific resistance of the test device. These modifications were intended to address variables important for drug product performance for a defined experimental design and were not intended to mimic the extensive formulation and device design strategies that are employed in an industrial setting. Formulation and device modifications resulted in a modified test product that approached the reference product in the in vitro performance.

Effects of vessel geometric irregularity on dissolution test results.

Dissolution testing of pharmaceutical products is an important technique used extensively for both product development and quality control, but there are many variables that can affect dissolution results. In this study, the effect of the inner shape of standard 1-L dissolution vessels on drug dissolution results was investigated. The geometric dimensions and irregularities of commercially available vessels (obtained from four different manufacturers) were examined using a three-dimensional video-based measuring machine (VMM). The same analyst, dissolution test assembly, and experimental conditions were used for dissolution testing involving 10 mg of prednisone tablets (NCDA #2) with dissolution apparatus 2 (paddle). Mechanical calibration of the dissolution apparatus was performed prior to dissolution testing with each set of vessels. Geometric characteristics varied within and among the sets of vessels, but the overall averages and standard deviations of dissolution results (six vessels) showed no statistical significant differences among the vessel sets. However, some dissolution differences were noted when comparing individual vessels. With these types of comparisons, the vessel concentricity, sphericity, and radius of sphere were found to possibly influence the amount of prednisone dissolved, but flatness of vessel flange, cylindricity, and circularity showed no effect on dissolution results. The study shows that VMM is a technique that could be used to qualify dissolution vessels.

Propagation of uncertainty in nasal spray in vitro performance models using Monte Carlo simulation: part I. Model prediction using Monte Carlo simulation.

Design of experiment (DOE) methodology can provide a complete evaluation of the influences of nasal spray activation and formulation properties on delivery performance which makes it a powerful tool for product design purposes. Product performance models are computed from complex expressions containing multiple factor terms and response terms. Uncertainty in the regression model can be propagated using Monte Carlo simulation. In this study, four input factors, actuation stroke length, actuation velocity, concentration of gelling agent, and concentration of surfactant were investigated for their influences on measured responses of spray pattern, plume width, droplet size distribution (DSD), and impaction force. Quadratic models were calculated and optimized using a Box-Behnken experimental design to describe the relationship between factors and responses. Assuming that the models perfectly represent the relationship between input variables and the measured responses, the propagation of uncertainty in both input variables and response measurements on model prediction was performed using Monte Carlo simulations. The Monte Carlo simulations presented in this article illustrate the propagation of uncertainty in model predictions. The most influential input variable variances on the product performance variance were identified, which could help prioritize input variables in terms of importance during continuous improvement of nasal spray product design. This work extends recent Monte Carlo simulations of process models to the realm of product development models.

Propagation of uncertainty in nasal spray in vitro performance models using Monte Carlo simulation: Part II. Error propagation during product performance modeling.

Monte Carlo simulations were applied to investigate the propagation of uncertainty in both input variables and response measurements on model prediction for nasal spray product performance design of experiment (DOE) models in the first part of this study, with an initial assumption that the models perfectly represent the relationship between input variables and the measured responses. In this article, we discard the initial assumption, and extended the Monte Carlo simulation study to examine the influence of both input variable variation and product performance measurement variation on the uncertainty in DOE model coefficients. The Monte Carlo simulations presented in this article illustrate the importance of careful error propagation during product performance modeling. Our results show that the error estimates based on Monte Carlo simulation result in smaller model coefficient standard deviations than those from regression methods. This suggests that the estimated standard deviations from regression may overestimate the uncertainties in the model coefficients. Monte Carlo simulations provide a simple software solution to understand the propagation of uncertainty in complex DOE models so that design space can be specified with statistically meaningful confidence levels.

Evaluation of droplet velocity and size from nasal spray devices using phase Doppler anemometry (PDA).

To determine aerosol deposition during the inhalation drug delivery, it is important to understand the combination of velocity and droplet size together. In this study, phase Doppler anemometry (PDA) was used to simultaneously characterize the aerosol velocity and droplet size distribution (DSD) of three nasal spray pumps filled with water. Thirteen sampling positions were located in the horizontal cross-sectional area of the nasal spray plumes at a distance of 3cm from the pump orifice. The results showed droplet velocities near the center of the spray plume were higher and more consistent than those near the edge. The pumps examined showed significant differences in their aerosol velocity at the center of the spray plume, which suggest that this metric might be used as a discriminating parameter for in vitro testing of nasal sprays. Droplet size measurements performed using PDA were compared with results from laser light scattering measurements. The ability of PDA to provide simultaneous measurements of aerosol velocity and size makes it a powerful tool for the detailed investigation of nasal spray plume characteristics.