Improved Aerosolization Stability of Inhalable Tobramycin Powder Formulation by Co-Spray Drying with Colistin.

PURPOSE: Tobramycin shows synergistic antibacterial activity with colistin and can reduce the toxic effects of colistin. The purpose of this study is to prepare pulmonary powder formulations containing both colistin and tobramycin and to assess their in vitro aerosol performance and storage stability. METHODS: The dry powder formulations were manufactured using a lab-scale spray dryer. In vitro aerosol performance was measured using a Next Generation Impactor. The storage stability of the dry powder formulations was measured at 22°C and two relative humidity levels - 20 and 55%. Colistin composition on the particle surface was measured using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. RESULTS: Two combination formulations, with 1:1 and 1:5 molar ratios of colistin and tobramycin, showed fine particle fractions (FPF) of 85%, which was significantly higher than that of the spray dried tobramycin (45%). FPF of the tobramycin formulation increased significantly when stored for four weeks at both 20% and 55% RH. In contrast, FPF values of both combination formulations and spray dried colistin remained stable at both humidity levels. Particle surface of each combination was significantly enriched in colistin molecules; 1:5 combination showed 77% by wt. colistin. CONCLUSIONS: The superior aerosol performance and aerosolization stability of 1:1 and 1:5 combination formulations of colistin and tobramycin could be attributed to enrichment of colistin on the co-spray dried particle surface. The observed powder properties may be the result of a surfactant-like assembly of these colistin molecules during spray drying, thus forming a hydrophobic particle surface.

Pharmaceutical amorphous solid dispersion: A review of manufacturing strategies.

Amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) are popular for enhancing the solubility and bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. Various approaches have been employed to produce ASDs and novel techniques are emerging. This review provides an updated overview of manufacturing techniques for preparing ASDs. As physical stability is a critical quality attribute for ASD, the impact of formulation, equipment, and process variables, together with the downstream processing on physical stability of ASDs have been discussed. Selection strategies are proposed to identify suitable manufacturing methods, which may aid in the development of ASDs with satisfactory physical stability.

Effect of Storage Humidity on Physical Stability of Spray-Dried Naproxen Amorphous Solid Dispersions with Polyvinylpyrrolidone: Two Fluid Nozzle vs. Three Fluid Nozzle.

In a spray drying operation, a two-fluid nozzle (2FN) with a single channel is commonly used for atomizing the feed solution. However, the less commonly used three-fluid nozzle (3FN) has two separate channels, which allow spray drying of materials in two incompatible solution systems. Although amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) prepared using a 3FN have been reported to deliver comparable drug dissolution performance relative to those prepared using a 2FN, few studies have systematically examined the effect of 3FN on the physical stability. Therefore, the goal of this work is to systematically study the physical stability of ASDs that are spray-dried using a 3FN compared to those prepared using the traditional 2FN. For the 2FN, a single solution of naproxen and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) was prepared in a mixture of acetone and water at a 1:1 volume ratio because 2FN allows for only one solution inlet. For the 3FN, naproxen and PVP were dissolved individually in acetone and water, respectively, because 3FN allows simultaneous entry of two solutions. Upon storage of the formulated ASDs at different humidity levels (25%, 55% and 75% RH), naproxen crystallized more quickly from the 3FN ASDs as compared with the 2FN ASDs. 3FN ASDs crystallized after 5 days of storage at all conditions, whereas 2FN ASDs did not crystallize even at 55% RH for two months. This relatively higher crystallization tendency of 3FN ASDs was attributed to the inhomogeneity of drug and polymers as identified by the solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance findings, specifically due to poor mixing of water- and acetone-based solutions at the 3FN nozzle. When only acetone was used as a solvent to prepare drug-polymer solutions for 3FN, the formulated ASD was found to be stable for >3 months of storage (at 75% RH), which suggests that instability of the 3FN ASD was due to the insufficient mixing of water and acetone solutions. This study provides insights into the effects of solvent and nozzle choices on the physical stability of spray-dried ASDs.

Physical Stability and Dissolution of Lumefantrine Amorphous Solid Dispersions Produced by Spray Anti-Solvent Precipitation.

This study aims to develop amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) of lumefantrine with a cost-effective approach of spray anti-solvent precipitation. Four acidic polymers, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose phthalate (HPMCP), hydroxypropylmethylcellulose acetate succinate (HPMCAS), poly(methacrylic acid-ethyl acrylate) (EL100) and cellulose acetate phthalate (CAP) were studied as excipients at various drug-polymer ratios. Of the studied polymers, satisfactory physical stability was demonstrated for HPMCP- and HPMCAS-based ASDs with no observed powder X-ray diffraction peaks for up to 3 months of storage at 40 °C/75% RH. HPMCP and HPMCAS ASDs also achieved greater drug release levels in the dissolution study than other polymers. The HPMCP-based ASDs with a drug:polymer ratio of 2:8 exhibited a maximum drug release of 140 µg/mL for up to 2 h, which is significantly higher than the currently marketed formulation of Coartem® (<80 ng/mL). Relatively, the CAP and EL100 ASDs indicated a higher water content and crystallized within a day when stored at 40 °C/75% RH. The choice of polymer, and the drug-polymer ratio played a crucial role in the solubility enhancement of lumefantrine. Our study indicates that the developed spray anti-solvent precipitation method could be an affordable approach for producing ASDs.

Physical stability and release properties of lumefantrine amorphous solid dispersion granules prepared by a simple solvent evaporation approach.

Amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) of lumefantrine, which has low aqueous solubility, have been shown to improve bioavailability relative to crystalline formulations. Herein, the crystallization tendency and release properties of a variety of lumefantrine ASD granules, formed on a blend of microcrystalline cellulose and anhydrous lactose, prepared using a simple solvent evaporation method, were evaluated. Several polymers, a majority of which contained acidic moieties, and different drug loadings were assessed. Crystallinity as a function of time following exposure to stress storage conditions of 40 °C and 75% relative humidity was monitored for the various dispersions. Release testing was performed and ASD characteristics were further evaluated using infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). A large difference in stability to crystallization was observed between the various ASDs, most notably depending on polymer chemistry. This could be largely rationalized based on the extent of drug-polymer interactions, specifically the degree of lumefantrine-polymer salt formation, which could be readily assessed with XPS spectroscopy. Lumefantrine release from the ASDs also varied considerably, whereby the best polymer for promoting physical stability did not lead to the highest extent of drug release. Several formulations led to concentrations above the amorphous solubility of lumefantrine, with the formation of nano-sized drug-rich aggregates. A balance between the ability of a given polymer to promote physical stability and drug release may need to be sought.

Qualitative and Quantitative Characterization of Composition Heterogeneity on the Surface of Spray Dried Amorphous Solid Dispersion Particles by an Advanced Surface Analysis Platform with High Surface Sensitivity and Superior Spatial Resolution.

Surface composition critically impacts stability (e.g., crystallization) and performance (e.g., dissolution) of spray dried amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) formulations; however, traditional characterization techniques such as Raman and infrared spectroscopies may not provide useful information on surface composition on the spray dried ASD particles due to low spatial resolution, high probing depth, and lack of quantitative information. This study presents an advanced surface characterization platform consisting of two complementary techniques: X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). Such a platform enables qualitative and quantitative measurements of surface composition for the fine spray dried ASD particles with ultrasurface-sensitivity (less than 10 nm from the surface) and superior spatial resolution (approximately 250 nm for ToF-SIMS). Both XPS and ToF-SIMS demonstrated that the polymer (PVPVA) was dominantly enriched on the surface of our spray dried naproxen-PVPVA ASD particles. Of a particular note was that XPS could differentiate two batches of spray dried ASD particles with a subtle difference in surface composition produced by varying feed solution solvents. This advanced surface characterization platform will provide essential surface information to understand the mechanisms underlying the impact of surface composition on stability (e.g., crystallization) and functionality (e.g., dissolution) in future studies.