Novel microporous resin-based polymer device for sustained glipizide release: Production, characterization and pharmacokinetic study.

The objective of this study was to explore an innovative sustained release technology and design a new microporous resin-based polymer device (RPD) for controlled release of glipizide (GZ). Photocurable resin was applied to prepare the resin layer to control GZ release. The impact of formulation parameters consisting of the type and amount of pore formers and pH modifiers, photocurable curing time as well as the weight of resin layer on GZ release were examined. The GZ-RPD was fabricated applying 24 mg of resin layer with PEG400 (100 % of the resin weight) as pore former and 10 mg of Na2CO3 as pH modifier. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) demonstrated resin particles presenting a porous structure constituted the resin layer. The GZ-RPD possessed prolonged Tmax and reduced Cmax relative to commercial tablets. The relative bioavailability of the RPDs as well as commercial tablets was 93.65 % since the AUC0-24 h were 6111.05 ± 238.89 ng·h/mL and 6525.09 ± 760.59 ng h/mL, respectively. The release mechanism of the GZ-RPD was discussed. This paper provided an innovative concept to produce controlled GZ release oral formulation fabricated by photocurable resin, which demonstrated both excellent in vitro release and in vivo pharmacokinetics.

Effects of CYP2C9*3 and *13 alleles on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of glipizide in healthy Korean subjects.

Glipizide is a second-generation sulfonylurea antidiabetic drug. It is principally metabolized to inactive metabolites by genetically polymorphic CYP2C9 enzyme. In this study, we investigated the effects of CYP2C9*3 and *13 variant alleles on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of glipizide. Twenty-four healthy Korean volunteers (11 subjects with CYP2C9*1/*1, 8 subjects with CYP2C9*1/*3, and 5 subjects with CYP2C9*1/*13) were recruited for this study. They were administered a single oral dose of glipizide 5 mg. The plasma concentration of glipizide was quantified for pharmacokinetic analysis and plasma glucose and insulin concentrations were measured as pharmacodynamic parameters. The results represented that CYP2C9*3 and *13 alleles significantly affected the pharmacokinetics of glipizide. In subjects with CYP2C9*1/*3 and CYP2C9*1/*13 genotypes, the mean AUC0-∞ were increased by 44.8% and 58.2%, respectively (both P < 0.001), compared to those of subjects with CYP2C9*1/*1 genotype, while effects of glipizide on plasma glucose and insulin levels were not significantly different between CYP2C9 genotype groups. In conclusion, individuals carrying the defective CYP2C9*3 and CYP2C9*13 alleles have markedly elevated plasma concentrations of glipizide compared with CYP2C9*1/*1 wild-type.

Effect of Tinospora cordifolia aqua-alcoholic extract on pharmacokinetic of Glibenclamide in rat: An herb-drug interaction study.

Tinospora cordifolia (TC) has been used as a complimentary/alternative medicine against diabetes. Considering its potential to modulate metabolic enzymes, Tinospora cordifolia extract (TCE) may influence the metabolism of the antidiabeic drug Glibenclamide following co-administration. Accordingly, this work was undertaken to evaluate impact of TCE on fate of Glibenclamide. Activity of clinically important Cytochrome P450 isoenzymes were inhibited in the order of CYP2C9 > CYP2D6 > CYP2C19 > CYP1A2 > CYP3A4. Formations of metabolites were inhibited with increasing concentration of TCE in both rat and human liver microsomes. TCE was co- administered in three different groups (0, 100 and 400 mg/kg) with Glibenclamide at 1 mg/kg dose to observe the alteration in pharmacokinetic parameters of Glibenclamide. The rats were pretreated with 0 (vehicle), 100 and 400 mg/kg dose of TCE b.i.d for 14 days and on the 14th day all three groups were administered with 1 mg/kg Glibenclamide. Pharmacokinetic parameters were analyzed based on plasma concentrations of Glibenclamide from all the groups by LC-HRMS methods using Glipizide as an internal standard. At 400 mg/kg dose, a marked increase in the bio availability of Glibenclamide was observed with a significant delay of Tmax and suppression of clearance.

Influence of Single and Multi Dose Treatment of Glipizide on Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Irbesartan in Normal and Hypertensive Rats.

PURPOSE: The present study was carried out to investigate the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic drug interaction of irbesartan with glipizide after single and multi dose treatment in normal and hypertensive rat models to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the combination. METHODS: The study was conducted on normal and 10% fructose solution induced hypertensive rats. Irbesartan and glipizide were administered orally for 7 days and on 8th day blood samples were collected for 12 h at regular time intervals from irbesartan alone and in combination with glipizide treated groups. The blood samples were analyzed for various pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters. RESULTS: Irbesartan caused marked reduction in blood pressure in hypertensive rats. The combination of irbesartan and glipizide in hypertensive rats produce significant change in blood pressure (pharmacodynamic) and also significance in pharmacokinetic parameters of irbesartan with glipizide in single dose and multiple doses. CONCLUSION: The results of present study demonstrated that the synergistic activity of irbesartan with glipizide was observed.

Study of the Mucoadhesive Potential of Carbopol Polymer in the Preparation of Microbeads Containing the Antidiabetic Drug Glipizide.

The present investigation was aimed at exploitation of the mucoadhesive potential of carbopol 934P polymer in developing microbeads of glipizide (GLP) for its effectivity in controlling blood sugar in diabetic patients. Various batches of GLP beads were prepared by an emulsion-solvent evaporation technique using the release-retarding polymer carbopol and subjected to a systematic evaluation such as physical characterization, ex vivo mucoadhesion, hydration and erosion test, and in vitro drug release; and instrumental and in vivo studies were performed with the best formulation. The highest yield and loading efficiency were observed as 94 and ∼90%, respectively. The mean particle size of the microbeads ranged from 832 to 742 µm. The oval shape of the microbeads with slight roughness was apparent in the SEM micrograph. The release period was extended till 18 h. In vitro release of the drug from the beads followed the diffusion and erosion mechanism. In the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), there is a significant (p < 0.01) reduction in fasting blood glucose levels in Wistar rat and guinea pig in comparison with that using the marketed product. Results indicated that process parameters-drug-polymer ratio, concentration of the surfactant, and stirring speed-controlled the various characteristics of the microparticles. The mucoadhesivity test ensured strong adherence of the beads to the mucosal membrane in pH 1.2 for a prolonged period. Owing to the mucoadhesivity of carbopol 934P, prolonged release of GLP and reduction of fasting sugar in the animal model were observed to a satisfactory level, and thus, management of diabetes in a better manner is expected with this new formulation.

Utility of capillary microsampling for rat pharmacokinetic studies: Comparison of tail-vein bleed to jugular vein cannula sampling.

INTRODUCTION: Serial sampling methods have been used for rat pharmacokinetic (PK) studies for over 20 years. Currently, it is still common to take 200-250 µL of blood at each timepoint when performing a PK study in rats and using serial sampling. While several techniques have been employed for collecting blood samples from rats, there is only limited published data to compare these methods. Recently, microsampling (≤ 50 µL) techniques have been reported as an alternative process for collecting blood samples from rats. METHODS: In this report, five compounds were dosed orally into rats. For three proprietary compounds, jugular vein cannula (JVC) sampling was used to collect whole blood and plasma samples and capillary microsampling (CMS) was used to collect blood samples from the tail vein of the same animal. For the two other compounds, marketed drugs fluoxetine and glipizide, JVC sampling was used to collect both whole blood and blood CMS samples while tail-vein sampling from the same rats was also used to collect both whole blood and blood CMS samples. RESULTS: For the three proprietary compounds, the blood AUC as well as the blood concentration-time profile that were obtained from the tail vein were different from those obtained via JVC sampling. For fluoxetine, the blood total exposure (AUC) was not statistically different when comparing tail-vein sampling to JVC sampling, however the blood concentration-time profile that was obtained from the tail vein was different than the one obtained from JVC sampling. For glipizide, the blood AUC and concentration-time profile were not statistically different when comparing the tail-vein sampling to the JVC sampling. For both fluoxetine and glipizide, the blood concentration profiles obtained from CMS were equivalent to the blood concentration profiles obtained from the standard whole blood sampling, collected at the same sampling site. DISCUSSION: The data in this report provide strong evidence that blood CMS is a valuable small volume blood sampling approach for rats and that it provides results for test compound concentrations that are equivalent to those obtained from traditional whole blood sampling. The data also suggest that for some compounds, the concentration-time profile that is obtained for a test compound based on sampling from a rat tail vein may be different from that obtained from rat JVC sampling. In some cases, this shift in the concentration-time profile will result in different PK parameters for the test compound. Based on these observations, it is recommended that a consistent blood sampling method should be used for serial microsampling in discovery rat PK studies when testing multiple new chemical entities. If the rat tail vein sampling method is selected for PK screening, then conducting a bridging study on the lead compound is recommended to confirm that the rat PK obtained from JVC sampling is comparable to the tail-vein sampling.

The biopharmaceutics of successful controlled release drug product: Segmental-dependent permeability of glipizide vs. metoprolol throughout the intestinal tract.

The purpose of this work was to study the challenges and prospects of regional-dependent absorption in a controlled-release scenario, through the oral biopharmaceutics of the sulfonylurea antidiabetic drug glipizide. The BCS solubility class of glipizide was determined, and its physicochemical properties and intestinal permeability were thoroughly investigated, both in-vitro (PAMPA and Caco-2) and in-vivo in rats. Metoprolol was used as the low/high permeability class boundary marker. Glipizide was found to be a low-solubility compound. All intestinal permeability experimental methods revealed similar trend; a mirror image small intestinal permeability with opposite regional/pH-dependency was obtained, a downward trend for glipizide, and an upward trend for metoprolol. Yet the lowest permeability of glipizide (terminal Ileum) was comparable to the lowest permeability of metoprolol (proximal jejunum). At the colon, similar permeability was evident for glipizide and metoprolol, that was higher than metoprolol's jejunal permeability. We present an analysis that identifies metoprolol's jejunal permeability as the low/high permeability class benchmark anywhere throughout the intestinal tract; we show that the permeability of both glipizide and metoprolol matches/exceeds this threshold throughout the entire intestinal tract, accounting for their success as controlled-release dosage form. This represents a key biopharmaceutical characteristic for a successful controlled-release dosage form.

A rapid and simple UPLC-MS-MS method for determination of glipizide in human plasma and its application to bioequivalence study.

In this study, a simple, rapid and sensitive ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method is described for the determination of glipizide in human plasma samples using carbamazepine as the internal standard (IS) from bioequivalence assays. Sample preparation was accomplished through protein precipitation with methanol, and chromatographic separation was performed on an Acquity BEH C18 column (2.1 mm × 50 mm, 1.7 µm) with gradient profile at a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. Mass spectrometric analysis was performed using an QTrap5500 mass spectrometer coupled with an electrospray ionization source in the positive ion mode. The multiple reaction monitoring transitions of m/z 446.1 → 321.0 and m/z 237.1 → 194.2 were used to quantify for glipizide and IS. The linearity of this method was found to be within the concentration range of 10-1,500 ng/mL for glipizide in human plasma. Only 1.0 min was needed for an analytical run. The method was applied to a bioequivalence study of two drug products containing glipizide in human plasma samples.

In vitro characterization of a novel polymeric system for preparation of amorphous solid drug dispersions.

Preparation of amorphous solid dispersions using polymers is a commonly used formulation strategy for enhancing the solubility of poorly water-soluble drugs. However, often a single polymer may not bring about a significant enhancement in solubility or amorphous stability of a poorly water-soluble drug. This study describes application of a unique and novel binary polymeric blend in preparation of solid dispersions. The objective of this study was to investigate amorphous solid dispersions of glipizide, a BCS class II model drug, in a binary polymeric system of polyvinyl acetate phthalate (PVAP) and hypromellose (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, HPMC). The solid dispersions were prepared using two different solvent methods: rotary evaporation (rotavap) and fluid bed drug layering on sugar spheres. The performance and physical stability of the dispersions were evaluated with non-sink dissolution testing, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), and modulated differential scanning calorimetry (mDSC). PXRD analysis demonstrated an amorphous state for glipizide, and mDSC showed no evidence of phase separation. Non-sink dissolution testing in pH 7.5 phosphate buffer indicated more than twofold increase in apparent solubility of the drug with PVAP-HPMC system. The glipizide solid dispersions demonstrated a high glass transition temperature (Tg) and acceptable chemical and physical stability during the stability period irrespective of the manufacturing process. In conclusion, the polymeric blend of PVAP-HPMC offers a unique formulation approach for developing amorphous solid dispersions with the flexibility towards the use of these polymers in different ratios and combined quantities depending on drug properties.

Development and validation of RP-HPLC method for quantification of glipizide in biological macromolecules.

Glipizide (GPZ) has been widely used in the treatment of type-2 diabetics as insulin secretogague. Multiunit chitosan based GPZ floating microspheres was prepared by ionotropic gelation method for gastroretentive delivery using sodiumtripolyphosphate as cross-linking agent. Pharmacokinetic study of microspheres was done in rabbit and plasma samples were analyzed by a newly developed and validated high-performance liquid chromatographic method. Method was developed on Hypersil ODS-18 column using a mobile phase of 10mM phosphate buffer (pH, 3.5) and methanol (25:75, v/v). Elute was monitored at 230 nm with a flow rate of 1 mL/min. Calibration curve was linear over the concentration range of 25.38-2046.45 ng/mL. Retention times of GPZ and internal standard (gliclazide) were 7.32 and 9.02 min respectively. Maximum plasma drug concentration, area under the plasma drug concentration-time curve and elimination half life for GPZ floating microspheres were 2.88±0.29 µg mL(-1), 38.46±2.26 µg h mL(-1) and 13.55±1.36 h respectively. When the fraction of drug dissolved from microspheres in pH 7.4 was plotted against the fraction of drug absorbed, a linear correlation (R(2)=0.991) was obtained in in vitro and in vivo correlation study.

Development of controlled release osmotic pump tablet of glipizide solid dispersion.

PURPOSE: To develop controlled release osmotic pump tablets (COPT) of glipizide (GZ) solid dispersion (SD). METHODS: In elementary osmotic pump (EOP) tablets, an osmotic core with the drug is surrounded by a semi-permeable membrane which is drilled with a delivery orifice. COPT tablets eliminate the need of drilling process as controlled release can be achieved by the presence of osmogen in the coating. Poorly water soluble drug molecule cannot give satisfactory drug release hence GZ solid dispersion was prepared in the present study. The SDs having different ratio of drug to Poloxamer (PXM) 188 were prepared by hot melt method and optimized by solubility study, drug content estimation and in vitro dissolution study. Effect of two independent variables, amount of osmogen (potassium chloride) and hydrophilic polymer (polyethylene oxide WSR 303), were investigated using 3(2) factorial design. Core and coated tablets were evaluated for pharmacotechnical parameters. In-vitro drug release profiles of COPT tablets were compared with marketed with push-pull osmotic pump tablet, Glucotrol XL. RESULTS: Prepared core and coated tablets showed acceptable pharmacotechnical parameters. Drug release was directly proportional to initial level of hydrophilic polymer, but inversely related to the osmogen, confirming osmotic mechanism. Zero order drug release pattern was achieved which was comparable to marketed product. CONCLUSION: Novel oral controlled release of glipizide was successfully achieved by incorporating glipizide solid dispersion into osmotic system.

Design and evaluation of mucoadhesive beads of glipizide as a controlled release drug delivery system.

The present work aims at the development of a low-cost controlled release system of glipizide beads embedded in pectin to overcome the problem of frequent dosing of drug. The method of preparation has been optimised by experimental design to achieve satisfactory responses with respect to controlling variables. The controlling variables are X1, drug-polymer ratio; X2, surfactant concentration and X3, isooctane-acetone ratio. The most effective combination is X1(1:6), X2(1%), X3(50:50). Various parameters such as mucoadhesivity and swellability of beads, characterisation, dissolution, stability, ex vivo absorption and in vivo (Oral glucose tolerance test in rat) studies were performed with the optimised product. The optimised product was found quiet satisfactory that showed yield of 86.78%, drug entrapment efficiency (DEE) of 87.38% and drug release was extended up to 18 h. The present formulation of glipizide is a promising multiparticulate system of glipizide with significant hypoglycemic effect, and moreover it was prepared rapidly with ease.

The effects of colesevelam HCl on the single-dose pharmacokinetics of glimepiride, extended-release glipizide, and olmesartan medoxomil.

Bile acid sequestrants can potentially bind to concomitant drugs. Single-dose studies evaluated the effects of colesevelam on the pharmacokinetics of glimepiride, glipizide extended-release (ER), and olmesartan medoxomil. Each study enrolled healthy subjects aged 18-45 years. The olmesartan medoxomil study used a randomized adaptive crossover design that initially compared olmesartan medoxomil alone versus simultaneously with colesevelam, then olmesartan medoxomil alone versus 4 hours before colesevelam. The other studies used a three-period crossover design (test drug alone, test drug simultaneously with colesevelam, and test drug 4 hours before colesevelam). For the colesevelam coadministration periods, 3,750 mg once daily was dosed throughout the pharmacokinetic sampling period. After each single dose of test drug, serial blood samples were collected for determination of plasma drug concentrations and calculation of pharmacokinetic parameters. Administering colesevelam simultaneously with glimepiride or glipizide ER resulted in minor reductions (18% and 13%, respectively) in total exposure that were negated by staggering colesevelam dosing by 4 hours. Administering colesevelam simultaneously with olmesartan medoxomil resulted in a major reduction (39%) in olmesartan exposure that was reduced by staggering colesevelam dosing by 4 hours. This reduction in olmesartan exposure is not predicted to have a clinically significant impact on blood pressure control.

Compression-coated tablets of glipizide using hydroxypropylcellulose for zero-order release: in vitro and in vivo evaluation.

Compression coating, which presents some advantages like short manufacturing process and non-solvent residue over liquid coating, has been introduced to the oral administration systems for decades. The purpose of this study was to design a zero-order release of compression-coated tablets using hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC) as the coating layer and glipizide which was solubilized by manufacturing the inclusion complex of ß-cyclodextrin as a model drug. The effects of the weight ratio of drug and the viscosity of HPC on the release profile were investigated by "f2" factor with Glucotrol XL(®). The uptake and erosion study, the correlation coefficient (R) and the exponent (n) were used as indicators to justify drug release mechanism. Bioavailability in vivo was determined by administering the compression-coated tablets to rabbits in contrast with Glucotrol XL(®). It was found that the formulation presented a well zero-order behavior at the weight ratio of drug 11:14 (core:layer) and the combination of HPC-L (8.0 mPa s) and HPC-M (350 mPa s) (8:9), with the "f2" of 66.90. The mechanism for zero-order release of these compression-coated tablets was solvent penetration into the dosage form and drug dissolution from the erosion of the gelled HPC matrix. The parameter AUC0-∞ of the compression coated tablets and the market tablets were 37,255.93±1474.08 h ng/ml and 43265.40±1015.28 h ng/ml, while the relative bioavailability was 87.66±1.56%. These studies demonstrate that the designed compression-coated tablets may be a promising strategy for peroral controlled release delivery system of water-insoluble drugs.

Microwave-induced solid dispersion technology to improve bioavailability of glipizide.

OBJECTIVES: The effect of microwave (MW) irradiation and conventional heating (CH) on solid dispersion (SD) of poorly water-soluble glipizide (GPZ) and polyethylene glycol 4000 (PEG 4000) were studied in detail. METHODS: The chemical stability of GPZ on exposure to MW irradiation and CH was confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography, Fourier transform infra red spectroscopy, proton nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectroscopy studies. Comparative bioavailability studies were performed in rabbits using glipizide sustained-release tablets prepared using MW irradiation (MW-SD) or CH (CH-SD), with Glytop 2.5 mg SR as a reference. KEY FINDINGS: The MW-assisted melt mixing showed higher efficiency than CH in obtaining a homogeneous mixture having glass transparency. The polymorphic transformation of GPZ in each case was further confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction study. The solubility of GPZ in phosphate buffer pH 6.8 was greater for MW-SD (72.250 ± 0.154 µg/ml) than CH-SD (46 ± 0.201 µg/ml). The MW-SD matrix tablet (2.5 mg) displayed retarded drug release (releasing 99.320 ± 4.992% drug in 12 h). In-vivo pharmacokinetic study in rabbits revealed that the relative bioavailability of GPZ from MW-SD tablets improved greatly (153.73 ± 9.713%). CONCLUSIONS: MW-induced SD technology could be a better alternative to CH-SD for the enhanced solubility and bioavailability of GPZ.

Simultaneous quantification of metformin and glipizide in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and its application to a pharmacokinetic study.

A selective, sensitive and rapid high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated to determine metformin and glipizide simultaneously in human plasma using phenacetin as internal standard (IS). After one-step protein precipitation of 200 µL plasma with methanol, metformin, glipizide and IS were separated on a Kromasil Phenyl column (4.6 × 150 mm, 5 µm) at 40°C with an isocratic mobile phase consisting of methanol-10 mmol/L ammonium acetate (75:25, v/v) at a flow rate of 0.35 mL/min. Electrospray ionization source was applied and operated in the positive mode. Multiple reaction monitoring using the precursor → product ion combinations of m/z 130 → m/z 71, m/z 446 → m/z 321 and m/z 180 → m/z 110 were used to quantify metformin, glipizide and IS, respectively. The linear calibration curves were obtained over the concentration ranges 4.10-656 ng/mL for metformin and 2.55-408 ng/mL for glipizide. The relative standard deviation of intra-day and inter-day precision was below 10% and the relative error of accuracy was between -7.0 and 4.6%. The presented HPLC-MS/MS method was proved to be suitable for the pharmacokinetic study of metformin hydrochloride and glipizide tablets in healthy volunteers after oral administration.

Microwave-generated bionanocomposites for solubility and dissolution enhancement of poorly water-soluble drug glipizide: in-vitro and in-vivo studies.

OBJECTIVES: In oral absorption of a drug, the drug first dissolves and then is absorbed by diffusion through gastrointestinal membranes. The gastrointestinal environment is aqueous in nature and it is well-known that one-third of the drug population is water insoluble. Hence, there is a need for enhancement of the solubility and dissolution of such drugs. In this work, enhancement of the solubility and dissolution of the practically insoluble drug glipizide was achieved by formation of bionanocomposites (BNCs) using microwave-induced diffusion (MIND), which ultimately leads to bioavailability enhancement. METHODS: BNCs were formed by using natural carriers such as gelatin, acacia, cassia and ghatti gum, with the help of microwaves. Selection of carriers was based on their surfactant and wetting properties. Solubility studies were carried out to establish the solubility-enhancing property of the BNCs. To support solubility analysis results, dissolution studies (i.e. powder dissolution and in-vitro dissolution) were carried out. The BNCs were characterized by Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction studies, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. In-vivo performance of the optimised formulation was assessed by glucose-induced hyperglycaemia test in male albino Wistar rats. KEY FINDINGS: It was found that as the concentration of polymer in the composite increased the solubility and dissolution of glipizide were enhanced. The optimised ratio (drug : polymer) for all the composites was found to be 1:9. In the glucose-induced hyperglycemia test in rats, the optimized formulation demonstrated a significant reduction in hyperglycemia compared with a marketed formulation, Glynase. CONCLUSIONS: The novelty of this work is the green and cost-effective way of forming drug nanocomposites with the help of microwave, which can be scaled up to an industrial level. The method gives an immaculate means of solubilisation by generating drug dispersion at the micro and nanoscale level in natural biodegradable stabilising media. Hence, this study demonstrates the use of BNCs in solubility and dissolution enhancement.

Dapagliflozin: a review of its use in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Dapagliflozin (Forxiga®) is the first in a novel class of glucose-lowering agents known as sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and is used in the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes. By inhibiting the transporter protein SGLT2 in the kidneys, dapagliflozin reduces renal glucose reabsorption, leading to urinary glucose excretion and a reduction in blood glucose levels. Unlike oral antidiabetic drugs from several other classes, the efficacy of dapagliflozin is independent of insulin secretion and action. Therefore, when used in combination with other antidiabetic drugs, dapagliflozin provides complementary therapy via its unique mechanism of action. A consistent finding across phase III, randomized, double-blind trials in patients with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes was that dapagliflozin 5 or 10 mg/day for 24 weeks as monotherapy in previously untreated patients, or as add-on combination therapy with metformin, glimepiride, pioglitazone or insulin-based therapy, significantly reduced both glycosylated haemoglobin values (primary endpoint) and fasting plasma glucose levels compared with placebo. Various randomized trials have also shown improvements in postprandial blood glucose with dapagliflozin monotherapy and combination therapy compared with placebo. In addition, dapagliflozin was noninferior to glipizide, in terms of glycaemic control after 52 weeks, when used as add-on therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes that was inadequately controlled with metformin. In most clinical trials, dapagliflozin was associated with reductions in body weight that were statistically superior to placebo or active comparators. Longer-term extension studies indicate that the efficacy of dapagliflozin is maintained for up to ≈2 years. Dapagliflozin was generally well tolerated in clinical trials of 24 or 52 weeks duration and in extension studies of up to ≈2 years. Events suggestive of genital infections and urinary tract infections occurred more frequently among dapagliflozin than placebo recipients. These adverse events are of special interest because they appear to be related to the mechanism of action of dapagliflozin. Dapagliflozin has a low propensity to cause hypoglycaemia, especially when used alone or in combination with metformin, although the incidence of hypoglycaemic events reported with dapagliflozin in clinical trials varied depending on the background therapy. Longer-term tolerability/safety data with dapagliflozin are awaited with interest. In conclusion, dapagliflozin, with its unique and complementary mechanism of action, appears to be an important addition to the therapeutic options for the management of type 2 diabetes, particularly when used as add-on therapy.

Split calibration curve: an approach to avoid repeat analysis of the samples exceeding ULOQ.

BACKGROUND: The current practice of using calibration curves with narrow concentration ranges during bioanalysis of new chemical entities has some limitations and is time consuming. In the present study we describe a split calibration curve approach, where sample dilution and repeat analysis can be avoided without compromising the quality and integrity of the data obtained. RESULTS: A split calibration curve approach is employed to determine the drug concentration in plasma samples with accuracy and precision over a wide dynamic range of approximately 0.6 to 15,000 ng/ml for dapsone and approximately 1 to 25,000 ng/ml for cyclophosphamide and glipizide. A wide dynamic range of concentrations for these three compounds was used in the current study to construct split calibration curves and was successfully validated for sample analysis in a single run. CONCLUSION: Using this method, repeat analysis of samples can be avoided. This is useful for the bioanalysis of toxicokinetic studies with wide dose ranges and studies where the sample volume is limited.

Comparative pharmacokinetics studies of immediate- and modified-release formulations of glipizide in pigs and dogs.

The utility of pigs as preclinical animals for pharmaceutical development was assessed by evaluating the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of glipizide (Glucotrol®) following oral administration of immediate-release (IR) and modified-release (MR) formulations. Doses of 10 and 30 mg were administered to six male pigs in a crossover design. Blood samples were collected at selected time-points up to 48 h after dose. Relative to the IR formulation, the time to reach the maximum concentration (t(max) ) was delayed with the MR formulation from 1.3 to 8.7 h with the 10 mg dose and to 6.2 h with the 30 mg dose. The relative bioavailability (BA) was approximately 92% at 10 mg and 79% at 30 mg dose. The area under the curve of the plasma concentration versus time curve (AUC) increased nearly proportionally with the dose. Interanimal coefficient of variation (CV) in AUC ranged from approximately 40% to 60%. Blood glucose results suggest that pigs demonstrate formulation-dependent response to glipizide. Compared with the pigs, the 10 mg MR formulation in dogs showed a higher AUC CV of approximately 80%, a t(max) of 5.5 h, and a lower relative BA of 18%. These data indicate that the MR formulation performed less consistently in dogs as compared with humans, whereas the porcine absorption kinetics and BA were consistent with published clinical data.