Compression-coated pulsatile chronomodulated therapeutic system: QbD assisted optimization.

Pulsatile drug delivery systems have drawn attention in contemporary research for designing chronotherapeutic systems. The current work aims to design pulsatile ketorolac tromethamine tablets using compression coating for delayed delivery with a lag time suitable for the treatment of morning stiffness in arthritis. Rapidly disintegrating core tablets of ketorolac tromethamine were formulated using super-disintegrants, and the optimized formulation was compression using PEO WSR coagulant and Eudragit RLPO for delaying the release. The central composite design and response surface methodology were employed to optimize the formulation and process parameters namely PEO WSR Coagulant (X1), Eudragit RLPO (X2), and Hardness (X3). The dependent variables optimized were lag time and time required for 95% drug release. Analysis using response surface graphs and mathematical modeling of the results allowed identifying and quantifying the formulation variables active on the selected responses. A polynomial equation fitted to the data was used to predict the composition with optimum responses. Compression-coated pulsatile tablets' optimized composition exhibited a lag time of 9 h and released 95% of the ketorolac tromethamine in 17.42 h. Validation of the mathematical model assured the reliability of QBD in formulation design. In vivo X-ray imaging and pharmacokinetic studies established a strong relationship between the coated polymers maintaining the desired lag time for delayed delivery of the active to coincide with the chronobiology for enhanced bioavailability at the right time when needed.

Eudragit RL100 Based Moxifloxacin Hydrochloride and Ketorolac Tromethamine Combination Nanoparticulate System for Ocular Drug Delivery.

BACKGROUND: Bacterial conjunctivitis is a serious ocular infection if left untreated. It is caused by several species of bacteria like Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus and Mycobacterium. OBJECTIVE: The present investigation explores the development and characterization of moxifloxacin hydrochloride and ketorolac tromethamine combination loaded Eudragit RL 100 nanosuspension for ocular drug delivery in order to overcome the problems associated with conventional dosage forms. METHODS: The nanosuspension prepared by nanoprecipitation technique showed successful entrapment of both water-soluble drugs in the polymer matrix indicated by their % entrapment efficiencies. RESULTS: Formulations showed a mean particle size <200 nm with narrow size distribution and positive surface charge due to the presence of quaternary ammonium groups of Eudragit RL100. FTIR study revealed compatibility among the components, while a reduction in the crystallinity of formulation was observed in the PXRD study. The release of both the drugs was found to be sustained in nanosuspension as compared to commercial eyedrops. Ex vivo studies showed increased transcorneal permeation of drugs from nanosuspension, where approximately 2.5-fold and 2-fold increase in the permeation was observed for moxifloxacin hydrochloride and ketorolac tromethamine, respectively. The formulation was stable at 4°C and room temperature. CONCLUSION: Due to their sustained release, positive surface charge and higher transcorneal permeation, this will be a promising ocular drug delivery.

Extended delivery of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs through contact lenses loaded with Vitamin E and cationic surfactants.

The purpose of this study is to extend drug release from ACUVUE Oasys® and ACUVUE TruEye® silicone hydrogel contact lenses by incorporation of vitamin E in conjunction with a cationic surfactant. In ACUVUE Oasys® and ACUVUE TruEye®, the release of ketorolac tromethamine and flurbiprofen sodium is extended from hours to several days for 11% and 21% vitamin E, (weight of vitamin E / weight of dry lens) but with a considerable reduction in the amount of drug released. Cetalkonium chloride and stearylamine increased the drug loading capacity which was otherwise compromised by the addition of vitamin E in the contact lenses. In the case of diclofenac sodium, a sustained release over 150 h for both contact lenses can be achieved. It was found that the release-time-increase factor due to vitamin E has a linear dependence with the octanol-water partition coefficient of the drug in ACUVUE Oasys®. The results in this study show that contact lenses loaded with vitamin E in conjunction with cationic surfactants achieved sustained release of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) within the therapeutic window.

Nanostructured SBA-15 host applied in ketorolac tromethamine release system.

The ordered mesoporous silica SBA-15 has been applied in studies of ketorolac tromethamine adsorption and release. The SBA-15 materials with hexagonal and regular structure were obtained using a triblock copolymer Pluronic P123 as a template and TEOS as a silica source. Ketorolac tromethamine was adsorbed into SBA-15 silica nanochannels using ethanol as solvent. The physicochemical and textural properties of SBA-15 and ketorolac tromethamine/SBA-15 were characterized by X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, transmission electron microscopy, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and BET surface studies. Drug release was evaluated by soaking the loaded silica mesoporous material into a solution of HCl (0.1 N) at initial time (0-2 h) and buffer pH 7 at high times at 37 °C under continuous stirring. Oral commercial Keto tablets (Dolten®) and Keto solution (Keto power) were study for the contrast. Release studies were performed in order to evaluate the required therapeutic efficacy. SBA-15 provides significant improvement in the controlled release of ketorolac tromethamine. Release profile of KETO from SBA-15/KETO and control releases.

Body weight, gender and pregnancy affect enantiomer-specific ketorolac pharmacokinetics.

AIMS: Although ketorolac analgesia is linked only to the S-enantiomer, there is limited information on the stereo-selective pharmacokinetics of this agent. We studied the stereo-selective pharmacokinetics of ketorolac in a pooled dataset of two studies, with women at delivery and 4-5 months postpartum, and males and nonpregnant females. METHODS: Nonlinear mixed-effect modelling was used to evaluate the stereo-selective pharmacokinetics of ketorolac tromethamine after a single intravenous injection immediately after delivery (n = 41), 4-5 months postpartum (n = 8, paired), and in male (n = 12) and nonpregnant female (n = 14) subjects. All of the males and six of the nonpregnant females were recruited from another study, in which they were undergoing blood sampling for 24 h. All remaining cases underwent blood sampling for 8 h. RESULTS: For both the R- and S-enantiomers, body weight affected ketorolac clearance. In addition, clearance for both enantiomers was 36% [95% confidence interval (CI) 15%, 58%] higher in male than in female subjects of the same body weight, and 55% (95% CI 33%, 78%) higher in women at delivery than in nonpregnant women of the same body weight. Women at delivery also had a 27% (95% CI 8%, 46%) higher distribution volume than nonpregnant women. The proportional effects of the covariates were not significantly different for the two ketorolac enantiomers. CONCLUSIONS: Besides the anticipated impact of body weight on clearance, R- and S-ketorolac clearance is increased in male subjects and in women at delivery. To reach an exposure equivalent to that in nonpregnant women, males should receive a 36% increased ketorolac dose and pregnant women a 55% increased dose, in addition to a dose adjustment by body weight.

Poloxamer-based thermoresponsive ketorolac tromethamine in situ gel preparations: Design, characterisation, toxicity and transcorneal permeation studies.

This study was aimed at preparing, characterising and evaluating in situ gel formulations based on a blend of two hydrophilic polymers i.e. poloxamer 407 (P407) and poloxamer 188 (P188) for a sustained ocular delivery of ketorolac tromethamine (KT). Drug-polymer interaction studies were performed using DSC and FT-IR. The gelation temperature (Tsol-gel), gelation time, rheological behaviour, mucoadhesive characteristics of these gels, transcorneal permeation and ocular irritation as well as toxicity was investigated. DSC and FT-IR studies revealed that there may be electrostatic interactions between the drug and the polymers used. P188 modified the Tsol/gel of P407 bringing it close to eye temperature (35°C) compared with the formulation containing P407 alone. Moreover, gels that comprised P407 and P188 exhibited a pseudoplastic behaviour at different concentrations. Furthermore, mucoadhesion study using mucin discs showed that in situ gel formulations have good mucoadhesive characteristics upon increasing the concentration of P407. When comparing formulations PP11 and PP12, the work of adhesion decreased significantly (P<0.001) from 377.9±7.79mNmm to 272.3±6.11mNmm. In vitro release and ex vivo permeation experiments indicated that the in situ gels were able to prolong and control KT release as only 48% of the KT released within 12h. In addition, the HET-CAM and BCOP tests confirmed the non-irritancy of KT loaded in situ gels, and HET-CAM test demonstrated the ability of ocular protection against strongly irritant substances. MTT assay on primary corneal epithelial cells revealed that in situ gel formulations loaded with KT showed reasonable and acceptable percent cell viability compared with control samples.

Enantiomer-specific ketorolac pharmacokinetics in young women, including pregnancy and postpartum period.

Racemic ketorolac clearance (CL) is significantly higher at delivery, but S-ketorolac disposition determines the analgesic effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of pregnancy and postpartum period on enantiomer-specific (S and R) intravenous (IV) ketorolac pharmacokinetics (PKs). Data in women shortly following cesarean delivery (n=39) were pooled with data in a subgroup of these women that was reevaluated in the later postpartum period (postpartum group, n=8/39) and with eight healthy female volunteers. All women received single IV bolus of 30 mg ketorolac tromethamine. Five plasma samples were collected at 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 hours and plasma concentrations were determined using high performance liquid chromatography. Enantiomer-specific PKs were calculated using PKSolver. Unpaired analysis showed that distribution volume at steady state (Vss, L/kg) for S- and R-ketorolac was significantly higher in women shortly following cesarean delivery (n=31) compared to postpartum group (n=8) or to healthy female volunteers (n=8). CL, CL to body weight, and CL to body surface area (CL/BSA) for S- and R-ketorolac were also significantly higher in women following delivery. In addition, S/R-ketorolac CL/BSA ratio was significantly higher at delivery. Paired PK analysis in eight women shortly following delivery and in postpartum group showed the same pattern. Finally, the simultaneous increase in CL and Vss resulted in similar estimates for elimination half-life in both unpaired and paired analysis. In conclusion, pregnancy affects S-, R-, and S/R-ketorolac disposition. This is of clinical relevance since S-ketorolac (analgesia) CL is even more increased compared to R-ketorolac CL, and S/R-ketorolac CL ratio is higher following delivery compared to postpartum period or to healthy female volunteers.

Comparison of the Pharmacokinetics of Ketorolac Tromethamine After Continuous Subcutaneous Infusion and Repeat Intramuscular Bolus Injections in Healthy Adult Subjects.

Ketorolac tromethamine is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug that exhibits analgesic activity with no sedative or anxiolytic properties. Twelve healthy male subjects were enrolled in a study to receive either of 2 treatments over 2 periods in an open-label, randomized, 2-way crossover design: (A) 120 mg of ketorolac tromethamine administered as a continuous subcutaneous infusion over a 24-hour period; or (B) an identical total daily dose administered as 4 intramuscular bolus injections of 30 mg each given every 6 hours (current labeled treatment regimen). The pharmacokinetic and safety profiles were evaluated for both treatments. Both modes of administration have similar values for area under the curve (AUC) and half-life (t1/2 ), suggesting that continuous subcutaneous infusion and repeated intramuscular bolus injections have similar bioavailability. The peak plasma concentration (Cmax ) was 40% lower when ketorolac was administered as a continuous subcutaneous infusion compared with repeat intramuscular bolus injections. The concentration at steady-state (Css ) for continuous subcutaneous infusion was between the Cmax and Ctrough values obtained following the 4 intramuscular injections. Both treatment arms were well tolerated.

Liposomes as potential carriers for ketorolac ophthalmic delivery: formulation and stability issues / Liposomes as potential carriers for ketorolac ophthalmic delivery: formulation and stability issues

ABSTRACT Drug delivery to treat ocular disorders locally is a challenging endeavor. Traditional ocular dosage form - eye drops - exhibits poor availability, consequently inefficient therapeutic response. The objective of the study was to formulate and characterize a ketorolac tromethamine ocular system with a prolonged release pattern based on liposomes as a vesicular carrier and to design once daily liquid preparation realizing the thermal in situ gelation principle. Liposomes were prepared by film hydration method. The influence of cholesterol concentration, pH and volume of hydration medium, and type and concentration of charging imparting agents were studied. Liposomes were characterized via, morphological examination, vesicular size, and encapsulation efficiency, and in vitro release performance, moreover its stability was assessed. The results obtained highlighted that liposomes showed a closed vesicular multi-lamellar structure. Ketorolac was successfully encapsulated within the liposomal structure in a cholesterol and charge inducing agent concentration-dependent behaviour. The dispersion of liposomes within thermosensitive Poloxamer in situ gel was able to retard the release of the drug by diffusion providing a controlled prolonged delivery. The liposomal formulations were physically stable for six months. Ketorolac tromethamine in situ liposomal gel representing an efficient alternative in terms of ocular retention and patient compliance when compared with conventional eye drops.

Pharmacokinetics of ketorolac tromethamine in horses after intravenous, intramuscular, and oral single-dose administration.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are an integral component of equine analgesia, yet currently available NSAIDs are both limited in their analgesic efficacy and have adverse effects. The NSAID ketorolac tromethamine (KT) is widely used in humans as a potent morphine-sparing analgesic drug but has not been fully evaluated in horses. The purpose of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetic profile of KT in horses after intravenous (i.v.), intramuscular (i.m.), and oral (p.o.) administration. Nine healthy adult horses received a single 0.5-mg/kg dose of KT via each route of administration. Plasma was collected up to 48 h postadministration and analyzed for KT concentration using HPLC/MS/MS. Noncompartmental analysis of i.v. dosage indicated a mean plasma clearance of 8.4 (mL/min)/kg and an estimated mean volume of distribution at steady-state of 0.77 L/kg. Noncompartmental analysis of i.v., i.m., and p.o. dosages indicated mean residence times of 2.0, 2.6, and 7.1 h, respectively. The drug was rapidly absorbed after i.m. and p.o. administration, and mean bioavailability was 71% and 57% for i.m. and p.o. administration, respectively. Adverse effects were not observed after i.v., i.m., and p.o. administration. More studies are needed to evaluate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties of KT in horses.

pH-sensitive interpenetrating polymer network microspheres of poly(vinyl alcohol) and carboxymethyl cellulose for controlled release of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug ketorolac tromethamine.

In this study, we aimed to produce pH-sensitive microspheres for the controlled release of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, ketorolac tromethamine (KT). For this purpose, an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) of microspheres of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (NaCMC) were prepared, based on different formulations using glutaraldehyde (GA) (0.66 M) and hydrochloric acid (HCl) (3%, v/v). The preparation conditions of the microspheres were optimized by considering the percentage of entrapment efficiency and swelling capacity of the microspheres, and their release data. The effects of PVA and NaCMC ratio on the release of KT for over a period of 6 h, at three pH values (1.2, 6.8, and 7.4), have been discussed.

Formulation and pharmacokinetics of colon-specific double-compression coated mini-tablets: Chronopharmaceutical delivery of ketorolac tromethamine.

The present study is designed and significantly planned to study the effect of double-compression coating on core mini-tablets to attain the chronopharmaceutical delivery of ketorolac tromethamine to colon. Double-compression coated tablets were prepared based on time-controlled hydroxypropyl methylcellulose K100M inner compression coat and pH-sensitive Eudragit S100 outer compression coat. From the in vitro drug release studies, F6 tablets was considered as the optimized formulation, which retarded the drug release in stomach and small intestine (3.51 ± 0.15% in 5h) and progressively released to colon (99.82 ± 0.69% in 24h). The release process followed supercase-II transport with zero order release kinetics. Similarity factor calculated from stability studies was found to be 84.73. From the pharmacokinetic evaluation, the immediate release core mini-tablets reached peak plasma concentration (Cmax of 4532.68 ± 28.14 ng/ml) at 2h Tmax and colon targeted tablets showed Cmax=3782.29 ± 17.83 ng/ml at 12h Tmax. The area under the curve and mean resident time of core mini-tablets were found to be 11,278.26 ± 132.67 ng-h/ml and 3.68 h respectively while 17,324.48 ± 56.32 ng-h/ml and 10.39 h for compression coated tablets. Hence the development of double-compression coated tablets is a promising way to gain the chronopharmaceutical delivery of ketorolac tromethamine to colon.

Enhancement in bioavailability of ketorolac tromethamine via intranasal in situ hydrogel based on poloxamer 407 and carrageenan.

The objective of this study was to construct a new in situ gel system based on the combination of poloxamer 407 and carrageenan (carrageenan-poloxamer 407 hydrogel, CPH) for intranasal delivery of ketorolac tromethamine. CPH showed potassium ion concentration - dependent erosion characteristics which ensured slow erosion in aqueous environment containing potassium ion at the physiological level. Loading with ketorolac tromethamine influenced erosion, drug release and thermosensitive properties of CPH. CPH containing 15% ketorolac tromethamine showed suitable gelation temperature (near 35°C) and in vitro sustained release profiles. Pharmacokinetic study of intranasal CPH containing 15% ketorolac tromethamine in rats demonstrated enhanced absolute bioavailability (68.8 ± 23.3%) and prolonged mean residence time (8.8 ± 3.5h) in comparison with the intranasal solution group (24.8 ± 13.8%, 3.9 ± 0.6h). Nasal ciliotoxicity evaluation on an in situ toad palate model preliminarily showed the safety of CPH for intranasal use. All results suggested the potential of CPH as a new sustained - release platform for the intranasal delivery of ketorolac tromethamine.

Reduction of vitreous prostaglandin E2 levels after topical administration of ketorolac 0.45%.

IMPORTANCE: Inhibition of proinflammatory prostaglandins in the retina may have therapeutic effects for retinal disease. OBJECTIVE: To determine vitreous levels of ketorolac and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in eyes treated with topical ketorolac tromethamine 0.45% (Acuvail). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A prospective comparative interventional study, performed in a university academic hospital, included 24 eyes in 22 consecutive patients undergoing pars plana vitrectomy. INTERVENTION: Application of topical ketorolac 0.45%, 4 times daily, for 3 days before pars plana vitrectomy in the first 12 consecutive eyes. The next 12 eyes were untreated and served as controls. Undiluted vitreous samples were obtained at the time of surgery and immediately frozen at -80 °C. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Vitreous ketorolac and PGE2 levels. RESULTS: Seven of the 12 eyes (58%) had ketorolac levels above the lower limit of quantitation. All 7 were in pseudophakic eyes, and 4 of the 5 below this limit were phakic (P = .01). The mean ketorolac level in the 7 eyes was 7.55 ng/mL (range, 5.0-14.9 ng/mL). The mean (SD) PGE2 levels were 13.8 (3.8) pg/mL in control eyes and 11.7 (4.4) pg/mL in ketorolac-treated eyes (P = .04). Treatment with ketorolac resulted in a 15% reduction in PGE2 levels. When only pseudophakic eyes were analyzed, mean (SD) PGE2 levels were 14.1 (4.1) pg/mL in control eyes and 11.6 (4.5) pg/mL in ketorolac-treated eyes (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Topical ketorolac 0.45% can obtain a vitreous level that exceeds its median inhibitory concentration and can significantly decrease vitreous PGE2 levels. Vitreous levels of ketorolac were significantly higher in pseudophakic eyes than in phakic eyes. The results of this study suggest that topically administered ketorolac 0.45% may allow meaningful inhibition of prostaglandins in the retina. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01609881.

Aqueous humor penetration of ketorolac formulated in DuraSite or DuraSite 2 delivery systems compared to Acular LS in rabbits.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the ocular penetration of ISV-304 (ketorolac tromethamine) formulated in DuraSite(®) or DuraSite(®) 2 compared to Acular LS(®) (0.4% ketorolac ophthalmic solution) in rabbits. METHODS: The left eye of rabbits received a single topical instillation of either ISV-304 (0.2% and 0.4% ketorolac) in DuraSite, ISV-304 (0.2% and 0.4% ketorolac) in DuraSite 2, or Acular LS. At predetermined time points, aqueous humor (AH) levels of ketorolac were measured by HPLC-MS/MS, and Cmax, Tmax, and AUC0.25-24h were determined. RESULTS: The highest mean concentration of ketorolac was achieved in ISV-304 (0.4%) formulated in DuraSite 2 with a Cmax value of 1889 ± 884 ng/mL, compared to Cmax values for ISV-304 (0.4%) formulated in DuraSite (1212 ± 435 ng/mL) or Acular LS (275 ± 83 ng/mL). ISV-304 (0.2%) formulations also achieved higher AH Cmax values (801 ± 205 ng/mL and 1077 ± 415 ng/mL) compared to Acular LS. There was a significant increase in drug exposure in the ISV-304 (0.4%) formulated in DuraSite 2 or DuraSite formulations with AUC0.25-24h values 6836 ng/mL*h and 5684 ng/mL*h, respectively, compared to Acular LS with an AUC0.25-24h value of 1424 ng/mL*h. ISV-304 (0.2%) formulations also had high AUC0.25-24h values (3241 ng/mL*h and 4490 ng/mL*h), which were a 2.3-3.2-fold increase over the Acular LS AUC0.25-24h value. CONCLUSIONS: DuraSite and DuraSite 2 delivery systems markedly improved the ketorolac ocular pharmacokinetic parameters in rabbits. DuraSite formulations may lessen the side effects associated with topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use by maintaining efficacy with a reduced dosing regimen and reduced active ingredient.

Formulation and pharmacokinetics of ketorolac tromethamine fast dissolving tablets.

OBJECTIVE: The current study is intended to develop the fast dissolving tablets of Ketorolac tromethamine using different superdisintegrants to improve the dissolution rate and absorption rate to produce the bioavailability enhancement and rapid onset of action. METHODS: In this, Ketorolac tromethamine fast dissolving tablets were prepared using different superdisintegrants and evaluated for different physical parameters, in vitro dissolution studies and in vivo pharmacokinetics to demonstrate the bioavailability enhancement. RESULTS & DISCUSSIONS: From the in vitro drug release studies, in case of optimized formulation, the cumulative percent drug release in 15 min (Q15) was found to be 94.34±1.68 where as the conventional tablets showed 28.78±0.82 in 15 min. The initial dissolution rate and dissolution efficiency of optimized formulation was 6.29%/min and 53.43 but it was 1.92%/min and 14.03 in conventional tablets. From the in vivo pharmacokinetic evaluation, the optimized formulation showed peak plasma concentration (Cmax) as 1 248.39 ng/ml at 1 h Tmax, but they were found to be 988.22 ng/ml at 2 h Tmax, in case of conventional tablets. The area under the curve for the optimized and conventional tablets was 3 890.68 and 3 173.07 ng-h/ml. CONCLUSIONS: Hence the development of fast dissolving tablets using superdisintegrants was a good approach to improve the dissolution rate and absorption rate of Ketorolac tromethamine.

The impact of pregnancy on urinary ketorolac metabolites after single intravenous bolus.

Compared to female volunteers or postpartum, ketorolac clearance is higher at delivery. To explore the alterations that explain this higher clearance, urinary ketorolac metabolites collected at delivery (n = 40) were compared to female volunteers (unpaired, n = 8) or postpartum (paired, n = 8) following intravenous administration of 30 mg ketorolac tromethamine. A mean 38 (SD 9) % of the ketorolac dose was retrieved in 8-h urine collections. This was based on mean portions of 56 (20), 10 (14) and 33 (12) % for free ketorolac, ketorolac-glucuronide and p-hydroxy-ketorolac, respectively. The mean ketorolac-glucuronide portion at delivery (5 %) was lower compared to female volunteers (21 %) or postpartum (21 %) (p = 0.003 and p = 0.002, respectively). Similarly, there was a difference in mean portion of free urinary ketorolac at delivery when compared to healthy female volunteers (60-45 %, p = 0.046). Using paired statistics, the mean portion of total urinary ketorolac was lower (62-73 %, p = 0.015) while the portion retrieved as p-hydroxy-ketorolac was significantly higher at delivery compared to postpartum (38-28 %, p = 0.031). The differences in urine metabolites suggest that the increased ketorolac clearance at delivery is in part explained by increased metabolic clearance to p-hydroxy-ketorolac, reflecting increased oxidation activity.

Characterization and pharmacokinetic evaluation of gamma sterilized ketorolac tromethamine loaded albumin microspheres for intramuscular administration.

Pharmacokinetic parameters of ketorolac tromethamine (KT) loaded albumin (KTAL) microspheres were determined using New Zealand white rabbits. Each rabbit (n=6) was injected 5 mg/kg body weight of plain KT or an equivalent dose in microsphere form in 2 mL water for injection. Prior to animal studies microspheres were tested for toxic residues and were gamma sterilized. Sterilized microspheres were evaluated for their integrity by physico-chemical characterization. Test for toxic residues was negative, the sterilization process utilized was effective and did not alter any physicochemical characteristics and showed good syringeability. When KT was administered in the form of microspheres there was a significant increase in Cmax, AUC, t1/2 and MRT (P < 0.05). When administered as microspheres, plasma concentration of drug sustained for 24 hours. It was concluded that KTAL microsphere formulation improved the systemic exposure and sustained the drug release and could be used for once-a-day administration of KT.

Development, evaluation and pharmacokinetics of time-dependent ketorolac tromethamine tablets.

OBJECTIVE: The present study was intended to develop a time-dependent colon-targeted compression-coated tablets of ketorolac tromethamine (KTM) using hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) that release the drug slowly but completely in the colonic region by retarding the drug releases in stomach and small intestine. METHODS: KTM core tablets were prepared by direct compression method and were compression coated with HPMC. The formulation is optimized based on the in vitro drug release studies and further evaluated by X-ray imaging technique in healthy humans to ensure the colonic delivery. To prove these results, in vivo pharmacokinetic studies in human volunteers were designed to study the in vitro-in vivo correlation. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS: From the in vitro dissolution study, optimized formulation F3 showed negligible drug release (6.75 ± 0.49%) in the initial lag period followed by slow release (97.47 ± 0.93%) for 24 h which clearly indicates that the drug is delivered to the colon. The X-ray imaging studies showed that the tablets reached the colon without disintegrating in upper gastrointestinal system. From the pharmacokinetic evaluation, the immediate-release tablets producing peak plasma concentration (C(max)) was 4482.74 ng/ml at 2 h T(max) and colon-targeted tablets showed C(max) = 3562.67 ng/ml at 10 h T(max). The area under the curve for the immediate-release and compression-coated tablets was 10595.14 and 18796.70 ng h/ml and the mean resident time was 3.82 and 10.75 h, respectively. CONCLUSION: Thus, the compression-coated tablets based on time-dependent approach were preferred for colon-targeted delivery of ketorolac.

Comparison of intranasal ketorolac tromethamine pharmacokinetics in younger and older adults.

BACKGROUND: The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) ketorolac tromethamine shows higher plasma concentrations and a longer plasma half-life in adults ≥65 years of age than in subjects aged <65 years, after intramuscular administration. An intranasal formulation of ketorolac tromethamine is approved for short-term treatment of moderate to moderately severe pain requiring analgesia at the opioid level. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to compare the pharmacokinetics of a single intranasal dose of ketorolac tromethamine 31.5 mg (15.75 mg per nostril) in adults aged ≥65 and <65 years. METHODS: Healthy adults with body mass indices of 15-30 kg/m(2) were eligible for the study. Following intranasal ketorolac tromethamine dosing, blood samples (approximately 7 mL per sample) for pharmacokinetic assessment were obtained at 15, 30 and 45 min and 1, 1.5, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 15 and 24 h after dosing. Plasma ketorolac concentration versus time data were analysed to determine maximum (peak) ketorolac concentration (C(max)) and time to reach C(max) (t(max)) and estimate pharmacokinetic parameters. RESULTS: Thirty healthy subjects were enrolled in and completed the study. For analysis, data were stratified by participant age into two groups, consisting of younger adult subjects (<65 years of age) and older adult subjects (≥65 years of age). Mean (±SD) age was 44 ± 10 and 72 ± 6 years in the younger and older groups, respectively. Mean (±SD) plasma ketorolac C(max) was 10 % higher (2,028.8 ± 1,069.5 and 1,840.1 ± 995.9 ng/mL) and mean (±SD) terminal elimination half-life (t(½ß)) was 37 % longer (4.52 ± 1.14 and 3.31 ± 0.96 h) in the ≥65-years age group than in the <65-years group, respectively. Mean (±SD) plasma ketorolac area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time zero to infinity (AUC(∞)) was 28 % higher in older subjects than in younger subjects (8,794.8 ± 4,129.4 and 6,890.8 ± 3,448.5 ng · h/mL, respectively). Differences were not statistically significant, but did not demonstrate formal equivalence. Mean (±SD) residence time was 36 % higher in the ≥65-years age group than in the <65-years group (6.02 ± 1.50 and 4.44 ± 1.06 h, respectively) (p = 0.003). There were no serious adverse events during the study. Two mild events of headache and eyelid infection occurred. There were no clinically relevant changes or an apparent difference between age groups in laboratory or physical assessments. CONCLUSION: The increased systemic exposure to ketorolac following intranasal administration in adults ≥65 years of age warrants reduction of the intranasal ketorolac tromethamine dose, and halving the dose to 15.75 mg (one spray to one nostril) in this patient population is recommended based on similar dosing adjustments made for intramuscular ketorolac tromethamine.