Inhibition of Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation for Breaking the Solubility Barrier of Amorphous Solid Dispersions to Improve Oral Absorption of Naftopidil.

Amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) is one of the most promising technologies for improving the oral absorption of poorly soluble compounds. In this study, naftopidil (NFT) ASDs were prepared using vinylpyrrolidone-vinyl acetate copolymer (PVPVA), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetate succinate (HPMCAS), and poly(methacrylic acid-co-methyl methacrylate) L100-55 (Eudragit) to improve the dissolution and oral absorption behaviors of NFT. During the dissolution process of ASD, liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) may occur when certain requirements are met for providing a maximum quasi-stable concentration achievable by amorphization. The occurrence of LLPS was confirmed in the presence of PVPVA and HPMCAS; however, Eudragit inhibited LLPS owing to its molecular interaction with NFT. Although the dissolution behavior of the Eudragit ASD was found to be markedly poorer than that of other ASDs, it offered the best oral absorption in rats. The findings of the current study highlight the possibility for improving the oral absorption of poorly soluble drugs by this ASD, which should be eliminated from candidate formulations based on the conventional in vitro tests.

Relevance of Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation of Supersaturated Solution in Oral Absorption of Albendazole from Amorphous Solid Dispersions.

Amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) is one of the most promising formulation technologies for improving the oral absorption of poorly soluble drugs, where the maintenance of supersaturation plays a key role in enhancing the absorption process. However, quantitative prediction of oral absorption from ASDs is still difficult. Supersaturated solutions can cause liquid-liquid phase separation through the spinodal decomposition mechanism, which must be adequately comprehended to understand the oral absorption of drugs quantitatively. In this study, albendazole (ALZ) was formulated into ASDs using three types of polymers, poly(methacrylic acid-co-methyl methacrylate) (Eudragit) L100, Vinylpyrrolidone-vinyl acetate copolymer (PVPVA), and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetate succinate (HPMCAS). The oral absorption of ALZ in rats administered as ASD suspensions was not explained by dissolution study but was predicted using liquid-liquid phase separation concentration, which suggested that the absorption of ALZ was solubility-limited. The oral administration study in dogs performed using solid capsules demonstrated the low efficacy of ASDs because the absorption was likely to be limited by dissolution rate, which indicated the importance of designing the final dosage form of the ASDs.

Plasma-assisted immobilization of heparin onto low-density polyethylene surface.

In this study heparin was covalently immobilized onto LDPE-VEMAC sheet fabricated by the introduction of carboxyl groups to the surface of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) using a plasma technique. The plasma irradiation time influenced the density of carboxyl groups on the LDPE-VEMAC sheet. Heparin was immobilized on the LDPE-VEMAC sheet using a condensation reagent, N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N'-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC). We confirmed the immobilization of heparin from the ATR-FT-IR spectrum of the sheet obtained. Where heparin was directly immobilized on the LDPE-VEMAC sheet, the density of the immobilized heparin depended on that of the carboxyl groups. Heparin was also immobilized with a spacer, hexamethylene diamine, and the density of such heparin was about 1.6 times that of the directly immobilized heparin. This result suggests that the introduction of a spacer may be an effective way to increase the density of immobilized heparin.