Bioavailability of Cariban® Capsules: A Modified-Release Fixed-Dose Combination of Doxylamine and Pyridoxine to Relieve Nausea and Vomiting During Pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Nausea and vomiting is a very prevalent condition during pregnancy. Combination of doxylamine and pyridoxine is placed as first-line pharmacological option for its treatment in most clinical guidelines. Among different release forms available, Cariban® is a fixed-dose combination of doxylamine/pyridoxine 10/10 mg, formulated as modified-release capsules. OBJECTIVES: In the present study, we aimed to characterize the bioavailability performance of Cariban® in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: An in vitro dissolution test was performed to evaluate the release profile of Cariban®, together with immediate- and delayed-release formulations available on the market. A single-center, single-dose, open-label bioavailability study following Cariban® administration in 12 healthy adult female patients was carried out to explore the drug behavior in vivo (protocol NBR-002-13; EUDRA-CT 2013-005422-35). These data were additionally used to perform a computational pharmacokinetic simulation of the posology approved for this drug. RESULTS: Cariban® capsules demonstrate a prolonged-release performance, with an early, gradual, and progressive release of both actives until reaching a complete dissolution after 4-5 h in solution. The pharmacokinetic features of these capsules show that doxylamine and pyridoxine metabolites are early absorbed, being all detectable in plasma within 1 h following oral administration. Computational pharmacokinetic simulation predicts that different posology provides distinct profiles of metabolites in plasma, with 1-1-2 (morning-midafternoon-night) being the one that concentrates higher plasma levels but lower dose dumping for 24 h. CONCLUSION: Cariban® behaves as a prolonged-release formulation, which correlates with rapid absorption and arising of the actives in the plasma, but also long-lasting and sustained bioavailability, especially when administered following the complete posology. These results would underlie its demonstrated efficacy to relieve nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) under clinical settings.

Disease burden associated with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency: systematic and structured literature reviews.

Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is a rare genetic disorder characterised by reduced levels of circulating alpha-1 antitrypsin and an increased risk of lung and liver disease. Recent reviews of AATD have focused on diagnosis, epidemiology and clinical management; comprehensive reviews examining disease burden are lacking. Therefore, we conducted literature reviews to investigate the AATD disease burden for patients, caregivers and healthcare systems. Embase, PubMed and Cochrane libraries were searched for AATD publications from database inception to June 2021, in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Most published AATD studies were small and short in duration, with variations in populations, designs, measures and outcomes, complicating cross-study comparisons. AATD was associated with significant pulmonary and hepatic morbidity. COPD, emphysema and bronchiectasis were common lung morbidities, where smoking was a key risk factor. Fibrosis and steatosis were the most common liver complications reported in patients with a PiZ allele. Health status analyses suggested a poorer quality of life for AATD patients diagnosed with COPD versus those with non-AATD-associated COPD. The burden for caregivers included loss of personal time due to caring responsibilities, stress and anxiety. AATD was also associated with high direct medical costs and healthcare resource utilisation.