Hala M. Fadda

Physiological bicarbonate buffers: stabilisation and use as dissolution media for modified release systems

Bicarbonate media are reflective of the ionic composition and buffer capacity of small intestinal luminal fluids. Here we investigate methods to stabilise bicarbonate buffers which can be readily applied to USP-II dissolution apparatus. The in vitro drug release behaviour of three enteric coated mesalazine (mesalamine) products is investigated. Asacol 400 mg and Asacol 800 mg (Asacol HD) and the new generation, high dose (1200 mg) delayed and sustained release formulation, Mezavant (Lialda), are compared in pH 7.4 Krebs bicarbonate and phosphate buffers. Bicarbonate stabilisation was achieved by: continuous sparging of the medium with 5% CO(2)(g), application of a layer of liquid paraffin above the medium, or a specially designed in-house seal device that prevents CO(2)(g) loss. Each of the products displayed a delayed onset of drug release in physiological bicarbonate media compared to phosphate buffer. Moreover, Mezavant displayed a zero-order, sustained release profile in phosphate buffer; in bicarbonate media, however, this slow drug release was no longer apparent and a profile similar to that of Asacol 400 mg was observed. These similar release patterns of Asacol 400 mg and Mezavant displayed in bicarbonate media are in agreement with their pharmacokinetic profiles in humans. Bicarbonate media provide a better prediction of the in vivo behaviour of the mesalazine preparations investigated.

Drug Solubility in Luminal Fluids from Different Regions of the Small and Large Intestine of Humans

The purpose of this work was to study the solubility of two drugs with different physicochemical properties in luminal fluids obtained from various regions of the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract and to determine the most important luminal parameters influencing their solubility. Jejunal fluids were aspirated from healthy volunteers via an oral intubation tube. Ileal and colonic fluids were obtained from patients undergoing GI surgery. Stoma fluids were also retrieved from patients. pH and buffer capacity of all fluids were determined. Saturation solubility of prednisolone (unionisable) and mesalamine (5-aminosalicylic acid) (zwitterionic) was measured. Mean solubility of prednisolone in the different luminal fluids was 0.50 mg/mL (±0.05) and did not vary significantly between the different regions of the GI tract (ANOVA, p > 0.05). No correlation between prednisolone solubility and jejunal bile salt content was found. Mesalamine solubility increased down the GI tract: 1.97 (±0.25), 3.26 (±0.08), 6.24 (±1.13) and 7.95 (±0.21) mg/mL in jejunal, ileal, ascending and transverse/descending colonic fluids respectively. Buffer capacity also increased and in one patient was observed to range from 6.4 to 28.6 reaching 44.4 mM/L/pH unit in ileal, ascending and transverse/descending colon fluids respectively. Mesalamine solubility was found to be dependent on both buffer capacity and pH, with buffer capacity being the most important (standardized coefficient β = 0.849, p < 0.0001) compared to pH (β = 0.219, p < 0.05). For drugs delivered as modified release formulations it is important to consider solubility in different regions of the GI tract as significant differences can arise which will ultimately influence drug bioavailability.

Dissolution of pH responsive formulations in media resembling intestinal fluids: bicarbonate versus phosphate buffers

Abstract For in vitro dissolution tests to be meaningful they need to simulate in vivo conditions. The use of phosphate buffers which do not relate to gastrointestinal lumenal fluids may explain the poor in vitro-in vivo correlations obtained for modified release dosage forms. In this study, “physiological” bicarbonate buffers that resemble lumenal fluids closely in terms of electrolyte content have been explored as potential dissolution media. Ionic components which influence the dissolution of enteric coatings have been elucidated. The drug release profiles of proprietary Eudragit S coated mesalazine tablets (Asacol MR, Mesren MR and Ipocol) for the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases affecting the distal small intestine and colon were compared in different media. Asacol and Mesren were found to have similar release profiles, whereas Ipocol releases much faster. It has been shown that increasing ionic strength and buffer capacity of dissolution media increases drug release rate. Drug release profiles were found to be substantially faster in phosphate buffers compared to physiological bicarbonate buffers (Hanks and Krebs). Furthermore, dissolution was different in the two physiological buffers, attributable to the buffer salts and their concentrations. These findings emphasize the importance of defining the ionic composition of dissolution media and provide a better correlation to drug release behaviour in vivo.

Impairment of the in vitro drug release behaviour of oral modified release preparations in the presence of alcohol

Recently, there has been concern by regulatory authorities of the risk of alcohol-induced dose dumping of oral modified release (MR) formulations. The aim of this work was to use in vitro dissolution methodology to investigate the vulnerability of MR products to alcohol under different physiological conditions of the upper gastrointestinal tract. A variety of dissolution scenarios with ethanol concentrations in the range of 5-40% v/v were explored. Mesalazine (5-aminosalicylic acid) was selected as the model drug and the release behaviour of three commercially available MR, monolithic and multi-particulate preparations with pH-dependent or independent release mechanisms was evaluated (Salofalk, Asacol and Pentasa). Each product was found to have a distinctive release profile and behaved differently in the scenarios screened. In the case of Pentasa, complete dose dumping occurred on exposure to 40% ethanol in acid for 2h. Asacol, however, displayed a contrarian trend with drug release being substantially delayed in small intestinal media after pre-exposure to acid/ethanol for the same duration. Salofalk underwent accelerated drug release in the presence of ethanol in the dissolution media, with unexpected trends observed between the different scenarios. For the three preparations explored, there appears to be a complex interplay between the various formulation variables and ethanol in the dissolution media. The unpredictable release profiles under the different conditions makes it necessary to screen several in vitro scenarios of ethanol exposure for each preparation before a decision is reached on its susceptibility to drug release impairment on consumption with ethanol.

The use of dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) to evaluate plasticization of acrylic polymer films under simulated gastrointestinal conditions

PURPOSE Glass transition temperature (T(g)) measurements of polymers are conventionally conducted in the dry state with little attention to the environment they are designed to work in. Our aim was to develop the novel use of dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) to measure the T(g) of enteric polymethacrylic acid methylmethacrylate (Eudragit L and S) polymer films formulated with a range of plasticizers in the dry and wet (while immersed in simulated gastric media) states. METHODS Polymer films were fabricated with and without different plasticizers (triacetin, acetyl triethyl citrate, triethyl citrate, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, dibutyl phthalate, dibutyl sebacate). T(g) was measured by a dynamic oscillating force with simultaneous heating at 1 °C/min. This was conducted on films in the dry state and while immersed in 0.1M HCl to simulate the pH environment in the stomach. RESULTS The T(g) of unplasticized Eudragit L and S films in the dry state was measured to be 150 and 120 °C, respectively. These values were drastically reduced in the wet state to 20 and 71 °C for Eudragit L and S films, respectively. The plasticized films showed similar falls in T(g) in the wet state. The fall in T(g) of Eudragit L films to below body temperature will have far-reaching implications on polymer functionality and drug release. CONCLUSIONS Immersion DMA provides a robust method for measuring T(g) of polymer films in the wet state. This allows better prediction of polymer behaviour in vivo.

The Molecular Interactions That Influence the Plasticizer Dependent Dissolution of Acrylic Polymer Films

Poly(methacrylic acid-methyl methacrylate, 1:2) (Eudragit S) is a commonly used pH-responsive polymer that can facilitate delivery to the ileo-colonic region of the gastrointestinal tract. Different plasticizers have been used to reduce the brittleness of Eudragit S films for the coating of solid dosage forms. To better correlate the dissolution rates of Eudragit S films, we have examined their dielectric response to understand the specific polymer-plasticizer interactions. Solvent cast Eudragit S films were prepared with one of four citrate plasticizers ranging from low to moderate aqueous solubility. Film dissolution was determined using a two-compartment permeation cell. Dielectric properties were measured by thermally stimulated depolarisation currents (TSDC). Secondary relaxations were deconvoluted and identified. The glass transition temperature (T(g)) was measured using TSDC, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Dissolution of the films was influenced by the solubility and structure of the plasticizers. While no correlation was found among the T(g)s obtained by TSDC, DSC, and DMA with dissolution time, the low temperature TSDC spectra showed a relationship of the total secondary relaxation area and relaxation of the carboxylic acid functional group with dissolution time. Dielectric secondary relaxations may be a good probe to predict plasticizer influence on dissolution of Eudragit S polymer films.

Molecular Dynamic Simulations of Ocular Tablet Dissolution

Small tablets for implantation into the subconjunctival space in the eye are being developed to inhibit scarring after glaucoma filtration surgery (GFS). There is a need to evaluate drug dissolution at the molecular level to determine how the chemical structure of the active may correlate with dissolution in the nonsink conditions of the conjunctival space. We conducted molecular dynamics simulations to study the dissolution process of tablets derived from two drugs that can inhibit fibrosis after GFS, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and the matrix metalloprotease inhibitor (MMPi), ilomastat. The dissolution was simulated in the presence of simple point charge (SPC) water molecules, and the liquid turnover of the aqueous humor in the subconjunctival space was simulated by removal of the dissolved drug molecules at regular intervals and replacement by new water molecules. At the end of the simulation, the total molecular solvent accessible surface area of 5-FU tablets increased by 60 times more than that of ilomastat as a result of tablet swelling and release of molecules into solution. The tablet dissolution pattern shown in our molecular dynamic simulations tends to correlate with experimental release profiles. This work indicates that a series of molecular dynamic simulations can be used to predict the influence of the molecular properties of a drug on its dissolution profile and could be useful during preformulation where sufficient amounts of the drug are not always available to perform dissolution studies.