Michael M. Crowley

Pharmaceutical Applications of Hot-Melt Extrusion: Part I

Interest in hot-melt extrusion techniques for pharmaceutical applications is growing rapidly with well over 100 papers published in the pharmaceutical scientific literature in the last 12 years. Hot-melt extrusion (HME) has been a widely applied technique in the plastics industry and has been demonstrated recently to be a viable method to prepare several types of dosage forms and drug delivery systems. Hot-melt extruded dosage forms are complex mixtures of active medicaments, functional excipients, and processing aids. HME also offers several advantages over traditional pharmaceutical processing techniques including the absence of solvents, few processing steps, continuous operation, and the possibility of the formation of solid dispersions and improved bioavailability. This article, Part I, reviews the pharmaceutical applications of hot-melt extrusion, including equipment, principles of operation, and process technology. The raw materials processed using this technique are also detailed and the physicochemical properties of the resultant dosage forms are described. Part II of this review will focus on various applications of HME in drug delivery such as granules, pellets, immediate and modified release tablets, transmucosal and transdermal systems, and implants.

Stability of polyethylene oxide in matrix tablets prepared by hot-melt extrusion

The thermal stability of polyethylene oxide (PEO) in sustained release tablets prepared by hot-melt extrusion was investigated. The weight average molecular weight of the polymer was studied using gel permeation chromatography. The chemical stability of PEO was found to be dependent on both the storage and processing temperature, and the molecular weight of the polymer. Storage of the polymer above its melting point significantly increased polymer degradation, and the degradation process was accelerated as the molecular weight was reduced. The thermal stability of PEO MW = 1,000,000 (PEO 1 M) in sustained release chlropheniramine maleate (CPM) tablets prepared by hot-melt extrusion was found to depend on the processing temperature and screw speed. Lower molecular weight PEO MW = 100,000 (PEO 100 K) was demonstrated to be a suitable processing aid for PEO 1 M. Incorporation of PEO 100 K reduced degradation of PEO 1 M and did not alter the release rate of CPM. Vitamin E, Vitamin E Succinate and Vitamin E TPGS were found to be suitable stabilizers for PEO, however, ascorbic acid was shown to degrade the polymer in solution. Thermal analysis demonstrated that Vitamin E Succinate and Vitamin E TPGS were dispersed at the molecular level in hot-melt extruded tablets. Solubilized Vitamin E Succinate and Vitamin E TPGS suppressed the melting point of the polyethylene oxide. Drug release rates from hot-melt extruded tablets stabilized with antioxidants were found to be dependent on the hydrophilic nature of the antioxidant.

The Use of Near‐Infrared Spectroscopy for the Quantitation of a Drug in Hot‐Melt Extruded Films

The objective of the study was to demonstrate the utility of near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) for quantitative analysis of a model drug in hot‐melt extruded film formulations. Polyethylene oxide (PEO) films with clotrimazole (CT) as a model drug were prepared by hot‐melt extrusion (HME) incorporating drug concentrations ranging from 0–20% and analyzed using a Fourier transform near‐infrared (FT‐NIR) spectrophotometer in the reflectance mode. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was the reference method used for this study. The NIR calibration model derived for CT was composed of 21 frequency ranges that were correlated to the values quantified using the HPLC reference method. The NIR method developed resulted in an assayed CT amount in the film matrix to be within 3.5% of the quantity determined by the reference method. These studies clearly demonstrate that NIRS is a powerful method for the quantitation of active drug substances contained in films produced by HME and warrants further investigation.

Physicochemical properties of film-coated melt-extruded pellets

The purpose of this study was to investigate the physicochemical properties of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and guaifenesin containing beads prepared by a melt-extrusion process and film-coated with a methacrylic acid copolymer. Solubility parameter calculations, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC), X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were used to determine drug/polymer miscibility and/or the thermal processibility of the systems. Powder blends of guaifenesin, PEO and functional excipients were processed using a melt-extrusion and spheronization technique and then film-coated in a fluidized bed apparatus. Solubility parameter calculations were used to predict miscibility between PEO and guaifenesin, and miscibility was confirmed by SEM and observation of a single melting point for extruded drug/polymer blends during MDSC investigations. The drug was stable following melt-extrusion as determined by TGA and HPLC; however, drug release rate from pellets decreased upon storage in sealed HDPE containers with silica desiccants at 40°C/75% RH. The weight loss on drying, porosity and tortuosity determinations were not influenced by storage. Recrystallization of guaifenesin and PEO was confirmed by SEM and XRPD. Additionally, the pellets exhibited a change in adhesion behaviour during dissolution testing. The addition of ethylcellulose to the extruded powder blend decreased and stabilized the drug release rate from the thermally processed pellets. The current study also demonstrated film-coating to be an efficient process for providing melt-extruded beads with pH-dependent drug release properties that were stable upon storage at accelerated conditions.

Review of the TAIFUN multidose dry powder inhaler technology.

Although pressurized metered dose inhalers (pMDIs) currently constitute a majority of the market share in the inhalation market, dry powder inhaler (DPI) products have become increasingly popular due to their reliability and product performance. One such DPI is the TAIFUN® inhaler that is a reservoir-based DPI system with the ability to produce consistent and uniform doses in vitro. Originally developed for the pulmonary delivery of salbutamol, the TAIFUN® inhaler platform has since been used to develop a product for breakthrough cancer pain management using fentanyl citrate as the active drug. In vivo results show the TAIFUN® inhaler is able to deliver a rapid onset of action and increased relative bioavailability compared with other fentanyl products currently on the market.