Robert G. Strickley

Solubilizing Excipients in Oral and Injectable Formulations

A review of commercially available oral and injectable solution formulations reveals that the solubilizing excipients include water-soluble organic solvents (polyethylene glycol 300, polyethylene glycol 400, ethanol, propylene glycol, glycerin, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, dimethylacetamide, and dimethylsulfoxide), non-ionic surfactants (Cremophor EL, Cremophor RH 40, Cremophor RH 60, d-α-tocopherol polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate, polysorbate 20, polysorbate 80, Solutol HS 15, sorbitan monooleate, poloxamer 407, Labrafil M-1944CS, Labrafil M-2125CS, Labrasol, Gellucire 44/14, Softigen 767, and mono- and di-fatty acid esters of PEG 300, 400, or 1750), water-insoluble lipids (castor oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, olive oil, peanut oil, peppermint oil, safflower oil, sesame oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated vegetable oils, hydrogenated soybean oil, and medium-chain triglycerides of coconut oil and palm seed oil), organic liquids/semi-solids (beeswax, d-α-tocopherol, oleic acid, medium-chain mono- and diglycerides), various cyclodextrins (α-cyclodextrin, β-cyclodextrin, hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin, and sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin), and phospholipids (hydrogenated soy phosphatidylcholine, distearoylphosphatidylglycerol, l-α-dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine, l-α-dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol). The chemical techniques to solubilize water-insoluble drugs for oral and injection administration include pH adjustment, cosolvents, complexation, microemulsions, self-emulsifying drug delivery systems, micelles, liposomes, and emulsions.

Solid-State Stability of Human Insulin I. Mechanism and the Effect of Water on the Kinetics of Degradation in Lyophiles from pH 2–5 Solutions

AbstractPurpose. Previous studies have established that in aqueous solution at low pH human insulin decomposition proceeds through a cyclic anhydride intermediate leading to the formation of both deamidated and covalent dimer products. This study examines the mechanism and kinetics of insulin degradation in the amorphous solid state (lyophilized powders) as a function of water content over a similar pH range. Methods. Solutions of 1.0 mg/mL insulin were adjusted to pH 2–5 using HC1, freeze-dried, then exposed to various relative humidities at 35°C. The water content within the powders was determined by Karl Fischer titration, and the concentrations of insulin and its degradation products were determined by HPLC. Degradation kinetics were determined by both the initial rates of product formation and insulin disappearance. Results. Semi-logarithmic plots of insulin remaining in lyophilized powders versus time were non-linear, asymptotically approaching non-zero apparent plateau values, mathematically describable by a reversible, first-order kinetic model. The rate of degradation of insulin in the solid state was observed to increase with decreasing apparent pH (‘pH’) yielding, at any given water content, solid-state ‘pH’-rate profiles parallel to the solution pH-rate profile. This ‘pH’ dependence could be accounted for in terms of the fraction of the insulin A21 carboxyl in its neutral form, with an apparent pKa of ≈4, independent of water content. Aniline trapping studies established that the mechanism of degradation of human insulin in lyophilized powders between pH 3–5 and at 35°C involves rate-limiting intramolecular nucleophilic attack of the AsnA21 C-terminal carboxylic acid onto the side-chain amide carbonyl to form a reactive cyclic anhydride intermediate, which further reacts with either water or an N-terminal primary amino group (e.g., PheB1, and GlyAl) of another insulin molecule to generate either deamidated insulin (AspA21) or an amide-linked covalent dimer (e.g., [AspA21-PheB1] or [AspA21-GlyA1]), respectively. The rate of insulin degradation in lyophilized powders at 35°C increases with water content at levels of hydration well below the suspected glass transition and approaches the rate in solution at or near the water content (20–50%) required to induce a glass transition. Conclusions. The decomposition of human insulin in lyophilized powders between pH 3–5 is a water induced solid-state reaction accelerated by the plasticization effect of sorbed water. The formation of the cyclic anhydride intermediate at A21 occurs readily even in the glassy state, presumably due to the conformational flexibility of the A21 segment even under conditions in which the insulin molecules as a whole are largely immobile.

Drug-Excipient Incompatibility Studies of the Dipeptide Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor, Moexipril Hydrochloride: Dry Powder vs Wet Granulation

The drug-excipient incompatibility screen for moexipril hydrochloride (1) using various isothermal stress methods is reported herein. It was found that most of the commonly used fillers, disintegrants, lubricants, glidants, and coating agents were incompatible with 1 in dry powder mixtures; moisture and basic (or alkalizing) agents were determined to be the dominant destabilizing factors. In wet granulations, basic agents, however, were found to suppress drug degradation even in the presence of moisture. Supported by the product distribution studies, the stabilization is proposed to involve the neutralization of the acidic drug by the basic excipients.

Diketopiperazine formation, hydrolysis, and epimerization of the new dipeptide angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor RS-10085

The degradation kinetics, products, and mechanisms of RS-10085(1), 2-[2-(l-ethoxycarbonyl)-3-phenylpropyl]amino-l-oxopropyl]-6,7-dimethoxy-l,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid(S,S,S), in aqueous solution were investigated at 40, 60, and 80°C from pH 1 to pH 13. Pseudo-first-order kinetics were observed throughout the pH range studied and the log(rate)−pH profiles reflected four kinetic processes (ko, k′o, k″o, and kOH) as well as the two pKas of 1. Excellent (>98%) mass balance was obtained through products 2–5. At pH 4 or below, intramolecular cyclization leading to diketopiperazine 5 accounted for greater than 93% of the observed neutral- or water-catalyzed processes (ko and k′o). At pH levels greater than 5, hydrolysis giving 2 predominated and was responsible for the observed neutral- or water-catalyzed (k″o) and specific base-catalyzed (kOH) kinetic processes. Some epimerization leading to the S,S,R drug isomer (4) was also observed at pH levels greater than 7. The relative acidity of the protons at the three chiral centers of 1 was qualitatively compared and was used to explain the observed specificity in epimerization.

Discovery of an oral respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) fusion inhibitor (GS-5806) and clinical proof of concept in a human RSV challenge study.

GS-5806 is a novel, orally bioavailable RSV fusion inhibitor discovered following a lead optimization campaign on a screening hit. The oral absorption properties were optimized by converting to the pyrazolo[1,5-a]-pyrimidine heterocycle, while potency, metabolic, and physicochemical properties were optimized by introducing the para-chloro and aminopyrrolidine groups. A mean EC50 = 0.43 nM was found toward a panel of 75 RSV A and B clinical isolates and dose-dependent antiviral efficacy in the cotton rat model of RSV infection. Oral bioavailability in preclinical species ranged from 46 to 100%, with evidence of efficient penetration into lung tissue. In healthy human volunteers experimentally infected with RSV, a potent antiviral effect was observed with a mean 4.2 log10 reduction in peak viral load and a significant reduction in disease severity compared to placebo. In conclusion, a potent, once daily, oral RSV fusion inhibitor with the potential to treat RSV infection in infants and adults is reported.

An Unexpected pH Effect on the Stability of Moexipril Lyophilized Powder

Because of the limited stability of moexipril (RS-10085; 1) in aqueous solution, lyophilized parenteral formulations were evaluated as a function of pH in this study. In general, the lyophilized powder of 1 showed about two orders of magnitude less reactivity at 50°C than in aqueous solution at pH values below 3 or above 6. At pH 5.1, however, the lyophilized powder had maximum reactivity, with the rate actually comparable to that observed in aqueous solution. When the distribution of the two major products, diketopiperazine (DKP) 2 and ester hydrolysis analogue 3, was compared to the observed kinetics as a function of pH, it was clear that removal of water via lyophilization suppressed the spontaneous k1 cyclization process, the spontaneous k3 hydrolysis process, and the specific base-catalyzed k4 hydrolysis process. The overall spontaneous k2 cyclization process, however, was not affected by lyophilization. The latter result is accounted for by the increased equilibrium constant for the formation of the tetrahedral intermediate, To, as a result of lyophilization. This study demonstrates that stability data in solution can not be used for predicting the stability of moexipril in lyophilized powder form.

Solubilization and Stabilization of an Anti-HIV Thiocarbamate, NSC 629243, for Parenteral Delivery, Using Extemporaneous Emulsions

The O-alkyl-N-aryl thiocarbamate, I, (2-chloro-5-[[(l-methyl-ethoxy)thioxomethyl]amino]benzoic acid, 1-methylethylester, NSC 629243, also known as Uniroyal Jr.) is an experimental anti-HIV drug with very low water solubility (1.5 µg/mL). Early clinical studies required an injectable solution at ≈15 mg/mL, representing a solubility increase of ≈104-fold. Adequate solubilization of this hydrophobic drug was achieved in 20% lipid emulsions. Extemporaneous emulsions were prepared by adding a concentrated drug solution to a commercially available parenteral emulsion. Various methods of preparation to minimize drug precipitation during its addition and enhance redissolution of precipitated drug were evaluated. The stability and mechanism(s) of decomposition of NSC 629243 in both 20% lipid emulsions and in natural oil vehicles were examined. In lipid emulsions, the shelf life at 25°C varied from 1 to >10 weeks, depending on the extent to which air was excluded from the preparation. The shelf life of 50 mg/mL solutions in natural oils at 25°C varied from <1 to >100 days depending on the oil and its supplier. A qualitative correlation was found between the initial rate of oxidation and the peroxide concentration in the oil. The primary degradation product in both systems was shown to be a disulfide dimer, II, formed via oxidation. Oxidation was inhibited by vacuum-sealing of emulsion formulations or incorporation of an oil-soluble thiol, thioglycolic acid (TGA), into oil formulations. TGA may inhibit oxidation by consuming free radicals or peroxide initiators or by reacting with the disulfide, II, to regenerate the starting drug.

High-Performance Liquid Chromatographic (HPLC) and HPLC-Mass Spectrometric (MS) Analysis of the Degradation of the Luteinizing Hormone-Releasing Hormone (LH-RH) Antagonist RS-26306 in Aqueous Solution

The kinetics of the degradation of an LH-RH antagonist, RS-26306,1, in aqueous solution from pH 1 to pH 11 were studied by reverse-phase HPLC. The pH–rate profiles at 50, 60, and 80°C were U-shaped with the rate law of kobs = kHaH + kw + kOHaOH. The predicted 25°C shelf life at the pH of maximum stability, pH ∼5, is greater than 10 years. The products from the degradation were analyzed by HPLC-MS using thermospray ionization. Below pH 3, the primary product, 2, forms from the acid-catalyzed deamidation of the C-terminal amide. Above pH 7, epimerization of the individual amino acids is the principal reaction. Between pH 4 and pH 6, intramolecular serine-catalyzed peptide hydrolysis becomes important, yielding a tripeptide, 3, and a heptapeptide, 4. At the pH of maximum stability all three pathways for degradation are observed.

Preformulation Stability Studies of the New Dipeptide Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor RS-10029

The degradation kinetics, products, and mechanisms of RS-10029 (2), 2-[2-[(l-carboxylic acid)-3-phenylpropyl]amino-l-oxopropyl] 6,7-dimethoxy- 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid (S,S,S), in aqueous solutions from pH 1 to pH 13 were studied at 50, 60, and 80°C. Pseudo-first-order kinetics were obtained throughout the entire pH range studied, and the log(rate)-pH profile reflected four kinetic processes (ko, k′o, k″o, and kOH) as well as the three pkas of 2. Excellent mass balance (>96%) was obtained for the four major products 3–6 throughout the entire pH range studied even though four other minor products can be detected by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). At pH 8.0 and below, intramolecular aminolysis leading to diketopiperazine (DKP) 5 accounted for greater than 65% of the neutral or water-catalyzed (ko and k′o) processes. Amide hydrolysis leading to products 3 and 4 and epimerization of DKP 5 to the (R,S,S) diastereomer 6 accounted for the remaining 35% of the neutral or water catalyzed processes. At pH values above 8.0, DKP 5 formation begins to decrease as the amide hydrolysis increases so that both mechanisms account for the neutral or water-catalyzed k″o process. Above pH 11.0 amide hydrolysis dominates and is responsible for the specific base-catalyzed (kOH) process. The four minor products detected by HPLC are two diastereomers (7 and 8) of 2 and the two diastereomers (9 and 10) of the DKP 5. The stability results between 2 and its ester prodrug (1) are compared.

Structure-activity relationships of diamine inhibitors of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A as novel pharmacoenhancers. Part II: P2/P3 region and discovery of cobicistat (GS-9350).

The HIV protease inhibitor (PI) ritonavir (RTV) has been widely used as a pharmacoenhancer for other PIs, which are substrates of cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A). However the potent anti-HIV activity of ritonavir may limit its use as a pharmacoenhancer with other classes of anti-HIV agents. Ritonavir is also associated with limitations such as poor physicochemical properties. To address these issues a series of compounds with replacements at the P2 and/or P3 region was designed and evaluated as novel CYP3A inhibitors. Through these efforts, a potent and selective inhibitor of CYP3A, GS-9350 (cobicistat) with improved physiochemical properties was discovered.