Roshan V. Tiwari

Hot-Melt Extrusion: from Theory to Application in Pharmaceutical Formulation

Hot-melt extrusion (HME) is a promising technology for the production of new chemical entities in the developmental pipeline and for improving products already on the market. In drug discovery and development, industry estimates that more than 50% of active pharmaceutical ingredients currently used belong to the biopharmaceutical classification system II (BCS class II), which are characterized as poorly water-soluble compounds and result in formulations with low bioavailability. Therefore, there is a critical need for the pharmaceutical industry to develop formulations that will enhance the solubility and ultimately the bioavailability of these compounds. HME technology also offers an opportunity to earn intellectual property, which is evident from an increasing number of patents and publications that have included it as a novel pharmaceutical formulation technology over the past decades. This review had a threefold objective. First, it sought to provide an overview of HME principles and present detailed engineered extrusion equipment designs. Second, it included a number of published reports on the application of HME techniques that covered the fields of solid dispersions, microencapsulation, taste masking, targeted drug delivery systems, sustained release, films, nanotechnology, floating drug delivery systems, implants, and continuous manufacturing using the wet granulation process. Lastly, this review discussed the importance of using the quality by design approach in drug development, evaluated the process analytical technology used in pharmaceutical HME monitoring and control, discussed techniques used in HME, and emphasized the potential for monitoring and controlling hot-melt technology.

Coupling 3D printing with hot-melt extrusion to produce controlled-release tablets

The main objective of this work was to explore the potential of coupling fused deposition modeling in three-dimensional (3D) printing with hot-melt extrusion (HME) technology to facilitate additive manufacturing, in order to fabricate tablets with enhanced extended release properties. Acetaminophen was used as the model drug and different grades and ratios of polymers were used to formulate tablets. Three-point bending and hardness tests were performed to determine the mechanical properties of the filaments and tablets. 3D-printed tablets, directly compressed mill-extruded tablets, and tablets prepared from a physical mixture were evaluated for drug release rates using a USP-II dissolution apparatus. The surface and cross-sectional morphology of the 3D-printed tablets were assessed by scanning electron microscopy. Differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis were used to characterize the crystal states and thermal properties of materials, respectively. The 3D-printed tablets had smooth surfaces and tight structures; therefore, they showed better extended drug release rates than the directly compressed tablets did. Further, this study clearly demonstrated the feasibility of coupling HME with 3D printing technology, which allows for the formulation of drug delivery systems using different grades and ratios of pharmaceutical polymers. In addition, formulations can be made based on the personal needs of patients.

Contribution of hot-melt extrusion technology to advance drug delivery in the 21st century

ABSTRACT Introduction: Hot-melt extrusion (HME) technology is applied successfully in the plastic, rubber and food industry. HME has also emerged as an important technology for drug delivery applications in pharmaceutical research and manufacturing because of its process automation and low-cost scale-up properties, which reduce labor costs and capital investment. There are a number of commercial FDA-approved HME-derived products, signifying the commercial feasibility of this novel technique in drug delivery applications. HME is a highly efficient, solvent-free continuous processing technique for the development of solid dispersions; thus, research efforts to develop sustained, modified and targeted drug delivery systems to improve the solubility and bioavailability of poorly water-soluble active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are of interest. Areas covered: This review focuses on both the innovations and applications of HME in the production of pharmaceutical formulations, and on the significant findings of the general principles regarding formulation and process development via HME as described in published articles. Expert opinion: Challenges faced by pharmaceutical companies to produce efficient drug formulations may be partly overcome by HME’s advantages – high drug-loading capacity, good content uniformity, cost-effectiveness, and ease of processing scale-up. Nevertheless, HME’s high processing temperatures may be an obstacle if adequate knowledge about the product’s formulation is lacking.

The effects of polymer carrier, hot melt extrusion process and downstream processing parameters on the moisture sorption properties of amorphous solid dispersions.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of polymer carrier, hot melt extrusion and downstream processing parameters on the water uptake properties of amorphous solid dispersions.

Formulation and development of pH-independent/dependent sustained release matrix tablets of ondansetron HCl by a continuous twin-screw melt granulation process

The objective of the present study was to develop pH-independent/dependent sustained release (SR) tablets of ondansetron HCl dihydrate (OND), a selective 5-HT3 receptor antagonist that is used for prevention of nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy, radiotherapy and postoperative treatment. The challenge with the OND API is its pH-dependent solubility and relatively short elimination half-life. Therefore, investigations were made to solve these problems in the current study. Formulations were prepared using stearic acid as a binding agent via a melt granulation process in a twin-screw extruder. The micro-environmental pH of the tablet was manipulated by the addition of fumaric acid to enhance the solubility and release of OND from the tablet. The in vitro release study demonstrated sustained release for 24h with 90% of drug release in formulations using stearic acid in combination with ethyl cellulose, whereas 100% drug release in 8h for stearic acid-hydroxypropylcellulose matrices. The formulation release kinetics was correlated to the Higuchi diffusion model and a non-Fickian drug release mechanism. The results of the present study demonstrated for the first time the pH dependent release from hydrophilic-lipid matrices as well as pH independent release from hydrophobic-lipid matrices for OND SR tablets manufactured by means of a continuous melt granulation technique utilizing a twin-screw extruder.

Development of an Ointment Formulation Using Hot-Melt Extrusion Technology

Ointments are generally prepared either by fusion or by levigation methods. The current study proposes the use of hot-melt extrusion (HME) processing for the preparation of a polyethylene glycol base ointment. Lidocaine was used as a model drug. A modified screw design was used in this process, and parameters such as feeding rate, barrel temperature, and screw speed were optimized to obtain a uniform product. The product characteristics were compared with an ointment of similar composition prepared by conventional fusion method. The rheological properties, drug release profile, and texture characteristics of the hot-melt extruded product were similar to the conventionally prepared product. This study demonstrates a novel application of the hot-melt extrusion process in the manufacturing of topical semi-solids.

Influence of degassing on hot-melt extrusion process.

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of degassing on an extrusion process, with respect to extrudate quality and drug release properties. Processed formulations were extruded with and without a degassing vent port at various locations along the barrel. All the experiments were performed under constant processing temperature, feeding rate, and screw speed. During the extrusion process, torque and pressure were monitored and recorded. The degassing process was beneficial when used over a conveying section after a mixing section. This is attributed to the large surface area available on the conveying elements, which minimizes the internal volume of the processed material, thereby facilitating the escape of entrapped gases. Degassing enhanced the homogeneity, physical appearance, and drug release properties of all the formulations. Furthermore, the degassing process also enhanced the cross-sectional uniformity of the extruded material, which is beneficial for visual monitoring during processing. Degassing considerably reduced the post-extrusion moisture content of Formula D3, which contains the highly hygroscopic polymer Kollidon® 17 PF, suggesting that the greatest influence of this process is on hygroscopic materials. The reduction in post-extrusion moisture content resulting from the inclusion of a degassing vent port, reduced fluctuations in the values of in-line monitoring parameters such as pressure and torque. Employing a degassing unit during hot-melt extrusion processing could help increase process efficacy and product quality.

Rat Palatability Study for Taste Assessment of Caffeine Citrate Formulation Prepared via Hot-Melt Extrusion Technology.

Developing a pediatric oral formulation with an age-appropriate dosage form and taste masking of naturally bitter active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are key challenges for formulation scientists. Several techniques are used for taste masking of bitter APIs to improve formulation palatability; however, not all the techniques are applicable to pediatric dosage forms because of the limitations on the kind and concentration of the excipients that can be used. Hot-melt extrusion (HME) technology is used successfully for taste masking of bitter APIs and overcomes some of the limitations of the existing taste-masking techniques. Likewise, analytical taste assessment is an important quality control parameter evaluated by several in vivo and in vitro methods, such as the human taste panel, electrophysiological methods, electronic sensor, and animal preference tests to aid in selecting a taste-masked formulation. However, the most appropriate in vivo method to assess the taste-masking efficacy of pediatric formulations remains unknown because it is not known to what extent the human taste panel/electronic tongue can predict the palatability in the pediatric patients. The purpose of this study was to develop taste-masked caffeine citrate extrudates via HME and to demonstrate the wide applicability of a single bottle-test rat model to record and compare the volume consumed of the taste-masked solutions to that of the pure API. Thus, this rat model can be considered as a low-cost alternative taste-assessment method to the most commonly used expensive human taste panel/electronic tongue method for pediatric formulations.

Optimization of hot melt extrusion parameters for sphericity and hardness of polymeric face-cut pellets.

Abstract The aim of this study was to formulate face-cut, melt-extruded pellets, and to optimize hot melt process parameters to obtain maximized sphericity and hardness by utilizing Soluplus® as a polymeric carrier and carbamazepine (CBZ) as a model drug. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to detect thermal stability of CBZ. The Box–Behnken design for response surface methodology was developed using three factors, processing temperature ( °C), feeding rate (%), and screw speed (rpm), which resulted in 17 experimental runs. The influence of these factors on pellet sphericity and mechanical characteristics was assessed and evaluated for each experimental run. Pellets with optimal sphericity and mechanical properties were chosen for further characterization. This included differential scanning calorimetry, drug release, hardness friability index (HFI), flowability, bulk density, tapped density, Carr’s index, and fourier transform infrared radiation (FTIR) spectroscopy. TGA data showed no drug degradation upon heating to 190 °C. Hot melt extrusion processing conditions were found to have a significant effect on the pellet shape and hardness profile. Pellets with maximum sphericity and hardness exhibited no crystalline peak after extrusion. The rate of drug release was affected mainly by pellet size, where smaller pellets released the drug faster. All optimized formulations were found to be of superior hardness and not friable. The flow properties of optimized pellets were excellent with high bulk and tapped density.

Formulation and development of orodispersible sustained release tablet of domperidone

Abstract Commercially available domperidone orodispersible tablets (ODT) are intended for immediate release of the drug, but none of them have been formulated for sustained action. The aim of the present research work was to develop and evaluate orodispersible sustained release tablet (ODT-SR) of domperidone, which has the convenience of ODT and benefits of controlled release product combined in one. The technology comprised of developing sustained release microspheres (MS) of domperidone, followed by direct compression of MS along with suitable excipients to yield ODT-SR which rapidly disperses within 30 seconds and yet the dispersed MS maintain their integrity to have a sustained drug release. The particle size of the MS was optimized to be less than 200 μm to avoid the grittiness in the mouth. The DSC thermograms of MS showed the absence of drug-polymer interaction within the microparticles, while SEM confirmed their spherical shape and porous nature. Angle of repose, compressibility and Hausner’s ratio of the blend for compression showed good flowability and high percent compressibility. The optimized ODT-SR showed disintegration time of 21 seconds and matrix controlled drug release for 9 h. In-vivo pharmacokinetic studies in Wistar rats showed that the ODT-SR had a prolonged MRT of 11.16 h as compared 3.86 h of conventional tablet. The developed technology is easily scalable and holds potential for commercial exploitation.