Ute Isele

Sustained-release injectables formed in situ and their potential use for veterinary products.

The controlled drug delivery of hydrophilic and lipophilic drug substances via the parenteral route has gained increasing importance in the development of pharmaceutical dosage forms. In particular, the animal health industry has generated strong interest in long-term drug delivery for both companion and farm animals during the past few years. At present sustained-release injectables formed in situ for s.c./i.m. administration have become an attractive alternative to common slow release technologies such as microspheres or standard implants. In this context, technologies based on PLA/PLGA, sucrose acetate isobutyrate (SAIB) and the amphipathic molecules Poloxamer, glycerol monooleate or PEG-PLA-PEG copolymers, are discussed. Release periods from hours to months can be obtained by choosing one of these drug delivery technologies. The release times are strongly dependent on the biodegradation of the polymers and the physico-chemical properties of the drug substance used. Furthermore, the use of different solvents for the matrix-forming agents and the individual loading capacity are critically assessed. Additionally acceptance of the excipients for parenteral use by the regulatory authorities is closely considered. Scientific articles as well as patent publications are reviewed to give a wide overview of the existing approaches and their future potential for animal health products.

CGP 55 847, liposome-delivered zinc(II)-phthalocyanine as a phototherapeutic agent for tumors

Zinc(II)-phthalocyanine (Zn-Pc) was chosen for development as a second-generation photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy (PDT) of tumors and for benign conditions because of its advantageous chemical and photophysical properties. Zn-Pc displayed good selectivity for malignant tissue in pharmacokinetic studies with Meth-A-sarcoma-bearing BALB/c mice when injected in a dose of 0.125 mg/kg, delivered by CGP 55 847. Intravenous doses of Zn- Pc ranging from 0.032 to 0.375 mg/kg caused tumor necrosis and, subsequently, cure of Meth-A-sarcoma-bearing mice when phototreatment was performed 48 hours after injection of CGP 55 847. Intravenous injection of Zn-Pc into hairless mice in doses ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 mg/kg caused dose- and time-dependent phototoxicity. We conclude that the promising pharmacological properties of liposomally delivered Zn-Pc, along with its advantageous chemical and photophysical properties, warrant the development of CGP 55 847 as a candidate drug for photodynamic therapy of tumors in humans.

Pharmaceutical development of CGP 55847: a liposomal Zn-phthalocyanine formulation using a controlled organic solvent dilution method

Liposomes were prepared containing zinc-phthalocyanine (ZnPc). The composition was ZnPc/POPC/OOPS (1:90:10 w/w /w). The phospholipids (PL) were dissolved in t-butanol at 50 degree(s)C under magnetic stirring and mixed with ZnPc, dissolved in NMP for two hours in an ultrasonic bath at 80 degree(s)C. This mixture (50 degree(s)C) was diluted with lactose- NaCl solution (9.475% lactose, 0.027% NaCl) at 4 degree(s)C using a dynamic mixer. The collected liposomal suspension was concentrated first, to 20 mg PL/ml suspension and then the organic solvents were removed by tangential flow filtration (CentrasetteR) against a ten fold volume of lactose-NaCl solution. After sterile filtration the liposomal suspension was freeze-dried for 24 hours.

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer measurements as a tool to detect fusion and drug exchange in liposomal suspensions

Zinc-(II)-phthalocyanine (ZnPc) is a drug that can potentially be used in photodynamic therapy. A promising formulation approach for the strongly hydrophobic ZnPc is to embed the molecule in liposomes. CGP 55847 is such a liposomal ZnPc formulation. From our data, we could conclude that approximately one quarter of the drug molecules were only loosely bound to the liposomes and exchanged between them with a relaxation time of about 15 min. Energy transfer measurements before and after the lyophilization process revealed that the liposomes were stable when suspended in a 10% lactose solution, i.e. no fusion of liposomes took place. In aqueous solution, however, lyophilization induced fusion of liposomes to a small extent with a concomitant increase in size.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of a series of new germanium phthalocyanines incorporated into liposomes--part II: biological evaluation

The pharmacokinetic and phototherapeutic properties of new phthalocyanines with Ge(IV) or Si(VI) as the central metal ion and cholesterol, cholestan or long-chain fatty acids residues as axial ligands to the central ion have been studied in tumor-bearing mice. The new photosensitizers were selectively taken up by and relatively quickly released from the tumors. Except for Si(IV)-Pc, which showed a comparably high selectivity for tumor versus peritumoral tissue, all Ge(IV)-Pc were less selective than liposomal Zn-Pc (CGP 55847). However, all the new compounds showed excellent phototherapeutic efficiency at very low drug and light doses in studies in Meth-A-sarcoma-bearing mice.

New liposome-bound Ge(IV)-phthalocyanine (CGP 55398) for photodynamic therapy of tumors: preliminary studies

A phthalocyanine derivative with two cholesterol moieties as axial ligands to the central Ge(IV) ion efficiently photosensitizes the oxidative modification of L-tryptophan. Administration of liposome-bound GePc to Balb/c mice bearing a MS-2 fibrosarcoma yields a quantitative release of the dye to serum lipoproteins, followed by a selective accumulation in the tumor as well as a low content in the skin. At 24 h after injection of 0.76 mg/kg GePc, the tumor was irradiated with 600 - 700 nm light; tumor necrosis appeared in all treated mice as a consequence of extensive damage of cellular and stromal elements.

Tissue distribution of liposomal zinc(II)-phthalocyanine in normolipaemic and hyperlipaemic rats following intravenous administration

Liposomal formulations of the photosensitizer zinc(II)-phthalocyanine (Zn-Pc) readily interact with plasma lipoproteins in vitro and in vivo, leading to a redistribution of the photosensitizer amongst the major lipoprotein classes. As lipoprotein binding may facilitate the uptake of lipophilic photosensitizers by proliferating tissues, we have examined the fate of intravenously administered liposomal Zn-Pc in normolipaemic rats and rats rendered hyperlipaemic through dietary intervention. Differences were found in the plasma decay profiles of Zn-Pc and liposomal phospholipid between the two groups of animals.