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Characterization of Phase Transformations for Amorphous Solid Dispersions of a Weakly Basic Drug upon Dissolution in Biorelevant Media

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Abstract

Purpose

The overall goal of this study was to investigate the dissolution performance and crystallization kinetics of amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) of a weakly basic compound, posaconazole, dispersed in a pH-sensitive polymeric matrix consisting of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetate succinate (HPMC-AS), using fasted-state simulated media.

Methods

ASDs with three different drug loadings, 10, 25 and 50 wt.%, and the commercially available tablets were exposed to acidic media (pH 1.6), followed by transfer to, and dissolution in, intestinal media (pH 6.5). Parallel single stage dissolution experiments in only simulated intestinal media were also performed to better understand the impact of the gastric stage. Different analytical methods, including nanoparticle tracking analysis, powder x-ray diffraction, second harmonic generation and two-photon excitation ultraviolet fluorescence microscopy, were used to characterize the phase behavior of these systems at different stages of dissolution.

Results

Results revealed that all ASDs exhibited some degree of drug release upon suspension in acidic media, and were also vulnerable to matrix crystallization. Upon transfer to intestinal media conditions, supersaturation was observed. This was short-lived for some dispersions due to the release of the crystals formed in the acid immersion stage which acted as seeds for crystal growth. Lower drug loading ASDs also exhibited transient formation of amorphous nanodroplets prior to crystallization.

Conclusions

This work emphasizes the significance of assessing the impact of pH change on dissolution and provides a fundamental basis of understanding the phase behavior kinetics of ASDs of weakly basic drugs when formulated with pH sensitive polymers.

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Abbreviations

ASDs:

Amorphous solid dispersions

FaSSGF:

Fasted-state simulated gastric fluid

FaSSIF:

Fasted-state simulated intestinal fluid

HPMC-AS:

Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetyl succinate

LLPS:

Liquid-liquid phase separation

NTA:

Nanoparticle tracking analysis

PXRD:

Powder X-ray diffraction

SHG:

Second harmonic generation

TPE-UVF:

Two-photon excitation ultraviolet fluorescence

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND DISCLOSURES

The authors acknowledge the National Science Foundation for their financial support for this research through research grants CHE-1412888 and DMR-1309218.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Industrial and Physical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA

    Ahmed Elkhabaz & Lynne S. Taylor

  2. Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA

    Sreya Sarkar & Garth J. Simpson

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  1. Ahmed Elkhabaz
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Elkhabaz, A., Sarkar, S., Simpson, G.J. et al. Characterization of Phase Transformations for Amorphous Solid Dispersions of a Weakly Basic Drug upon Dissolution in Biorelevant Media. Pharm Res 36, 174 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11095-019-2718-0

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