Mapping the pharmaceutical design space by amorphous ionic liquid strategies.

Poor water solubility of drugs fuels complex formulations and jeopardizes patient access to medication. Simplifying these complexities we systematically synthesized a library of 36 sterically demanding counterions and mapped the pharmaceutical design space for amorphous ionic liquid strategies for Selurampanel, a poorly water soluble drug used against migraine. Patients would benefit from a rapid uptake after oral administration to alleviate migraine symptoms.

'Pro et contra' ionic liquid drugs - Challenges and opportunities for pharmaceutical translation.

Ionic liquids (ILs) are organic salts with a melting point below 100°C. Active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are transformed into ILs by combining them with typically large yet charged counterions. ILs hold promise to build a large design space for relevant pharmaceutical parameters, particularly for poorly water soluble drugs.

Transformation of acidic poorly water soluble drugs into ionic liquids.

Poor water solubility of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) is a major challenge in drug development impairing bioavailability and therapeutic benefit. This study is addressing the possibility to tailor pharmaceutical and physical properties of APIs by transforming these into tetrabutylphosphonium (TBP) salts, including the generation of ionic liquids (IL). Therefore, poorly water soluble acidic APIs (Diclofenac, Ibuprofen, Ketoprofen, Naproxen, Sulfadiazine, Sulfamethoxazole, and Tolbutamide) were converted into TBP ILs or low melting salts and compared to the corresponding sodium salts.

Ionic liquid versus prodrug strategy to address formulation challenges.

Purpose: A poorly water soluble acidic active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) was transformed into an ionic liquid (IL) aiming at faster and higher oral availability in comparison to a prodrug.

Methods: API preparations were characterized in solid state by single crystal and powder diffraction, NMR, DSC, IR and in solution by NMR and ESI-MS. Dissolution and precipitation kinetics were detailed as was the role of the counterion on API supersaturation.