Improved Stability of Tuberculosis Drug Fixed-Dose Combination Using Isoniazid-Caffeic Acid and Vanillic Acid Cocrystal.

The classic fixed-dose combination (FDC) of 4 tuberculosis drugs, namely rifampicin (RIF), isoniazid (INH), pyrazinamide (PZA), and ethambutol dihydrochloride (EDH) has the twin issues of physical stability and RIF cross-reaction in the 4-FDC. The major reason for these quality issues is the interaction between RIF and INH to yield isonicotinyl hydrazone in drug tablets. Pharmaceutical cocrystals of INH with caffeic acid (CFA) (PZA + EDH + RIF + INH-CFA cocrystal) and vanillic acid (VLA) (PZA + EDH + RIF + INH-VLA cocrystal) are able to stabilize the FDC formulation compared with the reference batch (PZA + EDH + RIF + INH).

Color polymorphs of aldose reductase inhibitor epalrestat: configurational, conformational and synthon differences.

We report five crystalline polymorphs and an amorphous phase of epalrestat together with configurational isomerism and color behavior: form I (deep red), form II (deep orange), form III (bright yellow), form IV (yellow), and form V (orange) are in the E,Z configuration of the drug, and a Z,Z isomer (bright yellow). Two pathways are identified for polymorph conversion: direct transformation of the E,Z isomer and another pathway via the Z,Z isomer to the E,Z polymorphs. From a pharmaceutical perspective, the stability of polymorphs was established under grinding, solvent slurry and thermal conditions: form I (thermodynamic) > form II > form V > form III > form IV (least stable).