Application of Design of Expert software for evaluating the influence of formulation variables on the encapsulation efficacy, drug content and particle size of PEO-PPO-PEO/Poly (DL-lactide-co-caprolactone) nanoparticles as carriers for SN-38.

Background And Aims: Hydrophobic substances are mainly encapsulated into polymer nanocarriers in order to improve their solubility, enable their administration, at the same time to empower targeted tissue or cell specific delivery of the drug using the encapsulating vehicle as targeting and controlled release platform. 7-Ethyl-10-hydroxycamptothecin (SN-38) is an active metabolite of Irinotecan, showing 100-fold to 1000-fold higher effect than Irinotecan, but its clinical use is limited because of its extreme hydrophobicity, as it is practically insoluble in most physiologically compatible and pharmaceutically acceptable solvents.

Method: In order to fully exploit the potential of the nanoprecipitation as a method for preparation of Poly(DL-lactide-co-caprolactone)-poly(ethylene oxide) - poly(propylene oxide) - poly(ethylene oxide) (P(DL)LCL/PEO-PPO-PEO) nanoparticles and evaluate the influence of the polymer P(DL)LCL, stabilizing agent PEO-PPO-PEO copolymer (Lutrol F127) and the drug concentration (SN-38) upon drug entrapment efficiency, size and drug content, a D-optimal experimental design for response surface using Design Expert Version 9.

The potentially harmful excipients in prescribed medications in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Kosovo and available safer alternatives.

Background: Medicinal products contain excipients that might be associated with toxicity in neonates. The aim of this study was to investigate the administration of medication containing potentially harmful excipients to neonates hospitalized in Kosovo and to identify the possibility of reducing neonatal exposure to these excipients through product substitution.

Methods: Data on all medication administered to hospitalized neonates from 1st of February to 1st of August 2018 along with patients` demographic data were collected from medical records for each neonate.