An Evaluation of Wet Granulation Process Selection for API Prone to Polymorphic Form Conversion in the Presence of Moisture and Heat.

Purpose: Wet granulation (WG) is one of the most versatile processes to improve blend properties for processing. However, due to its need for moisture and heat, it is often considered not amenable to active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) prone to forming hydrates. Despite this claim, little literature exists evaluating the extent to which polymorphic form conversions occur for such API when processed with WG.

Effect of coating excipients on chemical stability of active coated tablets.

The objective of this study was to understand the impact of coating excipients on the chemical stability of active pan coated peliglitazar, which was prone to acid as well as base-catalyzed degradation. Four different coating formulations containing either polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) or hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) as a coating polymer and triacetin (glycerol triacetate) or polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a plasticizer/detackifier were used for coating of peliglitazar in a perforated pan coater. Tablets of one-milligram strength were manufactured by suspending the drug in the coating suspension and spray coating onto inert core tablets.

To Maintain Formulation Composition Similarity of Coated Tablets of Different Strengths: Should Coating be Based on Core Tablet Weight or Surface Area?

Purpose: As per the Japanese or SUPAC guidance to maintain formulation composition similarity across tablet strengths, the coating should be applied based on the core tablet surface area or weight, respectively. These two coating approaches were compared by evaluating protective effects of coating on the light stability of three model compounds.

Methods: Core tablets of three light sensitive drugs, nifedipine, rosuvastatin calcium, and montelukast sodium were coated either with PVA-based Opadry® II white or Opadry® II beige.

Quality by design (QbD) approach to match tablet glossiness.

A quality by design (QbD) approach was used for a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based coating to develop a 'look-alike' placebo tablet, which can match the glossiness (shine) of an innovator tablet. Critical coating parameters such as exhaust temperature, drying capacity, solid concentration in coating dispersion, and plasticizer concentration were studied using a full factorial design of experiment DoE). Total of 20 experimental coating runs was executed on a pilot scale using a perforated pan coater.

"Development of Fixed Dose Combination Products" Workshop Report: Considerations of Gastrointestinal Physiology and Overall Development Strategy.

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is one of the most popular and used routes of drug product administration due to the convenience for better patient compliance and reduced costs to the patient compared to other routes. However, its complex nature poses a great challenge for formulation scientists when developing more complex dosage forms such as those combining two or more drugs. Fixed dose combination (FDC) products are two or more single active ingredients combined in a single dosage form.

Development and Optimization of a Wet Granulation Process at Elevated Temperature for a Poorly Compactible Drug Using Twin Screw Extruder for Continuous Manufacturing.

The objective of this study was to enhance tabletability of a poorly compactible drug, acetaminophen, by wet granulation using twin screw extruder at high temperature. It was desired that there would be minimum amounts of excipients used and the granules obtained after extrusion would be dry and fall within a size range suitable for tableting without any further processing. Mixtures of acetaminophen (95%) with binders (5% povidone or partially pregelatinized starch) were wet granulated through twin screw extruder at 70°C by adding 7% w/w water.

Assessment of Tablet Surface Hardness by Laser Ablation and Its Correlation With the Erosion Tendency of Core Tablets.

Surface erosion of uncoated tablets results in processing problems such as dusting and defects during coating and is governed by the strength of particle bonding on tablet surface. In this study, the correlation between dusting tendency of tablets in a coating pan with friability and laser ablation surface hardness was assessed using tablets containing different concentrations of magnesium stearate and tartaric acid. Surface erosion propensity of different batches was evaluated by assessing their dusting tendency in the coating pan.

Advances in mechanistic understanding of release rate control mechanisms of extended-release hydrophilic matrix tablets.

Approaches to characterizing and developing understanding around the mechanisms that control the release of drugs from hydrophilic matrix tablets are reviewed. While historical context is provided and direct physical characterization methods are described, recent advances including the role of percolation thresholds, the application on magnetic resonance and other spectroscopic imaging techniques are considered. The influence of polymer and dosage form characteristics are reviewed.

Impact of moisture and magnesium stearate functionality on manufacturability of wet granulated metformin tablets.

During the development of a wet granulated 850 mg metformin hydrochloride tablet formulation, the tablets exhibited high friability (>3% w/w) irrespective of the source of extra-granular magnesium stearate (MgSt). High friability values indicated that an anti-bonding effect of MgSt was too high to be overcome by 3.3% w/w povidone as a binder in the formulation with 1.

Wetting effects versus ion pairs diffusivity: interactions of anionic surfactants with highly soluble cationic drugs and its impact on tablet dissolution.

A study was conducted to develop a mechanistic understanding of dissolution of a highly soluble cationic drug, metformin hydrochloride, under the influence of anionic surfactants, sodium alkyl sulfates. The surfactants did not influence the saturated solubility of the drug, but reduced the surface tension of the dissolution media as the alkyl chain length increased. Their influence on tablet wetting based on the contact angles did not show any trend.

Food Effect in Humans: Predicting the Risk Through In Vitro Dissolution and In Vivo Pharmacokinetic Models.

In vitro and in vivo experimental models are frequently used to assess a new chemical entity's (NCE) biopharmaceutical performance risk for food effect (FE) in humans. Their ability to predict human FE hinges on replicating key features of clinical FE studies and building an in vitro-in vivo relationship (IVIVR). In this study, 22 compounds that span a wide range of physicochemical properties, Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS) classes, and food sensitivity were evaluated for biorelevant dissolution in fasted- and fed-state intestinal media and the dog fed/fasted-state pharmacokinetic model.

Controlling the chemical stability of a moisture-sensitive drug product through monitoring and identification of coating process microenvironment.

The objective of this work was to monitor and identify the impact of coating microenvironment, as measured by PyroButtons(®) data loggers, on the chemical stability of a moisture-sensitive drug molecule brivanib alaninate (BA). BA tablets were coated at two different scales (15 and 24 in pan). PyroButtons(®) data loggers were allowed to move freely within the tablet bed to record the temperature and relative humidity conditions of the tablet bed.

Influence of dissolution media pH and USP1 basket speed on erosion and disintegration characteristics of immediate release metformin hydrochloride tablets.

Purpose: To investigate the influence of the pH of the dissolution medium on immediate release 850 mg metformin hydrochloride tablets.

Methods: A traditional wet granulation method was used to manufacture metformin hydrochloride tablets with or without a disintegrant. Tablet dissolution was conducted using the USP apparatus I at 100 rpm.

Surfactant-mediated dissolution of metformin hydrochloride tablets: wetting effects versus ion pairs diffusivity.

The aqueous solubility of metformin (pKa: 2.8 and 11.5) in the pH range of 1.

Physicochemical interactions in solid dosage forms.

Complete characterization and mechanistic understanding of physicochemical interactions in solid dosage forms are not only important for consistent manufacturability, stability, and bioavailability of the drug product, but are also expected under the quality-by-design paradigm of drug development. Lack of this understanding can impact successful and timely development, scale-up, and commercial manufacture of dosage forms. This article highlights the stability and bioavailability implications of physicochemical interactions in dosage forms citing a couple of examples where such interactions necessitated the recall of commercial drug products.

Impact of excipient interactions on solid dosage form stability.

Drug-excipient interactions in solid dosage forms can affect drug product stability in physical aspects such as organoleptic changes and dissolution slowdown, or chemically by causing drug degradation. Recent research has allowed the distinction in chemical instability resulting from direct drug-excipient interactions and from drug interactions with excipient impurities. A review of chemical instability in solid dosage forms highlights common mechanistic themes applicable to multiple degradation pathways.

Solubilization of entecavir by povidone to overcome content uniformity challenges for low-dose tablet formulations.

Development of 0.1, 0.5, and 1.

Formulation design, challenges, and development considerations for fixed dose combination (FDC) of oral solid dosage forms.

Fixed dose combination (FDC) products are common in the treatment of hypertension, diabetes, human immunodeficiency virus, and tuberculosis. They make it possible to combine two or more drug molecules with different modes of pharmacological actions in a single dosing unit and optimize the treatment. From a patient perspective, they offer convenience, reduced dosing unit burden, and cost savings.

An evaluation of process parameters to improve coating efficiency of an active tablet film-coating process.

Effects of material and manufacturing process parameters on the efficiency of an aqueous active tablet film-coating process in a perforated pan coater were evaluated. Twenty-four batches representing various core tablet weights, sizes, and shapes were coated at the 350-500 kg scale. The coating process efficiency, defined as the ratio of the amount of active deposited on tablet cores to the amount of active sprayed, ranged from 86 to 99%.

Effect of antioxidants and silicates on peroxides in povidone.

Reactive peroxides in povidone often lead to degradation of oxidation-labile drugs. To reduce peroxide concentration in povidone, the roles of storage conditions, antioxidants, and silicates were investigated. Povidone alone and its physical mixtures with ascorbic acid, propyl gallate, sodium sulfite, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), or butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) were stored at 25 °C and 40 °C, at 11%, 32%, and 50% relative humidity.

Fatty acid and water-soluble polymer-based controlled release drug delivery system.

Sustained release capsule formulations based on three components, drug, water-soluble polymer, and water-insoluble fatty acid, were developed. Theophylline, acetaminophen, and glipizide, representing a wide spectrum of aqueous solubility, were used as model drugs. Povidone and hydroxypropyl cellulose were selected as water-soluble polymers.

An active film-coating approach to enhance chemical stability of a potent drug molecule.

Peliglitazar, a PPAR α/γ agonist, was found to undergo acid as well as base catalyzed degradation. The acid catalyzed degradation led to the formation of benzylic alcohol and glycine carbamate and the base catalyzed degradation led to formation of p-hydroxyanisole and an amine degradant. In capsule formulations, the capsules with the lowest drug-loading exhibited maximum instability even at 25 °C/60% RH storage condition.

Effect of force feeder on tablet strength during compression.

Mechanical strength of tablets is an important quality attribute, which depends on both formulation and process. In this study, the effect of process variables during compression on tablet tensile strength and tabletability (the ratio of tensile strength to compression pressure) was investigated using a model formulation. Increase in turret and force feeder speeds reduced tablet tensile strength and tabletability.

Solid-state interactions of a drug substance and excipients and their impact on tablet dissolution: a thermal-mechanical facilitated process-induced transformation or PIT.

The polymorphic and/or pseudo-polymorphic phase transformation of Drug Z API, from Form I to Form II, occurs during the wet granulation step. It was observed that dissolution of the tablets slowed down under certain manufacturing conditions. Factors responsible for the slowdown in tablet dissolution were investigated in this study.