Evaluation of Polyvinyl Alcohol as Binder during Continuous Twin Screw Wet Granulation.

Binder selection is a crucial step in continuous twin-screw wet granulation (TSWG), as the material experiences a much shorter residence time (2-40 s) in the granulator barrel compared to batch-wise granulation processes. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) 4-88 was identified as an effective binder during TSWG, but the potential of other PVA grades-differing in polymerization and hydrolysis degree-has not yet been studied. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to evaluate the potential of different PVA grades as a binder during TSWG.

Predicting powder feedability: A workflow for assessing the risk of flow stagnation and defining the operating space for different powder-feeder combinations.

Powder feeding is of critical importance for continuous manufacturing (CM) since next to in-process segregation it is the phenomenon primarily responsible for fluctuations in content uniformity and for content deviations in the final drug product. So far, feeding studies have focused on the characterization of specific feeders and the prediction of their performance for various materials. This work presents a more holistic approach, an early general assessment of the "feedability" of raw materials.

Performance tuning of particle engineered mannitol in dry powder inhalation formulations.

Typically, smooth lactose particles are used as carrier in dry powder formulations for inhalation. Two classical approaches to improve their aerodynamic behaviour are the addition of fines (milled lactose) or magnesium stearate (MgSt). Mannitol (Parteck® M DPI) as an alternative carrier was used in this study.

Particle engineered mannitol for carrier-based inhalation - A serious alternative?

In dry powder inhalation (DPI), larger carrier particles, typically lactose, are blended with micronised active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) particles to improve handling, processability and inhalable fraction. Alternative carrier materials were researched for years, but did not enter the market yet. In this study, a common lactose carrier for DPI formulations and a spray granulated mannitol carrier were compared to evaluate if the particle engineered mannitol can be considered a serious alternative.

Poly (vinyl alcohol) microneedles: Fabrication, characterization, and application for transdermal drug delivery of doxorubicin.

Poly (vinyl alcohol) microneedles were fabricated, characterized, and applied to enhance in vitro transdermal delivery of doxorubicin. The microneedles were fabricated using the micromolding technique with the drug load in different locations within the needle array. The polymer solution was assessed for rheological properties, drug dissolution, and chemical structurestudies.

Mesoporous silica-based dosage forms improve release characteristics of poorly soluble drugs: case example fenofibrate.

Objectives: Mesoporous silica-based dosage forms offer the potential for improving the absorption of poorly soluble drugs after oral administration. In this investigation, fenofibrate was used as a model drug to study the ability of monomodal ('PSP A') and bimodal ('PSP B') porous silica to improve release by a 'spring' effect in in vitro biorelevant dissolution tests. Also investigated was the addition of various polymers to provide a 'parachute' effect, that is, to keep the drug in solution after its release.