Enhancement of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor efficacy through administration of a controlled-porosity osmotic pump dosage form.

An extended-release osmotic dosage form was designed for gastrointestinal delivery of the water-soluble tromethamine salt of the beta-hydroxyacid form of simvastatin, a potent HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor and cholesterol lowering agent. The cholesterol lowering efficacy and systemic plasma drug levels resulting from peroral administration of this dosage form, relative to a powder-filled capsule oral bolus, were evaluated in dogs. A twofold improvement in cholesterol lowering efficacy was realized with the controlled-release dosage form that was accompanied by a drug AUC and Cmax that were 67 and 16%, respectively, of those achieved with the bolus dosage form.

Solution kinetics of a water-soluble hydrocortisone prodrug: hydrocortisone-21-lysinate.

Hydrocortisone-21-lysinate was synthesized as an amino acid prodrug of hydrocortisone to serve as a substrate for brush border aminopeptidases. This strategy was developed to demonstrate that an improvement in oral absorption could be obtained through reconversion in vivo. The aqueous stability of hydrocortisone-21-lysinate was studied over the pH range 3-8 at 25 degrees C.

Comparative antimicrobial activity, in vitro and in vivo, of soft N-chloramine systems and chlorhexidine.

Antimicrobial activity of the following four new N-chloramine compounds was evaluated: two chlorinated simple amino acids, a chlorinated half-ester of succinic acid, and a chlorinated half-ester of glutaric acid. For comparison, the known bactericidal agents 3-chloro-4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazolidinone and chlorhexidine were evaluated by the same procedure. The contact germicidal efficiency screen was used to examine the in vitro bactericidal activity of all six compounds in the absence and presence of 5% horse serum or 5% Triton X-100.