Number Of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Research Articles

Improved hydrophobic subtraction model of reversed-phase liquid chromatography selectivity based on a large dataset with a focus on isomer selectivity

Reversed-phase (RP) liquid chromatography is an important tool for the characterization of materials and products in the pharmaceutical industry. Method development is still challenging in this application space, particularly when dealing with closely-related compounds. Models of chromatographic selectivity are useful for predicting which columns out of the hundreds that are available are likely to have very similar, or different, selectivity for the application at hand. The hydrophobic subtraction model (HSM1) has been widely employed for this purpose; the column database for this model currently stands at 750 columns. In previous work we explored a refinement of the original HSM1 (HSM2) and found that increasing the size of the dataset used to train the model dramatically reduced the number of gross errors in predictions of selectivity made using the model. In this paper we describe further work in this direction (HSM3), this time based on a much larger solute set (1014 solute/stationary phase combinations) containing selectivities for compounds covering a broader range of physicochemical properties compared to HSM1. The molecular weight range was doubled, and the range of the logarithm of the octanol/water partition coefficients was increased slightly. The number of active pharmaceutical ingredients and related synthetic intermediates and impurities was increased from four to 28, and ten pairs of closely related structures (e.g., geometric and cis-/trans- isomers) were included. The HSM3 model is based on retention measurements for 75 compounds using 13 RP stationary phases and a mobile phase of 40/60 acetonitrile/25 mM ammonium formate buffer at pH 3.2. This data-driven model produced predictions of ln α (chromatographic selectivity using ethylbenzene as the reference compound) with average absolute errors of approximately 0.033, which corresponds to errors in α of about 3 %. In some cases, the prediction of the trans-/cis- selectivities for positional and geometric isomers was relatively accurate, and the driving forces for the observed selectivity could be inferred by examination of the relative magnitudes of the terms in the HSM3 model. For some geometric isomer pairs the interactions mainly responsible for the observed selectivities could not be rationalized due to large uncertainties for particular terms in the model. This suggests that more work is needed in the future to explore other HSM-type models and continue expanding the training dataset in order to continue improving the predictive accuracy of these models. Additionally, we release with this paper a much larger data set (43,329 total retention measurements) at multiple mobile phase compositions, to enable other researchers to pursue their own lines of inquiry related to RP selectivity.

Development and characterization of solid lipid-based formulations (sLBFs) of ritonavir utilizing a lipolysis and permeation assay

As a high number of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) under development belong to BCS classes II and IV, the need for improving bioavailability is critical. A powerful approach is the use of lipid-based formulations (LBFs) that usually consist of a combination of liquid lipids, cosolvents, and surfactants. In this study, ritonavir loaded solid LBFs (sLBFs) were prepared using solid lipid excipients to investigate whether sLBFs are also capable of improving solubility and permeability. Additionally, the influence of polymeric precipitation inhibitors (PVP-VA and HPMC-AS) on lipolysis triggered supersaturation and precipitation was investigated. One step intestinal digestion and bicompartmental permeation studies using an artificial lecithin-in-dodecane (LiDo) membrane were performed for each formulation. All formulations presented significantly higher solubility (5 to >20-fold higher) during lipolysis and permeation studies compared to pure ritonavir. In the combined lipolysis-permeation studies, the formulated ritonavir concentration increased 15-fold in the donor compartment and the flux increased up to 71 % as compared to non-formulated ritonavir. The formulation with the highest surfactant concentration showed significantly higher ritonavir solubility compared to the formulation with the highest amount of lipids. However, the precipitation rates were comparable. The addition of precipitation inhibitors did not influence the lipolytic process and showed no significant benefit over the initial formulations with regards to precipitation. While all tested sLBFs increased the permeation rate, no statistically significant difference was noted between the formulations regardless of composition. To conclude, the different release profiles of the formulations were not correlated to the resulting flux through a permeation membrane, further supporting the importance of making use of combined lipolysis-permeation assays when exploring LBFs.

Clay-Based Hydrogels as Drug Delivery Vehicles of Curcumin Nanocrystals for Topical Application.

The poor water solubility of a significant number of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) remains one of the main challenges in the drug development process, causing low bioavailability and therapeutic failure of drug candidates. Curcumin is a well-known Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS) class IV drug, characterized by lipophilicity and low permeability, which hampers topical bioavailability. Given these premises, the aim of this work was the design and the development of curcumin nanocrystals and their incorporation into natural inorganic hydrogels for topical application. Curcumin nanocrystals were manufactured by the wet ball milling technique and then loaded in clay-based hydrogels. Bentonite and/or palygorskite were selected as the inorganic gelling agents. Curcumin nanocrystal-loaded hydrogels were manufactured by means of a homogenization process and characterized with respect to their chemico-physical properties, in vitro release, antioxidant activity and skin permeation. The results highlighted that the presence of bentonite provided an increase of curcumin skin penetration and simultaneously allowed its radical scavenging properties, due to the desirable rheological characteristics, which should guarantee the necessary contact time of the gel with the skin.

In-line monitoring of solid dispersion preparation in small scale extrusion based on UV–vis spectroscopy

The poor solubility of a large number of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) is a major challenge in pharmaceutical research. Therefore, the extrusion of amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) is one promising approach to enhance the dissolution rate by molecularly dissolving the API in an amorphous carrier polymer. During ASD extrusion, crucial parameters as the dissolution of the API in the carrier polymer need to be monitored. Within this study, a small scale twin screw extruder was coupled with special ColVisTec UV–vis probes that are characterized by their small dimensions. This setup enables a systematic formulation design and optimization based on in-line monitoring of drug dissolution using small material quantities. In fact, sample quantities of about 5 mg were evaluated for each measurement, representing 50% of the material inside the die. The amount of undissolved drug particles was determined based on the lightness of the extrudates. It was shown that the temperature has a significant effect on the drug dissolution in the polymer. Furthermore, complete drug dissolution was shifted to lower temperatures if higher residence times were applied. Based on the courses of lightness, regime maps were modeled that specify the process conditions where ASDs are successfully manufactured.

The Growing Field of Nanomedicine and Its Relevance to Pharmacy Curricula

The field of nanomedicine is a rapidly growing scientific domain. Nanomedicine encompasses a diverse number of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Submissions of Investigational New Drugs and New Drug Applications have risen dramatically over the last decade. There are over 50 nanomedicines approved for use by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Because of the fundamental role pharmacists will play in therapeutic and administrative decisions regarding nanomedicines, it is imperative for future pharmacists to gain exposure early in their training to this rapidly evolving class of drugs. This commentary describes nanomedicines, discusses current regulatory challenges, and provides recommendations for judicious incorporation of nanomedicine topics into the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum based on emerging pharmaceutical and clinical science applications.

Evolution of nanomedicines for the treatment of autoimmune disease: From vehicles for drug delivery to inducers of bystander immunoregulation.

Over the last two decades, the nanomedicine field has witnessed an explosive growth of research on the development of nanoparticle/microparticle (NP/MP)-based compounds for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. Studies have evaluated compounds generated with a broad range of materials with different shapes, sizes, surface chemistries and structures. A number of active pharmaceutical ingredients, including immunosuppressants, cytokines, nucleotides, peptides, proteins and immunomodulators of various types have been encapsulated into or incorporated onto the surface of these compounds, either individually or in combination, and delivered to animal models of autoimmune inflammation via different administration routes. These NP/MP-based compounds can be categorized into four different groups based on their intended mechanisms of action. Here, we review the engineering designs, the pharmacodynamic and therapeutic correlates and the disease specificity of nanomedicines belonging to each of these groups.

Developing and evaluation of orodispersible tablets containing caffeine

Starting from the premise that a reduced number of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are used to treat hypotension, the aim of this study consisted of developing new formulations of caffeine-orodispersible tablets (CAFODTs). The formulation variables were the type of disintegrant and its concentration. The CAF-ODTs were prepared by direct compression, (CAF1, CAF2 and, CAF3) each of them containing 100 mg of CAF / tablet. The proposed formulations were analyzed from a pharmacotechnical point of view. For the formulations developed the tablets’ physical appearance, resistance to crushing, friability, disintegration behaviour, and the in vitro caffeine release were evaluated. White tablets, with a resistance to crushing decreasing in the following order CAF1 > CAF2 > CAF3 were obtained. The friability test showed that all the formulations are respecting the in-force European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur. 10) requirements with values less than 1 %. The disintegration time for all three formulations was less than 180 seconds, the smallest time being registered in the case of CAF2 formulation, where Sodium Starch Glycolate (SSG) was used as a disintegrant (24-30 s, as a result of the different methods used. Through the in vitro releasing study, it was observed that over 99.9 % caffeine was released from all three analyzed formulations. By investigating the amount of caffeine released after 1 minute, it can be noticed that the largest amount released was recorded in CAF2 formulations, where SSG was used as a disintegrant. Compared to CAF2, the amount of CAF released was reduced to half, after the first five minutes for CAF1 formulation, where sodium croscarmellose was used, and ten times lower in the case of CAF3 where no disintegrant was used. Based on the results obtained we can conclude that all three formulations are respecting the pharmacotechnical in-force officinal requirements. The presence of SSG in the CAF2 formulation led to obtaining tablets with a reduced disintegration time in comparison to the other two formulations proposed in this study.

Microneedles: Characteristics, Materials, Production Methods and Commercial Development.

Although transdermal drug delivery systems (DDS) offer numerous benefits for patients, including the avoidance of both gastric irritation and first-pass metabolism effect, as well as improved patient compliance, only a limited number of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) can be delivered accordingly. Microneedles (MNs) represent one of the most promising concepts for effective transdermal drug delivery that penetrate the protective skin barrier in a minimally invasive and painless manner. The first MNs were produced in the 90s, and since then, this field has been continually evolving. Therefore, different manufacturing methods, not only for MNs but also MN molds, are introduced, which allows for the cost-effective production of MNs for drug and vaccine delivery and even diagnostic/monitoring purposes. The focus of this review is to give a brief overview of MN characteristics, material composition, as well as the production and commercial development of MN-based systems.

A Drug Content, Stability Analysis, and Qualitative Assessment of Pharmacists' Opinions of Two Exemplar Extemporaneous Formulations.

Despite a decline in the number of active pharmaceutical ingredients prepared extemporaneously using proprietary products, there remains a need for such products in the community (for example, liquid medicines for paediatrics which may be otherwise commercially unavailable). A lack of experience and quality assurance systems may have diminished pharmacist’s confidence in the extemporaneous preparation process; therefore, pharmacists were asked to prepare two proprietary products, omeprazole and amlodipine. The resulting products were characterised in terms of variability in drug quantity, stability, particle size and antimicrobial properties. Furthermore, a self-administered questionnaire was used to assess 10 pharmacists’ opinions on the perceived complexity of the extemporaneous compounding process and their overall confidence in the final extemporaneously compounded products. Drug content studies revealed that 88.5% and 98.0% of the desired drug content was obtained for omeprazole and amlodipine, respectively. Antimicrobial properties were maintained for both drugs, however variability in particle size, particularly for amlodipine, was evident between formulations. While pharmacists who partook in the study had some or high confidence in the final products, they reported difficulty formulating the suspensions. Findings from this study provide insight into pharmacists’ views on two extemporaneously prepared products and highlight the variability obtained in preparations prepared by different pharmacists.

Traversing the Skin Barrier with Nano-emulsions.

In recent years, colloidal delivery systems based on nano-emulsion are gaining popularity; being used for encapsulation and delivery of many drugs. This review therefore aims at summarizing various methods of nano-emulsion formulation and their use as a topical and transdermal delivery vehicle for a number of active pharmaceutical ingredients from different pharmacological classes. This article represents a systematic review of nano-emulsions for topical and transdermal drug delivery. A vast literature was searched and critically analysed. Nano-emulsions are thermokinetically stable dispersion systems, which have been used in topical and transdermal delivery of a number of pharmaceutically active compounds. Nano-emulsions have a narrow droplet size range with tuneable surface properties, which make them an ideal delivery vehicle. Nanoemulsions have a number of advantages over conventional emulsions, including easy preparation using various low and high energy methods, optical transparency, high solubilisation capacity, high stability to droplet aggregation and the ability to penetrate the skin; thus allowing the transdermal delivery of drugs. This review indicated that nano-emulsions are promising vehicle for entrapping various drugs and are suitable for traversing the skin barrier for systemic effects.

ПОРІВНЯЛЬНІ ДОСЛІДЖЕННЯ АСОРТИМЕНТУ ЛІКАРСЬКИХ ЗАСОБІВ НА ОСНОВІ РОСЛИННОЇ СИРОВИНИ, ПРЕДСТАВЛЕНОГО НА ФАРМАЦЕВТИЧНИХ РИНКАХ УКРАЇНИ ТА ПОЛЬЩІ

Проведено порівняльне вивчення українського та польського фармацевтичних ринків готових лікарських засобів на основі рослинної сировини. Проаналізовано структуру асортименту досліджуваних препаратів за АТХ класифікацією, країною-виробником, кількістю активних фармацевтичних інгредієнтів, порядком відпуску і лікарською формою.

Prioritization methodology for the monitoring of active pharmaceutical ingredients in hospital effluents

The important number of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) available on the market along with their potential adverse effects in the aquatic ecosystems, lead to the development of prioritization methods, which allow choosing priority molecules to monitor based on a set of selected criteria. Due to the large volumes of API used in hospitals, an increasing attention has been recently paid to their effluents as a source of environmental pollution. Based on the consumption data of a Swiss university hospital, about hundred of API has been prioritized following an OPBT approach (Occurrence, Persistence, Bioaccumulation and Toxicity). In addition, an Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) allowed prioritizing API based on predicted concentrations and environmental toxicity data found in the literature for 71 compounds. Both prioritization approaches were compared. OPBT prioritization results highlight the high concern of some non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and antiviral drugs, whereas antibiotics are revealed by ERA as potentially problematic to the aquatic ecosystems. Nevertheless, according to the predicted risk quotient, only the hospital fraction of ciprofloxacin represents a risk to the aquatic organisms. Some compounds were highlighted as high-priority with both methods: ibuprofen, trimethoprim, sulfamethoxazole, ritonavir, gabapentin, amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, raltegravir, propofol, etc. Analyzing consumption data and building prioritization lists helped choosing about 15 API to be monitored in hospital wastewaters. The API ranking approach adopted in this study can be easily transposed to any other hospitals, which have the will to look at the contamination of their effluents.

Innovative Chiral Resolution Using Enantiospecific Co-Crystallization in Solution

A large number of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) are chiral. Most of them are synthesized as racemic mixtures, and a chiral resolution step is introduced somewhere along the production process. In this study, we have used the specific hydrogen bonding interactions present in co-crystals to develop a new resolution technique. As these interactions are strongly direction dependent, we highlighted that an enantiopure API only forms a co-crystal with one of two enantiomers of a chiral co-crystal former (or co-former). Unlike salts, a diastereomeric pair cannot be obtained. This enantiospecific behavior of co-crystal candidates suggests that a racemic mixture of this candidate can be resolved through a co-crystallization in solution, which hitherto has not been observed yet. As a study system, we chose (RS)-2-(2-oxopyrrolidin-1-yl) butanamide, as the S-enantiomer is an API and no viable salts of this compound have been identified. The only known resolution technique for this compound is, therefore, based on chiral chromatography. Because of enantiospecific interactions with an S-mandelic acid coformer, we were able to selectively co-crystallize the S-enantiomer in acetonitrile. This enantiospecific co-crystallization in solution has been thermodynamically verified, by construction of ternary phase diagrams at different temperatures. Initial results not only validate our innovative resolution technique through co-crystallization but also furthermore already showed high efficiency, as 70% of the S-enantiomer could be separated from the racemic mixture in a single co-crystallization step. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

Particle formation of budesonide from alcohol-modified subcritical water solutions

Recently, subcritical water (SBCW: water that has been heated to a temperature between 100 °C and 200 °C at pressures of up to 70 bar) has been used to dissolve several hydrophobic pharmaceutical compounds ( Carr et al., 2010a). Furthermore, a number of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) have been rapidly precipitated from SBCW solutions ( Carr et al., 2010b,c). It is possible to alter the precipitate morphology by altering the processing variables; including the SBCW-API solution injection temperature and adding impurities (such as pharmaceutical excipients, e.g. lactose) to the precipitation chamber. The work presented in this article demonstrates that the morphology of pharmaceutical particles can be tuned by adding organic solvents (ethanol and methanol) to the SBCW-API solutions. Particle morphology has also been tuned by adding different pharmaceutical excipients (polyethylene glycol 400 and lactose) to the precipitation chamber. Different morphologies of pharmaceutical particles were produced, ranging from nanospheres of 60 nm diameter to 5 μm plate particles. Budesonide was used as the model API in this study. Two experimental products were spray dried to form dry powder products. The aerodynamic particle size of the powder was established by running the powder through an Andersen Cascade Impactor. It has been shown that the drug particles produced from the SBCW micronization process, when coupled with a spray drying process, are suitable for delivery to the lungs.

WikiPharma – A freely available, easily accessible, interactive and comprehensive database for environmental effect data for pharmaceuticals

A significant number of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) have been identified in the environment and in surface waters. Data on the environmental hazards associated with these substances are emerging but are still scarce. We have compiled publicly available ecotoxicity data for APIs into a database called WikiPharma. The use of the database is free of charge. It can be accessed and updated continuously as a “wiki”. The aim of WikiPharma is to provide an easily accessible, comprehensive and up-to-date overview of effects caused by pharmaceuticals on non-target organisms. The database currently contains basic information, i.e. substance name, ATC code(s) and pharmaceutical group(s), for 831 APIs representing 35 different drug classes. Effect data have been identified and included for 116 of these substances. These ecotoxicity test data have been extracted from 156 different sources. The development of a comprehensive database on ecological hazard of APIs can facilitate identification of data gaps and promote environmental risk assessment of these substances. The database is available at www.wikipharma.org.

Treatment of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients at Publicly Owned Treatment Works

Treatment of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients at Publicly Owned Treatment WorksThe Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) has compiled a comprehensive database on the environmental properties of a large number of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from the published, peer-reviewed scientific literature. The database includes a substantial amount of peer-reviewed data showing the effectiveness of the treatment technologies used at publicly owned...Author(s)Lial TischlerMary BuzbyVince D'AcoJames JahnkeSourceProceedings of the Water Environment FederationSubjectSession 41 - Fate and Transport Mechanisms, Kinetics and Modeling of Microconstituents Through Treatment SystemsDocument typeConference PaperPublisherWater Environment FederationPrint publication date Jan, 2009ISSN1938-6478SICI1938-6478(20090101)2009:14L.2555;1-DOI10.2175/193864709793954880Volume / Issue2009 / 14Content sourceWEFTECFirst / last page(s)2555 - 2570Copyright2009Word count146Subject keywordsPharmaceuticalsmicroconstituentstreatmentPOTW dischargessurface water discharges

Effects of controlled-release on the pharmacokinetics and absorption characteristics of a compound undergoing intestinal efflux in humans

ObjectiveThe number of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) undergoing inhibitable and saturable intestinal efflux is considerable. As a consequence, absorption and bioavailability may depend on the intestinal concentration profile of the drug and may vary as a function of dose and release rate of the drug from the dosage form. The impact of controlled versus immediate-release on the absorption of P-glycoprotein substrates is currently unknown. Thus, the main focus of the present study was a comparison of the pharmacokinetics of the P-gp model substrate talinolol following administration of immediate-release (IR) and controlled-release (CR) tablets to healthy human volunteers with a particular focus on the absorption characteristics of the active pharmaceutical ingredients. MethodsTalinolol immediate-release (Cordanum®, 100mg), one controlled-release (100mg) and two controlled-release tablets (200mg) were administered as single doses to fasting healthy volunteers in a crossover design with a 1 week washout period between treatments. Sufficient blood and urine samples were drawn and analysed using a specific HPLC method with UV detection to describe the resulting plasma and urinary excretion versus time profiles. ResultsThe bioavailability of talinolol in term of AUC0→∞ for IR talinolol was approximately twice as high as compared to the administration of the same dose in a controlled-release dosage form. After administration of talinolol IR tablets, the drug was rapidly absorbed and reached maximum concentrations Cmax of 204.5ng/ml±121.8 (means±S.D.) 2h after dosing. The terminal half-life of the drug averaged 19.8h following IR administration in comparison to 32h under CR dosing conditions. Following administration of the IR dosage form, significant secondary peaks were observed in one healthy subject. Secondary peaks were not clearly apparent in the CR plasma profiles. ConclusionThe present study demonstrates a considerable loss of bioavailability of drugs that are substrates of intestinal secretory transporters upon their administration in controlled-release dosage forms.