Melt Extrusion of High-Dose Co-Amorphous Drug-Drug Combinations

Lærke Arnfast, Md Kamruzzaman, Korbinian Löbmann, Johanna Aho, Stefania Baldursdottir, Thomas Rades, Jukka Rantanen

    16 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    PURPOSE: Many future drug products will be based on innovative manufacturing solutions, which will increase the need for a thorough understanding of the interplay between drug material properties and processability. In this study, hot melt extrusion of a drug-drug mixture with minimal amount of polymeric excipient was investigated.

    METHODS: Using indomethacin-cimetidine as a model drug-drug system, processability of physical mixtures with and without 5% (w/w) of polyethylene oxide (PEO) were studied using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Small Amplitude Oscillatory Shear (SAOS) rheometry. Extrudates containing a co-amorphous glass solution were produced and the solid-state composition of these was studied with DSC.

    RESULTS: Rheological analysis indicated that the studied systems display viscosities higher than expected for small molecule melts and addition of PEO decreased the viscosity of the melt. Extrudates of indomethacin-cimetidine alone displayed amorphous-amorphous phase separation after 4 weeks of storage, whereas no phase separation was observed during the 16 week storage of the indomethacin-cimetidine extrudates containing 5% (w/w) PEO.

    CONCLUSIONS: Melt extrusion of co-amorphous extrudates with low amounts of polymer was found to be a feasible manufacturing technique. Addition of 5% (w/w) polymer reduced melt viscosity and prevented phase separation.

    Original languageEnglish
    JournalPharmaceutical Research
    Volume34
    Issue number12
    Pages (from-to)2689-2697
    ISSN0724-8741
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Dec 2017

    Keywords

    • Journal Article

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