Inclusion complexes of lamotrigine and hydroxy propyl β-cyclodextrin: solid state characterization and dissolution studies

Enhancement of Simvastatin ex vivo Permeation from Mucoadhesive Buccal Films Loaded with Dual Drug Release Carriers

BACKGROUND

Simvastatin (SMV), a hypocholesterolemic agent, suffers from very low bioavailability due to its poor aqueous solubility and extensive first-pass metabolism.

METHODS

Two SMV carrier systems, namely, polymeric drug inclusion complex (IC) and mixed micelles (MM) nanoparticles, were developed and loaded into mucoadhesive buccal films to enhance SMV bioavailability. The two carrier systems were characterized and their permeation across human oral epithelial cells (OEC) was studied. The effect of IC to MM ratio (X1) and the mucoadhesive polymer concentration (X2) on the cumulative percent of drug released, elongation percent and the mucoadhesive strength, from the prepared mucoadhesive films, were optimized. Ex vivo permeation across bovine mucosal tissue was investigated. The permeation parameters for the in vitro and ex vivo release data were calculated.

RESULTS

Complexation of SMV with hydroxypropyl beta-cyclodextrin (HP β-CD) was superior to all other polymers as revealed by the equilibrium saturation solubility, stability constant, complexation efficiency and thermodynamic potential. SMV-HP β-CD IC was utilized to develop a saturated polymeric drug solution. Both carrier systems showed enhanced permeation across OEC when compared to pure drug. X1 and X2 were significantly affecting the characteristics of the prepared films. The optimized mucoadhesive buccal film formulation loaded with SMV IC and drug MM nanoparticles demonstrated superior ex vivo permeation when compared to the corresponding pure drug buccal film, and the calculated permeation parameters confirmed this finding.

CONCLUSION

Mucoadhesive buccal films containing SMV IC and drug MM can be used to improve drug bioavailability; however, additional pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies are required.

Lamotriginium crotonate and lamotriginium salicylate ethanol monosolvate: the role of solvent molecules in the packing organization

Two lamotriginium salts, namely lamotriginium crotonate [systematic name: 3,5-diamino-6-(2,3-dichlorophenyl)-1,2,4-triazin-2-ium but-2-enoate, C9H8Cl2N5 +·C4H5O2 −, (III)] and lamotriginium salicylate [systematic name: 3,5-diamino-6-(2,3-dichlorophenyl)-1,2,4-triazin-2-ium 2-hydroxybenzoate ethanol monosolvate, C9H8Cl2N5 +·C7H5O3 −·C2H5OH, (IV)] present extremely similar centrosymmetric hydrogen-bonded A...L...L...A packing building blocks (L is lamotriginium and A is the anion). The fact that salicylate salt (IV) is (ethanol) solvated, while crotonate salt (III) is not, has a profound effect on the way these elemental units aggregate to generate the final crystal structure. Possible reasons for this behaviour are analyzed and the hypothesis raised checked against similar structures in the literature.

Hydrogen-bonding synthons in lamotrigine salts: 3,5-diamino-6-(2,3-dichlorophenyl)-1,2,4-triazin-2-ium 2-[(2-carboxyphenyl)disulfanyl]benzoate in its monohydrate and anhydrous forms

Lamotrigine is a drug used in the treatment of epilepsy and related convulsive diseases. The drug in its free form is rather inadequate for pharmacological use due to poor absorption by the patient, which limits its bioavailability. On the other hand, the lamotrigine molecule is an excellent hydrogen-bonding agent and this has been exploited intensively in the search for better formulations. The formulation presently commercialized (under the brand name Lamictal) is rather complex and includes a number of anions in addition to the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). The title salts of lamotrigine, namely 3,5-diamino-6-(2,3-dichlorophenyl)-1,2,4-triazin-2-ium 2-[(2-carboxyphenyl)disulfanyl]benzoate monohydrate, C9H8Cl2N5+·C14H9O4S2−·H2O, (I), and the anhydrate, C9H8Cl2N5+·C14H9O4S2−, (II), contain a lamotriginium cation (L), a hydrogen dithiodibenzoate monoanion (D) and, in the case of (I), a disordered solvent water molecule. BothLandDpresent their usual configurations severely twisted around their central C—C and S—S bonds, respectively. The supramolecular structure generated by the many available donor and acceptor sites is characterized by a planar antisymmetric motif of the formD–L–L–D,i.e.the structural building block. Although this characteristic motif is extremely similar in both structures, its conformation involves different donors and acceptors in itsR22(8) centralL–Lhomosynthon. The lateralR22(8)D–Lheterosynthons are, on the other hand, identical. These substructures are further connected by strong hydrogen bonds into broad two-dimensional structures, in turn weakly linked to each other. Even if the homo- and heterosynthons in (I) and (II) are rather frequent in lamotrigine structural chemistry, the composite tetrameric synthon appears to be much less common. The occurrence of these motifs among lamotrigine salts and cocrystals is analyzed.

β-Cyclodextrin based magnetic nanoconjugates for targeted drug delivery in cancer therapy

β-Cyclodextrin based magnetic nanoconjugates for targeted drug delivery.

Development and optimization of press coated tablets of release engineered valsartan for pulsatile delivery

The present work is aimed to develop and optimize pulsatile delivery during dissolution of an improved formulation of valsartan to coordinate the drug release with circadian rhythm. Preliminary studies suggested that β cyclodextrin could improve the solubility of valsartan and showed AL type solubility curve. A 1:1 stoichiometric ratio of valsartan to β cyclodextrin was revealed from phase solubility studies and Job's plot. The prepared complex showed significantly better dissolution efficiency (p < 0.05) compared to pure drug, which could be due to the formation of inclusion complex as revealed from FTIR and DSC studies. Continuous dissolution-absorption studies revealed that absorption of drug from valsartan β cyclodextrin complex was significantly higher (p < 0.05) compared to pure drug, in second part press-coated tablets of valsartan β cyclodextrin complex were subsequently prepared and application of the Plackett-Burman screening design revealed that HPMC K4M and EC showed significant effect on lag time. A 3(2) full factorial design was used to measure the response of HPMC K4M and EC on lag time and time taken for 90% drug release (T90). The optimized batch prepared according to the levels obtained from the desirability function had a lag time of 6 h and consisted of HPMC K4M:ethylcellulose in a 1:1.5 ratio with 180 mg of coating and revealed a close agreement between observed and predicted value (R(2 )= 0.9694).

Safety of an intravenous formulation of lamotrigine

PURPOSE

Intravenous (IV) formulations are useful when treating patients where oral administration is not possible and to study certain pharmacokinetic parameters such as bioavailability. We developed a stable-labeled IV formulation of lamotrigine (LTG) for studying pharmacokinetics in epilepsy patients.

METHODS

Stable-labeled IV LTG was given to 20 persons with epilepsy (6 men; 14 women) with a mean age of 34.8 years (SD 11.7). A 50mg dose of LTG (stable labeled) was given intravenously and replaced 50mg of the regular morning oral dose of LTG (unlabeled, commercially available formulation).

RESULTS

No significant changes in blood pressure, heart rate, or adverse events including rash were attributed to administration of a 50-mg dose of the intravenous LTG formulation.

CONCLUSION

Our results show that LTG base that is complexed with 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin and stable-labeled can be given safely as a tracer replacement dose.

Solvent-mediated pseudo-quadruple hydrogen-bond motifs in three lamotrigine–carboxylic acid complexes

Lamotrigine, an antiepileptic drug, has been complexed with three aromatic carboxylic acids. All three compounds crystallize with the inclusion ofN,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) solvent,viz.lamotriginium [3,5-diamino-6-(2,3-dichlorophenyl)-1,2,4-triazin-2-ium] 4-iodobenzoateN,N-dimethylformamide monosolvate, C9H8Cl2N5+·C7H4IO2−·C3H7NO, (I), lamotriginium 4-methylbenzoateN,N-dimethylformamide monosolvate, C9H7Cl2N5+·C8H8O2−·C3H7NO, (II), and lamotriginium 3,5-dinitro-2-hydroxybenzoateN,N-dimethylformamide monosolvate, C9H8Cl2N5+·C7H3N2O7−·C3H7NO, (III). In all three structures, proton transfer takes place from the acid to the lamotrigine molecule. However, in (I) and (II), the acidic H atom is disordered over two sites and there is only partial transfer of the H atom from O to N. In (III), the corresponding H atom is ordered and complete proton transfer has occurred. Lamotrigine–lamotrigine, lamotrigine–acid and lamotrigine–solvent interactions are observed in all three structures and they thereby exhibit isostructurality. The DMF solvent extends the lamotrigine–lamotrigine dimers into a pseudo-quadruple hydrogen-bonding motif.

Improvement of physicochemical properties of an antiepileptic drug by salt engineering

The focus of the present investigation was to evaluate the feasibility of using cyclamic salt of lamotrigine in order to improve its solubility and intrinsic dissolution rate (IDR). The salt was prepared by solution crystallization method and characterized chemically by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), proton ((1)H) and carbon ((13)C) nuclear magnetic resonance (liquid and solid, NMR) spectroscopy, physically by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), thermally by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), physicochemically for solubility, IDR, solution and solid-state stability, and polymorphism by solution recrystallization and slurry conversion studies. The FTIR, NMR, PXRD, DSC, and TGA spectra and thermograms indicated the salt formation. The salt formation increased lamotrigine solubility by 19-fold and IDR by 4.9-fold in water. The solution and solid-state stability were similar to parent molecule and were resistant to polymorphic transformation. In conclusion, cyclamic salt of lamotrigine provides another potential avenue for the pharmaceutical development of lamotrigine with improved physicochemical properties especially for pediatric population. It is also possible that appropriate dosage forms can be formulated with much lower drug amount and better safety profile than existing products.

Development of orally disintegrating tablets of Perphenazine/hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex

The aim of the present work was to prepare perphenazine (PPZ) orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs) based on the use of hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) forming inclusion complex with PPZ to improve the solubility and dissolution of this practically insoluble drug. Phase solubility studies were performed to evaluate the complexation of PPZ with HP-β-CD in three aqueous systems. The inclusion complex prepared by evaporation method was characterized by different physicochemical techniques, including the dissolution studies. The prepared complex was incorporated into ODTs containing different fillers and disintegrants. The ODTs prepared by direct compression were evaluated for drug content, hardness, porosity, friability, in vitro disintegration time (DT), wetting time (WT) and dissolution profiles. The solubility and dissolution rate were substantially improved compared with that of PPZ. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses suggested that PPZ could form true inclusion complex with HP-β-CD. The optimized formulation F6 exhibited short DT (15.5 ± 1.9 s) and WT (34.2 ± 2.3 s), sufficient hardness (30.4 ± 1.6 N/mm) and rapid drug dissolution. The developed tablet formulation could be a promising drug delivery system with improvements in PPZ bioavailability and patient compliance.