Influence of the cooling rate and the blend ratio on the physical stability of co-amorphous naproxen/indomethacin

Destabilization of Indomethacin-Paracetamol Co-Amorphous Systems by Mechanical Stress

Using co-amorphous systems (CAMS) has shown promise in addressing the challenges associated with poorly water-soluble drugs. Quench-cooling is a commonly used CAMS preparation method, often followed by grinding or milling to achieve a fine powder that is suitable for subsequent characterization or further down-stream manufacturing. However, the impact of mechanical stress applied to CAMS has received little attention. In this study, the influence of mechanical stress on indomethacin-paracetamol CAMS was investigated. The investigation involved thermal analysis and solid-state characterization across various CAMS mixing ratios and levels of mechanical stress. The study revealed a negative effect of mechanical stress on stability, particularly on the excess components in CAMS. Higher levels of mechanical stress were observed to induce phase separation or recrystallization. Notably, samples at the optimal mixing ratio demonstrated greater resistance to the destabilization caused by mechanical stress. These results showed the significance of careful consideration of processing methods during formulation and the significance of optimizing mixing ratios in CAMS.

Solid–Liquid Equilibrium in Co-Amorphous Systems: Experiment and Prediction

In this work, the solid–liquid equilibrium (SLE) of four binary systems combining two active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) capable of forming co-amorphous systems (CAMs) was investigated. The binary systems studied were naproxen-indomethacin, naproxen-ibuprofen, naproxen-probucol, and indomethacin-paracetamol. The SLE was experimentally determined by differential scanning calorimetry. The thermograms obtained revealed that all binary mixtures investigated form eutectic systems. Melting of the initial binary crystalline mixtures and subsequent quenching lead to the formation of CAM for all binary systems and most of the compositions studied. The experimentally obtained liquidus and eutectic temperatures were compared to theoretical predictions using the perturbed-chain statistical associating fluid theory (PC-SAFT) equation of state and conductor-like screening model for real solvents (COSMO-RS), as implemented in the Amsterdam Modeling Suite (COSMO-RS-AMS). On the basis of the obtained results, the ability of these models to predict the phase diagrams for the investigated API–API binary systems was evaluated. Furthermore, the glass transition temperature (Tg) of naproxen (NAP), a compound with a high tendency to recrystallize, whose literature values are considerably scattered, was newly determined by measuring and modeling the Tg values of binary mixtures in which amorphous NAP was stabilized. Based on this analysis, erroneous literature values were identified.

Selecting Counterions to Improve Ionized Hydrophilic Drug Encapsulation in Polymeric Nanoparticles

Hydrophobic ion pairing (HIP) can successfully increase the drug loading and control the release kinetics of ionizable hydrophilic drugs, addressing challenges that prevent these molecules from reaching the clinic. Nevertheless, polymeric nanoparticle (PNP) formulation development requires trial-and-error experimentation to meet the target product profile, which is laborious and costly. Herein, we design a preformulation framework (solid-state screening, computational approach, and solubility in PNP-forming emulsion) to understand counterion-drug-polymer interactions and accelerate the PNP formulation development for HIP systems. The HIP interactions between a small hydrophilic molecule, AZD2811, and counterions with different molecular structures were investigated. Cyclic counterions formed amorphous ion pairs with AZD2811; the 0.7 pamoic acid/1.0 AZD2811 complex had the highest glass transition temperature (T_g; 162 °C) and the greatest drug loading (22%) and remained as phase-separated amorphous nanosized domains inside the polymer matrix. Palmitic acid (linear counterion) showed negligible interactions with AZD2811 (crystalline-free drug/counterion forms), leading to a significantly lower drug loading despite having similar log P and pK_a with pamoic acid. Computational calculations illustrated that cyclic counterions interact more strongly with AZD2811 than linear counterions through dispersive interactions (offset π-π interactions). Solubility data indicated that the pamoic acid/AZD2811 complex has a lower organic phase solubility than AZD2811-free base; hence, it may be expected to precipitate more rapidly in the nanodroplets, thus increasing drug loading. Our work provides a generalizable preformulation framework, complementing traditional performance-indicating parameters, to identify optimal counterions rapidly and accelerate the development of hydrophilic drug PNP formulations while achieving high drug loading without laborious trial-and-error experimentation.

Co-amorphous Drug Delivery Systems: a Review of Physical Stability, In Vitro and In Vivo Performance

Over the past few decades, co-amorphous solids have been used as a promising approach for delivering poorly water-soluble drugs. Co-amorphous solids, comprising pharmacologically relevant drug substances or excipients, improve physical stability, solubility, dissolution, and bioavailability compared with single amorphous ingredients. In this review, we have summarized recent advances in physical stability and in vitro and in vivo performances of co-amorphous solids. We have highlighted the role of molar ratio, molecular interaction, and mobility that affects the physical stability of co-amorphous solids. This review delves deep as to how co-amorphous solids affect the physicochemical properties in vitro and in vivo. We also described the challenges to the formulation of co-amorphous solids. A better understanding of the mechanisms of the physical stability, in vitro and in vivo performance of co-amorphous solids, and proper selection of the co-former is likely to expedite the development of robust co-amorphous-based pharmaceutical formulations and can address the challenges associated with the delivery of poorly soluble drugs.

Design of Ternary Amorphous Solid Dispersions for Enhanced Dissolution of Drug Combinations

Using sulfamethoxazole (SMZ) and trimethoprim (TMP) as model drugs, we designed amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) for the simultaneous solubility enhancement of two active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) by exploiting the drug-drug and drug-polymer interactions. In order to make this approach broadly applicable and over a wide dose range, a mixture of SMZ and TMP at weight ratios of 5:1 and 1:5 (w/w) were formulated into ternary ASDs. Depending on the dose ratio of the two drugs, the polymer used was either an aminoalkyl methacrylate copolymer (Eudragit, EDE) or polyacrylic acid. The drug-drug and drug-polymer interactions were characterized to be ionic by infrared and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The interactions resulted in a substantial reduction in molecular mobility, evident from the increase in the structural relaxation time determined by dielectric spectroscopy. The drug-drug interaction resulted in ∼3 orders of magnitude reduction in molecular mobility. The addition of a polymer led to a further decrease in molecular mobility of up to 4 orders of magnitude. The strength of intermolecular interactions was also estimated from the glass transition temperatures of the ASDs obtained by differential scanning calorimetry. The strong intermolecular interactions yielded highly stable ASDs with no evidence of crystallization, both at elevated temperatures and under accelerated storage conditions (40 °C/75% relative humidity; 6 weeks). The dissolution performances of the ASDs were evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC) obtained from the concentration-time profiles under the non-sink condition. SMZ and TMP in their ternary ASDs, when compared with their crystalline counterparts, exhibited up to 6.4- and 4.6-fold increases in AUC, respectively. Importantly, the synchronized release of the two drugs was observed, a desirable attribute in synergistic formulations. A single-phase ternary ASD, stabilized by drug-drug and drug-polymer interactions, is likely responsible for the unique release profile.

Co-Amorphous Drug Formulations in Numbers: Recent Advances in Co-Amorphous Drug Formulations with Focus on Co-Formability, Molar Ratio, Preparation Methods, Physical Stability, In Vitro and In Vivo Performance, and New Formulation Strategies

Co-amorphous drug delivery systems (CAMS) are characterized by the combination of two or more (initially crystalline) low molecular weight components that form a homogeneous single-phase amorphous system. Over the past decades, CAMS have been widely investigated as a promising approach to address the challenge of low water solubility of many active pharmaceutical ingredients. Most of the studies on CAMS were performed on a case-by-case basis, and only a few systematic studies are available. A quantitative analysis of the literature on CAMS under certain aspects highlights not only which aspects have been of great interest, but also which future developments are necessary to expand this research field. This review provides a comprehensive updated overview on the current published work on CAMS using a quantitative approach, focusing on three critical quality attributes of CAMS, i.e., co-formability, physical stability, and dissolution performance. Specifically, co-formability, molar ratio of drug and co-former, preparation methods, physical stability, and in vitro and in vivo performance were covered. For each aspect, a quantitative assessment on the current status was performed, allowing both recent advances and remaining research gaps to be identified. Furthermore, novel research aspects such as the design of ternary CAMS are discussed.

Insights into co-amorphous systems in therapeutic drug delivery

Co-amorphous (CAM) systems are promising drug-delivery systems in the arena of therapeutic drug delivery, addressing the poor aqueous solubility of drugs by enhancing solubility and thereby improving the oral bioavailability and therapeutic effect of the drug. A CAM system is a single-phase homogeneous blend of two or more low molecular weight molecules that can be drug–drug or drug–co-former, stabilized via intermolecular interactions, adding the benefit of thermodynamic stability. This review covers the fundamentals of CAM systems and recent advances in formulation development. In particular, we strive to address the theoretical, molecular, technical and biopharmaceutical aspects, advantages over polymeric amorphous solid dispersions, mechanisms of stabilization of amorphous forms, insights into unexplored in silico tools in excipient selection and regulatory viewpoints.

Impact of structural relaxation on mechanical properties of amorphous polymers

Fusion based methods, such as hot-melt extrusion, are a common way of preparing amorphous solid dispersions. Since the amorphous glass, however, is not in a configurational equilibrium, the molecular arrangement of the obtained material can differ in dependence of the preparation conditions. Although the changes in the configuration of an amorphous material, which are commonly referred to as structural relaxation or physical aging, are well investigated, the impact on mechanical properties of amorphous solid dispersions have widely been neglected so far. The presented study investigated copovidone as a model polymer commonly used in amorphous solid dispersions and revealed that structural relaxation was already introduced into the polymer during hot-melt extrusion while its degree was cooling rate dependent. The degree of structural relaxation significantly affected the mechanical properties of copovidone as assessed by diametral compression tests, macroindentation and nanoindentation. An increase in Young's modulus and indentation hardness was observable with a higher degree of structural relaxation, which, during tablet compression, translated into tablets with significantly lower tensile strength. Furthermore, evaluation of the force-displacement curves during tablet compression revealed a decreased proportion of irreversible deformation with higher degree of structural relaxation correlating well with the increased indentation hardness during macroindentation. Thus, understanding structural relaxation and its impact on material properties is of utmost importance to assess the processability and compaction performance of amorphous solid dispersions in dependence of their preparation conditions and thermal history.

Formulation of co-amorphous systems from naproxen and naproxen sodium and in situ monitoring of physicochemical state changes during dissolution testing by Raman spectroscopy

Co-amorphous systems comprising low-molecular weight drugs and co-formers constitute an interesting approach to optimize pharmaceutical performance of drugs with low aqueous solubility. Within the different types of co-amorphous systems, the combination of a drug with its own salt may be an attractive formulation option due the absence of any inactive co-formers. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of forming a co-amorphous system from naproxen (NAP) and its sodium salt (NAP(Na)). Ball milling of NAP and NAP(Na) at equal molar ratio resulted in the formation of a co-amorphous system whilst NAP and NAP(Na) alone were crystalline following both, ball milling and melt quenching. Infrared spectroscopy and physical stability testing revealed that intermolecular interactions were able to maintain the ball milled NAP-NAP(Na) system amorphous for 2 months at 40 °C. Surprisingly, the dissolution rate of co-amorphous NAP-NAP(Na) was only intermediate between those of crystalline NAP and crystalline NAP(Na). In situ Raman spectroscopic measurements indicated an initial phase separation of the co-amorphous form to NAP and NAP(Na) followed by dissociation of sodium from NAP(Na) and crystallization to NAP. These findings contribute to the design of co-amorphous formulations with the combination of a drug and its own salt.

Determination of the Optimal Molar Ratio in Amino Acid-Based Coamorphous Systems

Coamorphous drug formulations are a promising approach to improve solubility and bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. On the basis of theoretical assumptions involving molecular interactions, the 1:1 molar ratio of drug and coformer is frequently used as "the optimal ratio" for a homogeneous coamorphous system (i.e., the coamorphous system with the highest physical stability and, if strong interaction is possible between two molecules, the highest glass transition temperature (T_g)). In order to more closely investigate this assumption, l-aspartic acid (ASP) and l-glutamic acid (GLU) were investigated as coformers for the basic drug carvedilol (CAR) at varying molar ratios. Salt formation between CAR with ASP or GLU was expected to occur at the molar 1:1 ratio based on their chemical structures. Interestingly, the largest deviation between the experimental T_g and the theoretical T_g based on the Gordon-Taylor equation was observed at a molar ratio of around 1:1.5 in CAR-ASP and CAR-GLU systems. In order to determine the exact value of the ratio with the highest T_g, a data fitting approach was established on thermometric data of various CAR-ASP and CAR-GLU systems. The highest T_g was found to be at CAR-ASP 1:1.46 and CAR-GLU 1:1.43 mathematically. Spectroscopic investigations and physical stability measurements further confirmed that the optimal molar ratio for obtaining a homogeneous system and the highest stability can be found at a molar ratio around 1:1.5. Overall, this study developed a novel approach to determine the optimal ratio between drug and coformers and revealed the influence of varying molar ratios on molecular interactions and physical stability in coamorphous systems.

Determination of Stable Co-Amorphous Drug-Drug Ratios from the Eutectic Behavior of Crystalline Physical Mixtures

Co-amorphous drug–drug systems have been developed with the overall aim of improving the physical stability of two or more amorphous drugs. Co-amorphous systems often show good physical stability, and higher solubility and dissolution rates compared to their crystalline counterparts. The aim of this study is to determine if eutectic mixtures of two drugs can form stable co-amorphous systems. Three drug–drug mixtures, indomethacin–naproxen (IND−NAP), nifedipine–paracetamol (NIF−PAR), and paracetamol–celecoxib (PAR−CCX), were investigated for their eutectic and co-amorphization behavior as well as their physical stability in the co-amorphous form. The phase diagrams of the crystalline mixtures and the thermal behavior of the co-amorphous systems were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry. The solid-state form and physical stability of the co-amorphous systems were analyzed using X-ray powder diffractometry during storage at room temperature at dry conditions. Initial eutectic screening using nifedipine (NIF), paracetamol (PAR), and celecoxib (CCX) indicated that IND−NAP, NIF−PAR, and PAR−CCX can form eutectic mixtures. Phase diagrams were then constructed using theoretical and experimental values. These systems, at different drug-to-drug ratios, were melted and cooled to form binary mixtures. Most mixtures were found to be co-amorphous systems, as they were amorphous and exhibited a single glass transition temperature. The stability study of the co-amorphous systems indicated differences in their physical stability. Comparing the phase diagrams with the physical stability of the co-amorphous mixtures, it was evident that the respective drug–drug ratio that forms the eutectic point also forms the most stable co-amorphous system. The eutectic behavior of drug–drug systems can thus be used to predict drug ratios that form the most stable co-amorphous systems.

The physical stability of drugs linked to quality-by-design (QbD) and in-process technology (PAT) perspectives

The physical stability of solid-state forms in which drugs may exist is in some sense an overlooked aspect. In an era where strategies such as amorphous solid dispersions or co-amorphous preparations might provide answers to stumbling blocks such as poor drug solubility and bioavailability, the physical stability of such solid-state preparations should be a priority. Furthermore, the pharmaceutical industry is moving towards adapting a real time release of pharmaceutical products strategy, through the utilization of process analytical technology. It is thus becoming imperative to investigate the various types of phase transformations a specific solid-state form of a drug may undergo. Also, to critically assess the applicability of process analytical tools that may be sensitive enough to monitor not only chemical but also physical drug stability. These combined efforts allow quality to be built into the product, rather than dealing with costly post batch release recalls. Given that drug stability is an essential quality attribute for a drug product and the quality-by-design approach (QbD) is a best solution to build quality in all pharmaceutical products we focussed on the critical material attributes (CMAs), specifically relating to the physical stability of any given drug. This review highlights physical drug stability in relation to CMAs and how this ultimately link to the finished pharmaceutical product. Investigated challenges associated current PAT strategies is also discussed.

Involvement of metabolism-permeability in enhancing the oral bioavailability of curcumin in excipient-free solid dispersions co-formed with piperine

Curcumin (CUR) has gained increasing interest worldwide due to multiple biological activities. However, the therapeutic application remains limited because of its low aqueous solubility, intestinal metabolism and poor membrane permeability. In present study, an excipient-free CUR solid dispersion co-formed with piperine (PIP), the absorption enhancer involving metabolism-permeability, was successfully prepared by melting and quench cooling (co-amorphous CUR-PIP). The co-amorphous CUR-PIP exhibited superior performance in non-sink dissolution compared with crystalline and amorphous CUR, and showed physically stable at least 3 months, attributing to the strong molecular interactions between CUR and PIP as evaluated by FTIR spectra. Furthermore, the combination of PIP with CUR in the co-amorphous formulation could inhibit the glucuronidation of CUR, as exhibited in the in vitro assay of rat intestinal microsomes. The co-amorphous CUR-PIP would also exhibit higher gastrointestinal membrane permeability of CUR, as confirmed by P_app of CUR in Caco-2 model. After administration of co-amorphous CUR-PIP, the AUC of CUR significantly increased by 2.16- and 1.92-fold those in crystalline and amorphous CUR, respectively. This study demonstrates that the developed co-amorphous CUR-PIP can enhance the bioavailability of CUR by increasing its dissolution, inhibiting metabolic processes, and facilitating membrane permeability.

Advances in coamorphous drug delivery systems

In recent years, the coamorphous drug delivery system has been established as a promising formulation approach for delivering poorly water-soluble drugs. The coamorphous solid is a single-phase system containing an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and other low molecular weight molecules that might be pharmacologically relevant APIs or excipients. These formulations exhibit considerable advantages over neat crystalline or amorphous material, including improved physical stability, dissolution profiles, and potentially enhanced therapeutic efficacy. This review provides a comprehensive overview of coamorphous drug delivery systems from the perspectives of preparation, physicochemical characteristics, physical stability, in vitro and in vivo performance. Furthermore, the challenges and strategies in developing robust coamorphous drug products of high quality and performance are briefly discussed.

Rational Design of a Famotidine-Ibuprofen Coamorphous System: An Experimental and Theoretical Study

Famotidine (FMT) and ibuprofen (IBU) were used as model drugs to obtain coamorphous systems, where the guanidine moiety of the antacid and the carboxylic group of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug could potentially participate in H-bonds leading to a given structural motif. The systems were prepared in 3:7, 1:1, and 7:3 FMT and IBU molar ratios, respectively. The latter two became amorphous after 180 min of comilling. FMT-IBU (1:1) exhibited a higher physical stability in assays at 4, 25, and 40 °C up to 60 days. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy accounted for important modifications in the vibrational behavior of those functional groups, allowing us to ascribe the skill of 1:1 FMT-IBU for remaining amorphous to equimolar interactions between both components. Density functional theory calculations followed by quantum theory of atoms in molecules analysis were then conducted to support the presence of the expected FMT-IBU heterodimer with consequent formation of a R₂²8 structural motif. The electron density (ρ) and its Laplacian (∇²ρ) values suggested a high strength of the specific intermolecular interactions. Molecular dynamics simulations to build an amorphous assembly, followed by radial distribution function analysis on the modeled phase were further employed. The results demonstrate that it is a feasible rational design of a coamorphous system, satisfactorily stabilized by molecular-level interactions leading to the expected motif.

The Role of Glass Transition Temperatures in Coamorphous Drug-Amino Acid Formulations

The improved physical stability associated with coamorphous drug-amino acid (AA) formulations may indicate a decrease in mobility of the amorphous drug molecules, compared to the neat amorphous form of the drug. Since the characteristic glass transition temperatures ( T_gα and T_gβ) represent molecular mobility in amorphous systems, we aimed to characterize T_gα and T_gβ and to determine their role in physical stability as well as their potential usefulness to determine the presence of an excess component (either drug or AA) in coamorphous systems. Indomethacin (IND)-tryptophan (TRP) and carvedilol (CAR)-TRP were used as model coamorphous systems. The analytical techniques used were X-ray powder diffractometry (XRPD) to determine the solid-state form, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) to probe T_gα and T_gβ, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to probe thermal behavior of the coamorphous systems. T_gα analysis showed a gradual monotonous increase in T_gα values with increasing AA concentration, and this increase in the T_gα value is not the cause of the improved physical stability. The T_gβ analysis for the IND-TRP sample with 10% drug had a T_gβ of 226.8 K, and samples with 20-90% drug had similar T_gβ values around 212.5 K. For CAR-TRP, samples with 10-40% drug had similar T_gβ values around 230.5 K, and samples with 50-90% drug had similar T_gβ values around 223.3 K. The similar T_gβ values in coamorphous systems at different drug ratios indicate that they in fact are the T_gβ of the component that is in excess to an ideal drug-AA coamorphous mixture. DSC and XRPD analysis showed that for IND-TRP, IND is in excess if the drug concentration is 30% or above and will eventually recrystallize. For CAR-TRP, CAR is in excess and recrystallizes when the drug concentration is 50% or above. We have proposed a means of estimating, on the basis of T_gβ, which drug to AA ratios will lead to optimally physically stable coamorphous systems that can be considered for further development.

Organic acids as co-formers for co-amorphous systems - Influence of variation in molar ratio on the physicochemical properties of the co-amorphous systems

Co-amorphous drug delivery systems are attracting increasing attention in the pharmaceutical field, due to their promising potential to improve the solubility and bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. In this study, three organic acids, namely benzoic acid, malic acid and citric acid, were investigated as co-formers for the weakly basic drug carvedilol. It was hypothesised that the mono-, di- and triprotic nature of the organic acids could result in co-amorphous salt formation with carvedilol at the respective stoichiometric molar ratios, leading to different physicochemical properties of the co-amorphous samples. The carvedilol-organic acid samples were spray dried at molar ratios from 1:4 to 4:1 and amorphous products were obtained for all mixtures except for carvedilol-benzoic acid at a molar ratio of 1:4. A positive deviation of the glass transition temperature compared to the Gordon-Taylor equation was seen for all co-amorphous samples. Salt formation was confirmed by FTIR, but interestingly complete salt formation did not simply follow the molar ratio of the number of basic and acidic groups, most likely due to steric hindrance. As more than one molecule of carvedilol was found to be involved in most co-amorphous systems with the organic acids, this approach allows for a higher "drug loading" compared to other co-formers that usually form co-amorphous systems at a 1:1 M ratio. In addition, the large number of available organic acids offers various options for selecting co-formers.

Co-Amorphous Solid Dispersions for Solubility and Absorption Improvement of Drugs: Composition, Preparation, Characterization and Formulations for Oral Delivery

The amorphous solid state offers an improved apparent solubility and dissolution rate. However, due to thermodynamic instability and recrystallization tendencies during processing, storage and dissolution, their potential application is limited. For this reason, the production of amorphous drugs with adequate stability remains a major challenge and formulation strategies based on solid molecular dispersions are being exploited. Co-amorphous systems are a new formulation approach where the amorphous drug is stabilized through strong intermolecular interactions by a low molecular co-former. This review covers several topics applicable to co-amorphous drug delivery systems. In particular, it describes recent advances in the co-amorphous composition, preparation and solid-state characterization, as well as improvements of dissolution performance and absorption are detailed. Examples of drug-drug, drug-carboxylic acid and drug-amino acid co-amorphous dispersions interacting via hydrogen bonding, π−π interactions and ionic forces, are presented together with corresponding final dosage forms.

Melt Extrusion of High-Dose Co-Amorphous Drug-Drug Combinations : Theme: Formulation and Manufacturing of Solid Dosage Forms Guest Editors: Tony Zhou and Tonglei Li

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.

Improvement of the physicochemical properties of Co-amorphous naproxen-indomethacin by naproxen-sodium

Improvement of the physicochemical properties of amorphous active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) applying the concept of co-amorphisation is a promising alternative to the use of polymer glass solutions. In co-amorphous systems, the physical stability and the dissolution rate of the involved components may be improved in comparison to the respective single amorphous phases. However, for the co-amorphous naproxen-indomethacin model system it has been reported that recrystallization could not be prevented for more than 112days regardless of the applied preparation method and blend ratio In the present study, it was thus tested if the physicochemical properties of co-amorphous naproxen-indomethacin could be optimized by incorporation of the naproxen sodium into the system. Three different co-amorphous systems in nine different molar ratios were prepared by quench-cooling: naproxen-indomethacin (NI), naproxen-sodium-naproxen-indomethacin (NSNI) and naproxen-sodium-indomethacin (NSI). The samples were analyzed by XRPD, FTIR, DSC and by intrinsic dissolution experiments to investigate the influence of naproxen-sodium on the resulting physicochemical properties of the systems. With the three systems, fully amorphous samples with single glass transition temperatures could be prepared with naproxen molar fractions up to 0.7. The NSI and NSNI systems showed up to about 40°C higher Tgs than the NI system. Furthermore, no recrystallization occurred during 270d of storage with the NSI and NSNI samples that were initially amorphous. Moreover, with the NSI system, the intrinsic dissolution rate of naproxen and indomethacin was improved by a factor of 2 compared to the unmodified NI system. In conclusion, the physical stability as well as the dissolution rate was significantly improved if partial or full exchange of naproxen by its sodium salt was performed, which may present a general optimization method to improve co-amorphous systems.