Application of polyvinyl acetate in an innovative formulation strategy for lyophilized orally disintegrating tablets

Application of cocoa butter for formulation of fast melt tablets containing memantine hydrochloride

INTRODUCTION

Fast melt tablets (FMTs) provide a convenient dosage form that rapidly dissolves on the tongue without the need for water. Cocoa butter serves as a suitable matrix system for FMTs formulation, facilitating rapid disintegration at body temperature.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to formulate FMTs using cocoa butter as a base and investigate the effect of various disintegrants and superdisintegrants on their characteristics.

METHODS

Cocoa butter-based FMTs were prepared via the fusion molding technique. Different disintegrants and superdisintegrants were added at varying concentrations and subjected to characterization. The optimal formulation was selected and incorporated with 10 mg memantine hydrochloride.

RESULTS

The optimal FMT formulation consisted of 340 mg cocoa butter, 75 mg starch, and 75 mg crospovidone, exhibiting a hardness of 17.12 ± 0.31 N and a disintegration time of 32.67 ± 0.17 s. Furthermore, FMTs demonstrated a faster release profile compared to the commercially available product, Ebixa. SEM micrographs revealed homogenous blending of individual ingredients within the cocoa butter matrix and FT-IR analysis confirmed the chemical stability of memantine hydrochloride in the formulation. The dissolution profile of F17 suggested that the drug in FMTs released faster compared to Ebixia. Memantine hydrochloride achieved 98.07% of drug release in FMTs at 10 min. Moreover, the prepared FMTs exhibited stability for at least 6 months.

CONCLUSION

The successful development of cocoa butter-based FMTs containing memantine hydrochloride highlights the potential of cocoa butter as viable alternative matrix-forming material for FMTs production. This innovative formulation offers patients a convenient alternative for medication administration.

Development and Evaluation of an Orodispersible Tablet Formation for the Delivery of a Hydrophobic Drug

Orodispersible tablet (ODT) is a promising avenue for drug delivery, offering a dosage form that can be disintegrated instantaneously in the mouth and released the drug that dissolves or disperses in the saliva without the addition of water. ODT can effectively boost the dissolution rate and consequently the bioavailability of several hydrophobic drugs. Additionally, ODT is very attractive and suitable for specific patients who are unable to swallow the traditional tablet. The basic approach in the fabrication of oral tablets for hydrophobic drugs relies on the utilization of superdisintegrants which allow prompt disintegration of tablets after swallowing. In the present investigation, escitalopram oxalate was chosen as a model drug, which is a hydrophobic, antidepressant, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) drug. Nine formulas of escitalopram oxalate ODTs were prepared by varying the concentrations of three different superdisintegrants: sodium starch glycolate, croscarmellose sodium, and crospovidone to improve the dissolution and release of escitalopram oxalate. Each was used in three different concentrations (2.5%, 5%, and 7.5%), and all the ODTs were prepared by the direct compression method. The micrometric characterization of the powder blend used in the formulations was investigated such as angle of repose, bulk and tapped densities, compressibility percent (Carr's index), and Hausner ratio. Furthermore, the prepared ODTs were characterized in terms of weight variation, thickness, diameter, hardness, friability, in vitro disintegration, wetting time, water absorption ratio, drug content, in vitro dissolution, and accelerated stability study. The results showed that the formula (ODT9) that contained 7.5% of the superdisintegrant sodium starch glycolate had superior characteristics in almost all the tests, with a dissolution rate of 100% after 6 minutes. Also, it was stable under the accelerated stability conditions.

Texture analysis – a versatile tool for pharmaceutical evaluation of solid oral dosage forms

In the past few decades, texture analysis (TA) has gained importance as a valuable method for the characterization of solid oral dosage forms. As a result, an increasing number of scientific publications describe the textural methods that evaluate the extremely diverse category of solid pharmaceutical products. Within the current work, the use of texture analysis in the characterization of solid oral dosage forms is summarised with a focus on the evaluation of intermediate and finished oral pharmaceutical products. Several texture methods are reviewed regarding the applications in mechanical characterization, and mucoadhesion testing, but also in estimating the disintegration time and in vivo specific features of oral dosage forms. As there are no pharmacopoeial standards for pharmaceutical products tested through texture analysis, and there are important differences between reported results due to different experimental conditions, the choice of testing protocol and parameters is challenging. Thereby, this work aims to guide the research scientists and quality assurance professionals involved in different stages of drug development into the selection of optimal texture methodologies depending on the product characteristics and quality control needs.

Pharmacological Effects and Clinical Prospects of Cepharanthine

Cepharanthine is an active ingredient separated and extracted from Stephania cepharantha Hayata, a Menispermaceae plant. As a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid, cepharanthine has various pharmacological properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antitumoral, and antiviral effects. Following the emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), cepharanthine has been found to have excellent anti-COVID-19 activity. In this review, the important physicochemical properties and pharmacological effects of cepharanthine, particularly the antiviral effect, are systematically described. Additionally, the molecular mechanisms and novel dosage formulations for the efficient, safe, and convenient delivery of cepharanthine are summarized.

Orally Dispersible Dosage Forms for Paediatric Use: Current Knowledge and Development of Nanostructure-Based Formulations

The paediatric population has always suffered from a lack of medicines tailored to their needs, especially in terms of accurate dosage, stability and acceptability. Orodispersible dosage forms have gone through a resurrection as an alternative to liquid formulations or fractioned solid formulations, although they are still subject to several inconveniences, among which the unpleasant taste and the low oral bioavailability of the API are the most significant hurdles in the way of achieving an optimal drug product. Nanostructures can address these inconveniences through their size and variety, owing to the plethora of materials that can be used in their manufacturing. Through the formation and functionalisation of nanostructures, followed by their inclusion in orodispersible dosage forms, safe, stable and acceptable medicines intended for paediatric use can be developed.

Milk Oral Lyophilizates with Loratadine: Screening for New Excipients for Pediatric Use

The development of suitable formulations for the pediatric population remains a challenging field with great advances reported every year in terms of excipients and technology. When developing pediatric formulations, the acceptability of medicines represents a key element to consider. For this reason, milk can be a widely accepted excipient with taste-masking properties and supplementary advantages for drug solubility. In recent years, the orodispersible dosage forms have come onto the market as child-friendly formulations. The current study aimed to develop freeze-dried orodispersible dosage forms containing bovine milk or infant formulae as the main component. In the first stage, an exploratory study evaluated the mechanical properties of placebo milk formulations and the suitability of milk as a matrix-forming agent. As the appropriate mechanical strength to withstand manipulation was demonstrated, milk oral lyophilizates were loaded with a poorly soluble model API, loratadine. Hence, a D-optimal design was conducted to prepare milk lyophilizates with loratadine and to evaluate the effects of three factors (dose of loratadine, the lyophilizate size, and the type of milk) and their interactions. Finally, three formulations were prepared to confront the predictions of the DoE and further studied to thoroughly understand the observed effects. The experimental results showed the potential of milk in the development of oral lyophilizates loaded with different doses of suspended API.

Formulation and Quality Control of Orally Disintegrating Tablets (ODTs): Recent Advances and Perspectives

Orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs) rapidly disintegrate or dissolve in the oral cavity without using water. Demand for ODTs has increased, and the field has overgrown in the pharmaceutical industry and academia. It is reported that ODTs have several advantages over other conventional tablets. Since some of them are absorbed from the mouth, pharynx, and esophagus as the saliva passes down into the stomach, in such cases, the bioavailability of the drug improves meaningfully. Furthermore, the immediate release property of ODTs makes them a popular oral dosage form in patients with swallowing challenges, children, and for cases with a need for rapid onset of action. The current review article explains the features of active ingredients and excipients used in the formulation of ODTs, discusses multiple ODT formulation and preparation techniques with their merits and demerits, and also, offers remedies for problems associated with ODTs. Moreover, quality control steps and required considerations are presented.

Formulation and evaluation of bitter taste-masked orally disintegrating tablets of high memantine hydrochloride loaded granules coated with polymer via layering technique

Orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs) improve patient adherence as they can easily disintegrate in the presence of small amount of saliva. However, the bitter taste of the active pharmaceutical ingredient in ODTs reduces patient compliance. The present study aimed to formulate bitter taste-masked ODTs containing high-dose of memantine hydrochloride (MTN) to achieve a balance between bitterness suppression and dissolution rate or disintegration time and mechanical strength. The high MTN-loaded granules were prepared using a fluidized bed granulator. Taste-masking granules coated with the selected polymer were prepared using the layering technique. Three ODTs, composed of granules coated with different polymers, were prepared. The ODT prepared using granules coated with enteric polymers showed the fastest collapse time (>20 s). Dissolution rates of ODTs composed of enteric polymers were reduced by 5 min compared with ODTs composed of non-coated or coated with water-insoluble polymer granules. X-ray computed tomography analysis revealed that low density distribution of ODTs with enteric polymer granules may result in faster disintegration time. Although ODT prepared using enteric polymers had the fastest collapse time, its change in membrane potential caused by adsorption (CPA), corresponding to aftertaste, was the lowest among formulations. This CPA value was lower than the bitterness threshold.

Strategies and formulations of freeze-dried tablets for controlled drug delivery

The freeze-drying process has been particularly attractive for preparing tablets for controlled drug release. Although traditional methods, such as granulation or direct compression methods, have been used in various studies to produce tablets with controlled release, freeze-drying processes have been utilized in certain circumstances due to their distinct advantages. However, overall, further development of these strategies, which started with early studies on orally disintegrating tablets, is still necessary. In this review, the incorporation of different formulations into freeze-dried tablets will be discussed. Moreover, the use of excipients, freeze-drying conditions, formulation reconstitution and tablet structure for optimizing the performance of freeze-dried tablets will be reported, including strategies with nanoformulations and natural materials. Generally, this discussion with potential approaches will benefit further development of freeze-dried tablets containing drugs in the pharmaceutical industry.

Model-based optimization of the primary drying phase of oral lyophilizates

Oral lyophilizates also called orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs) are a patient friendly and convenient dosage form. They are manufactured by dosing a suspension in blister cups and subsequently freeze-drying these blisters to achieve porous tablets that disintegrate quickly (< 10 s) when placed upon the tongue. This paper proposes a mechanistic model of the primary drying phase of these oral lyophilizates processed in cold-form blisters. A heat transfer coefficient (K_v) and dried layer resistance (R_p) are regressed and applied in a dynamic optimization of the primary drying phase. The optimization exercise showed the possibility of ultra-short sublimation times for polyvinyl acetate (PVA) based formulations with a primary drying time of 3.68 h for a 500 mg acetaminophen tablet.