A comparison of solubility characteristics of free bases and hydrochloride salts of tetracycline antibiotics in hydrochloric acid solutions

An overview of techniques for multifold enhancement in solubility of poorly soluble drugs

Poor water solubility of newly discovered compounds has become the most common challenge in the drug development process. Indeed, poor solubility is considered as the root cause of failure of drug during drug development phases. Moreover, it has also been reported to be the main reason for bioavailability issues such as poor, inconsistent, incomplete and highly variable bioavailability of the marketed products. As per an estimate, approximately 90% of drug molecules suffer with poor water solubility at early stage and approximately 40% of the marketed drugs have bioavailability problems mainly due to poor water solubility. Solubility enhancement of the newly discovered compounds is primary research area for the pharmaceutical industries and research institutions. The conventional techniques to improve aqueous solubility of drugs employ salt formation, prodrug formation, co-crystallization, complexation, amorphous solid dispersion and use of co-solvent, surfactants or hydrotropic agents. Current advancement in the science and technology has enabled the use of relatively new techniques under the umbrella of nanotechnology. These include the development of nanocrystals, nanosuspensions, nanoemulsions, microemulsions, liposomes and nanoparticles to enhance the solubility. This review focuses on the conventional and current approaches of multifold enhancement in the solubility of poorly soluble marketed drugs, including newly discovered compounds.

Hypersensitivity reactions to non beta-lactam antimicrobial agents, a statement of the WAO special committee on drug allergy

Antibiotics are used extensively in the treatment of various infections. Consequently, they can be considered among the most important agents involved in adverse reactions to drugs, including both allergic and non-allergic drug hypersensitivity [J Allergy Clin Immunol 113:832–836, 2004]. Most studies published to date deal mainly with reactions to the beta-lactam group, and information on hypersensitivity to each of the other antimicrobial agents is scarce. The present document has been produced by the Special Committee on Drug Allergy of the World Allergy Organization to present the most relevant information on the incidence, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, possible mechanisms, and management of hypersensitivity reactions to non beta-lactam antimicrobials for use by practitioners worldwide.

Strategies to address low drug solubility in discovery and development

Drugs with low water solubility are predisposed to low and variable oral bioavailability and, therefore, to variability in clinical response. Despite significant efforts to "design in" acceptable developability properties (including aqueous solubility) during lead optimization, approximately 40% of currently marketed compounds and most current drug development candidates remain poorly water-soluble. The fact that so many drug candidates of this type are advanced into development and clinical assessment is testament to an increasingly sophisticated understanding of the approaches that can be taken to promote apparent solubility in the gastrointestinal tract and to support drug exposure after oral administration. Here we provide a detailed commentary on the major challenges to the progression of a poorly water-soluble lead or development candidate and review the approaches and strategies that can be taken to facilitate compound progression. In particular, we address the fundamental principles that underpin the use of strategies, including pH adjustment and salt-form selection, polymorphs, cocrystals, cosolvents, surfactants, cyclodextrins, particle size reduction, amorphous solid dispersions, and lipid-based formulations. In each case, the theoretical basis for utility is described along with a detailed review of recent advances in the field. The article provides an integrated and contemporary discussion of current approaches to solubility and dissolution enhancement but has been deliberately structured as a series of stand-alone sections to allow also directed access to a specific technology (e.g., solid dispersions, lipid-based formulations, or salt forms) where required.

Rapid throughput screening of apparent KSP values for weakly basic drugs using 96-well format

A rapid-throughput screening assay was developed to estimate the salt solubility parameter, K(SP), with a minimal quantity of drug. This assay allows for early evaluation of salt limited solubility with a large number of counter-ions and biologically promising drug leads. Drugs dissolved (typically 10 mM) in DMSO are robotically distributed to a 96-well plate. DMSO is evaporated, and drugs are equilibrated with various acids at different concentrations (typically <1 M) to yield final total drug concentrations around 2.5 mM. The plate is checked for precipitation. Filtrates from only those precipitated wells were subjected to rapid gradient HPLC analysis. An iterative procedure is employed to calculate all species concentrations based on mass and charge balance equations. The apparent K(SP) values assuming 1:1 stoichiometry are determined from counter-ion and ionized drug activities. A correlation coefficient >0.975 for eight drugs totaling 16 salts is reported. Intra-day and inter-day reproducibility was <10%. Conventional apparent K(SP) measurements were translated to 96-well format for increased throughput and minimal drug consumption (typically 10 mg) to evaluate at least eight different counter-ions. Although the current protocol estimates K(SP) from 10(-3) to 10(-7) M, the dynamic range of the assay could be expanded by adjusting drug and counter-ion concentrations.

The interaction between oxytetracycline and divalent metal ions in aqueous and mixed solvent systems

The effects of pH, mixed solvent systems, and divalent metal ions on oxytetracycline (OTC) solubility and the interactions between OTC and metal ions in aqueous and mixed solvent systems were investigated. OTC solubility profiles were obtained for pH 4-9. The cosolvents studied were glycerin, propylene glycol, PEG 400, and 2-pyrrolidone with the following metal ions: magnesium, calcium, and zinc. OTC and its interactions with these metal ions were evaluated by solubility, NMR, circular dichroism (CD), and electron diffraction (ED) methods. At pH 5.6, no complexation occurred with these metal ions, but OTC zwitterion formed aggregates in aqueous solutions as shown by NMR spectra. The hydration of the metal ions was observed to affect OTC aggregation, with Mg+2 causing the greatest OTC aggregation. At pH 7.5, OTC aggregation and metal-OTC complexation were observed in solutions with Ca+2 and Mg+2. Zinc ion was found to decrease OTC solubility because of zincate formation, which caused anionic OTC to precipitate. Electron diffraction revealed a relationship between OTC and metal-OTC complex crystallinity and solubility behavior. The zinc-OTC complex exhibited the highest crystallinity and lowest solubility at pH 8.0. Various cosolvents generally enhanced OTC solubility, with 2-pyrrolidone having the best solubility power. In OTC-metal-2-pyrrolidone and OTC-Zn(+2)-PEG 400 systems, circular dichroism provided evidence for the formation of soluble ternary complexes.

Solubilities and intrinsic dissolution rates of sulphamethoxazole and trimethoprim

The influence of pH on the dissolution rates and solubilities of sulphamethoxazole and trimethoprim have been examined. Sulphamethoxazole was evaluated in buffers of ionic strength 0.5 mol dm-3 over the pH range 0.45-7.8 and at 25, 32 and 37 degrees C. The minimum solubility of sulphamethoxazole was 28.1 mg/100 mL at pH 3.22 and 25 degrees C. Solubilities increased significantly with both increased and decreased pH. Intrinsic dissolution rates demonstrated a linear relationship with the solubility data. Trimethoprim solubility was both buffer- and pH-dependent. In both water and hydrochloric acid solution at 32 degrees C the solubility of trimethoprim increased from 50 mg/100 mL in water at pH 8.54 to a maximum of 1550 mg/100 mL at pH 5.5. This maximum solubility was in excess of that predicted theoretically and may be due to supersaturation. Below pH 2 the solubility of protonated trimethoprim diminished from 1125 mg/100 mL with decreasing pH. This was due to the common ion effect. Intrinsic dissolution rates increased as pH was decreased with hydrochloric acid from 6.00 to 1.78, but decreased at pH 1.48 due to the common ion effect. Dissolution profiles of trimethoprim showed complex patterns dependent upon pH. The profile was zero-order at pH 6.00 and became distinctly stepwise at pH 5.5, this effect becoming less pronounced at lower pH values. This was reconciled in terms of the rate of formation of trimethoprim hydrochloride on the surface of the disc and the differing dissolution rates of this species and trimethoprim. A simple relationship between solubility and dissolution rate was not observed.

pH-Solubility Profiles of Organic Bases and Their Hydrochloride Salts

Knowledge of comparative solubility profiles of a base and its hydrochloride salt is important in selecting one form over the other for dosage form design. The studies with two model bases, namely, tiaramide and papaverine, showed that, except during phase transition from a base to a salt or vice versa, the pH-solubility profiles are identical whether a base or a salt are used. The solubilities were determined by equilibration after addition of hydrochloric acid or sodium hydroxide solutions to suspensions of bases and salts. With the addition of hydrochloric acid solution, the pH values of the suspensions of tiaramide and papaverine dropped to 5.0 ± 0.1 and 4.0 ± 0.1, respectively, and then remained constant until supersaturated solutions were formed. After nucleation of supersaturated solutions with the addition of hydrochloride salt or the reduction of temperature, the precipitation of hydrochloride salt occurred. The solubilities of salts decreased at low pH due to common ion effect. The K(o) sp values, however, did not remain constant and the solubility profiles showed positive deviations from the theoretical ones. These may be due to a possible self-association and the resultant difference between the solubilities and activities of the compounds in solutions. The reported differences between the solubilities of bases and their respective hydrochloride salts at a particular pH and the lack of common ion effects on the solubilities and dissolution rates of bases are explained.

Effect of diffusion layer pH and solubility on the dissolution rate of pharmaceutical bases and their hydrochloride salts. I: Phenazopyridine

The pH-solubility profile of phenazopyridine as determined by the addition of HCl or NaOH solutions to its aqueous suspension was identical to that of its hydrochloride salt except during phase transition from base to salt. With the addition of HCl to a suspension of the base, the pH dropped to a certain point and then remained constant until a supersaturated solution was formed. Only after a high supersaturation did precipitation of the hydrochloride salt occur. The solubility of the salt decreased at low pH due to a common ion effect. Unlike solubility profiles, the pH-intrinsic dissolution rate profiles of the base and its salt differed greatly. At low pH, the dissolution rate of the hydrochloride salt decreased with an increase in HCl concentration, whereas the dissolution rate of the base increased. The self-buffering action of the base and the increase in solubility, leading to a supersaturation of the diffusion layer was responsible for the increase in its dissolution rate with a lowering of the pH of the medium. Good conformity with the Noyes-Whitney equation was demonstrated when the solubility values under pH conditions such that the diffusion layer thickness approaches zero (Cs,h = 0) were used rather than solubilities under pH conditions of the bulk media (Cs). Supersaturation of the dissolution medium was observed during dissolution of the hydrochloride salt at pH 7.

Precaution on use of hydrochloride salts in pharmaceutical formulation

Previous reports suggested that the formation of hydrochloride salts does not always enhance solubility due to the common ion effect. The extent of the common ion effect seems to be related to aqueous solubility, with slightly soluble hydrochlorides being more sensitive to the common ion, i.e., chloride ion. The relationship between solubility in water and the extent of the common ion effect was examined, and a high correlation was found, suggesting that hydrochlorides possessing solubilities in water at least of the order observed for papaverine and demeclocycline hydrochlorides (approximately 32 mg/ml at 25 degrees and 42 mg/ml at 37 degrees) are less soluble than the corresponding free base at gastric pH.

Dissolution rates of doxycycline free base and hydrochloride salts

The dissolution rates of doxycycline monohydrate, hyclate, and hydrochloride dihydrate crystal forms were investigated using the static pellet method. Solubility product equilibria with chloride ion strongly suppressed the dissolution rate of the hydrochloride dihydrate salt. This form dissolved about fourfold slower in 0.1 N HCl than in water, which was consistent with its solubility in these media. Specificity for chloride was demonstrated by the rapid dissolution rate for the hydrochloride dihydrate in 0.1 N methanesulfonic acid. The dissolution rates of the hyclate, a solvated hydrochloride salt, and the free base were not sensitive to chloride ion. The results show that common ion equilibria with chloride can strongly reduce the dissolution rate of a thermodynamically stable hydrochloride salt form, while the free base or a metastable hydrochloride salt are not similarly affected.

Solubility of doxycycline in aqueous solution

The solubility of doxycyline monohydrate and doxycycline hydrochloride dihydrate was investigated in aqueous solution. The hydrochloride dihydrate salt was isolated and identified from solutions initially containing doxycycline hyclate in water. The pKa' = 3.09 (mu = 0.1 and 25 degrees) for protonation of doxycycline was determined spectrophotometrically. The pH-solubility profiles were determined for doxycycline monohydrate in water and in 1.0 M NaNO3-HNO3 and NaCl-HCl. The pH-solubility profile at 25 degrees for doxycycline in aqueous hydrochloric acid without added salt reached a sharp maximum fo 50 mg/ml at pH 2.16. Added chloride ion strongly suppressed the solubility of the hydrochloride dihydrate salt. The apparent solubility product was not constant but decreased as the concentration of added salt increased. A theoretical model was developed involving dimerization of doxycycline and applied to the experimental data. The dimerization constant, Kd = 24 M-1, and true solubility product, K0sp = 1.8 X 10(-3) M2, were calculated. The effect of concentration on NMR and visible spectra indicated that dimerization resulted from intermolecular hydrogen bonding of the phenolic beta-diketone portion of the molecule.