Prediction of color changes in acetaminophen solution using the time-temperature superposition principle

Accelerated Shelf Life Modeling of Appearance Change in Drug Products Using ASAPprime®

An accelerated stability model approach was demonstrated to accurately predict the long-term shelf life of example drug substances and drug products (indigo carmine tablets and L-ascorbic acid powder) where appearance changes were shelf life-limiting. The products were exposed outside of packaging to conditions from 50-90 °C and 0-80% relative humidity for up to one month to accelerate appearance changes. The appearance changes of stressed samples were quantitated using the CIELAB color scale (calculated ΔE*), where a visual assessment of appearance changes likely to be noticeable was used to assign a ΔE* specification limit. ASAPprime^® software was employed to create an isoconversion paradigm, modeled in packaging by the moisture-modified Arrhenius equation, that predicted the color changes of the products within the error bars of the model to nine months at 25 °C/60% RH, 30 °C/65% RH, and 40 °C/75% RH. Overall, these case studies indicate that the ASAPprime^® approach for accelerated stability studies are a fast, accurate approach to modeling appearance changes.

Pharmaceutical Equivalency of Locally and Regionally Manufactured Generic Pharmaceutical Products in UAE

Generic drugs or generic medicines are pharmaceutical products manufactured to be equivalent to the brand/innovator drug products. They represent the majority of worldwide prescribed medicines; therefore, their quality is critical to maximize patients’ therapeutic outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the pharmaceutical equivalency of locally and regionally manufactured generic pharmaceutical products being sold in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) market to enhance public confidence, promote their utilization, and reduce treatment costs. Three drugs (tadalafil, rosuvastatin, and acetaminophen) from three different pharmacological classes were selected from the UAE market as representatives for generic drugs. At least two generic products for each locally (L) and regionally (R) manufactured generic were evaluated according to the USP criteria in comparison to the brand (B) comparator product. All comparative tests were performed before storage and 3 and 6 months after storage during the accelerated stability study performed under the conditions for climatic zone IV (40 °C ± 2 °C /75% RH ± 5% RH). Although results were statistically different from the comparators using ANOVA and Tukey’s Kremer post hoc tests, all tests were within the USP acceptance limits, except one, for friability, disintegration, content uniformity, and dissolution. Significant changes were observed following their storage over 6 months during accelerated stability studies, however, without failing the USP limits. Only one locally manufactured acetaminophen generic failed the USP dissolution tests before and after its storage and failed the disintegration test following its storage under accelerated conditions for zone IV. In conclusion, the majority of the locally and regionally manufactured generic products being sold in the UAE market were of good quality and performed similarly to their comparators. However, a continuous independent quality evaluation for the marketed generic drugs is essential to enhance public confidence.

Stability of Paracetamol Instant Jelly for Reconstitution: Impact of Packaging, Temperature and Humidity

The stability of the medicinal product is a major concern in the pharmaceutical industry and health authorities, whose goal is to guarantee that drugs are delivered to patients without loss of therapeutic properties. This study aims to evaluate the effect of environmental conditions and packaging on the stability of paracetamol instant jelly sachets based on both chemical and physical stability. The paracetamol instant jelly was packaged in plastic sachets (packaging 1) and sealed aluminium bags in screw-capped amber glass bottles (packaging 2), which were stored in real-time and accelerated stability chambers for 3 months. Samples were taken out from the chambers and were characterised for appearance, moisture content, texture, viscosity, in vitro drug release, paracetamol content, and 4-aminophenol level at different time points. The real-time storage condition at a lower temperature maintained the stability of the paracetamol instant jelly, while the accelerated condition led to a significant change in the formulation properties. In addition, the proper packaging of paracetamol instant jelly maintained the paracetamol’s stability, regardless of environmental conditions, for three months. The results show that the environmental conditions and packaging play a significant role in maintaining paracetamol instant jelly stability.

Prilling of API/fatty acid suspensions: Screening of additives for drug release modification

Current study screened additives which could modify the drug release from prills made of an active pharmaceutical ingredient/fatty acid (API/FA) suspension, without negatively influencing the processability and/or stability of the formulation. Therefore, 11 additives (i.e. emulsifiers, pore-formers and FA-based lubricants) were added in a 20% concentration to a paracetamol/behenic acid formulation. Two additives, Kolliphor® P338 and P407 provided complete drug release in less than 1 h, as their thermoreversible gel formation resulted in a disintegration of the prills. Lower Kolliphor® P338 or P407 concentrations (2.5-10%) resulted in a complete but slower drug release in 24 h as the prills no longer disintegrated and the release mechanism was dominated by pore-formation. Prills with a robust drug release profile (i.e. independent of pH and surfactant concentration of the dissolution medium) were obtained after the addition of ≥5% Kolliphor® P338 or P407 to the FA-based formulation. Based on a 6-month stability study, it was concluded that Kolliphor® P407 was a suitable additive to modify the drug release profile of API/FA suspension-based prills when formulations were stored below 25 °C at low relative humidity.

Time-temperature superposition principle for the kinetic analysis of destabilization of pharmaceutical emulsions

The time-temperature superposition principle (TTSP) was applied to the destabilization kinetics of a pharmaceutical emulsion. The final goal of this study is to predict precisely the emulsion stability after long-term storage from the short-period accelerated test using TTSP. As the model emulsion, a cream preparation that is clinically used for the treatment of pruritus associated with chronic kidney disease was tested. After storage at high temperatures ranging from 30 to 45 °C for designated periods, the emulsion state was monitored using magnetic resonance imaging, and then the phase separation behaviors observed were analyzed according to the Arrhenius approach applying TTSP. The Arrhenius plot showed a biphasic change around 35 °C, indicating that the separation behaviors of the sample were substantially changed between the lower (30-35 °C) and higher (35-45 °C) temperature ranges. This study also monitored the coalescence behavior using a backscattered light measurement. The experiment verified that the destabilization was initiated by coalescence of oil droplets and then it eventually led to obvious phase separation via creaming. Furthermore, we note the coalescence kinetics agreed well with the phase separation kinetics. Therefore, in the case of the sample emulsion, the coalescence behavior has a dominant influence on the destabilization process. This study offers a profound insight into the destabilization process of pharmaceutical emulsions and demonstrates the promising applicability of TTSP to pharmaceutical research.