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Pharma Tech Outlook | Thursday, June 22, 2023
Enhancing solubility and bioavailability in oral solid dosage formulations holds a crucial role play in the formulation development procedure, acquiring physical and chemical modifications, in addition to selecting appropriate techniques.
FREMONT, CA: When working on projects involving oral solid dosage drugs, developers often need to increase the concentration of solubility and bioavailability due to various market factors in formulation development. Approximately 40 per cent of drugs on the market suffer from poor water solubility, while up to 90 per cent of potential active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and new chemical entities (NCEs) in the development pipeline may lack solubility, making it difficult to create viable drug products. These problematic ingredients are commonly referred to as "brick-dust APIs."
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To address these challenges, there is a growing focus on technology and formulation-driven advancements that help drug developers overcome solubility issues during the early stages of development and formulation. This trend involves formulators seeking effective solutions, including the use of novel excipients and the increasing adoption of solid dispersion techniques.
Bioavailability is often defined as the fraction of an administered drug that reaches systemic circulation. When developing an oral solid dosage form, a key concern is to create a therapeutic means that can be absorbed into the bloodstream and demonstrate the intended therapeutic effect.
Solubility and bioavailability are closely interconnected, playing a crucial role in the formulation development process. When a drug has poor solubility, it faces difficulties in dissolving through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and entering the bloodstream, which ultimately results in low bioavailability. Consequently, addressing solubility issues becomes vital to improve the drug's ability to reach systemic circulation.
Moreover, the development of patient-friendly dosage forms introduces additional challenges for formulation developers. These challenges involve achieving efficacy while considering important factors such as smaller tablet sizes for easier swallowing and efficient utilization of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).
To overcome the challenges associated with poor solubility in APIs, it is essential to give careful consideration and employ appropriate processing techniques that involve physical and chemical modifications. Physical modifications may include techniques such as nano milling, co-crystal formation, and the creation of amorphous solid dispersions (ASD). Chemical modifications, on the other hand, can involve approaches like pH modification, drug-salt formation, and PEGylation. The choice of solubility-enhancing methods depends on the specific drug and the desired dosage form.
Nanomilling, while effective in enhancing solubility, can also introduce stress to APIs, potentially affecting their stability. This issue can be mitigated by utilising excipients that offer stability-enhancing properties. The formulation development process has transitioned to a digitization-driven approach, recognising the absence of a universal solution. This emphasizes the importance of selecting the right techniques for APIs and new chemical entities (NCEs) in collaboration with formulation developers.
Furthermore, the continual discovery and development of new APIs and NCEs necessitate effective methods for solubilising and delivering life-changing therapeutics, adapting to evolving regulatory requirements.
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