Drug substances dissolution rates

BCS Class II drug substances, dissolution rate is expected to be slower than the gastric emptying, and hence this factor is not thought to be significant in their intestinal absorption. 

Chemical development Proof of structure and configuration are required as part of the information on chemical development. The methods used at batch release should be validated to guarantee the identity and purity of the substance. It should be established whether a drug produced as a racemate is a true racemate or a conglomerate by investigating physical parameters such as melting point, solubility and crystal properties. The physicochemical properties of the drug substance should be characterized, e.g. crystallinity, polymorphism and rate of dissolution. 

In-vitro bioavailahility tests usually form part of the criteria for evaluating the individual batches of a product. These are based on monitoring the rate of release of the drug substance from the pharmaceutical form, usually by observing the dissolution rates of tablets or capsules. 

Many dry solid parenteral products, such as the cephalosporins, are prepared by sterile crystallization techniques. Control of the crystallization process to obtain a consistent and uniform crystal form, habit, density, and size distribution is particularly critical for drug substances to be utilized in sterile suspensions. For example, when the crystallization process for sterile ceftazidime pentahydrate was modified to increase the density and reduce the volume of the fill dose, the rate of dissolution increased significantly. 

This chapter describes some of the properties of solids that affect transport across phases and membranes, with an emphasis on biological membranes. Four aspects are addressed. They include a comparison of crystalline and amorphous forms of the drug, transitions between phases, polymorphism, and hydration. With respect to transport, the major effect of each of these properties is on the apparent solubility, which then affects dissolution and consequently transport. There is often an opposite effect on the stability of the material. Generally, highly crystalline substances are more stable but have lower free energy, solubility, and dissolution characteristics than less crystalline substances. In some situations, this lower solubility and consequent dissolution rate will result in reduced bioavailability. 

Orally administered dosage forms are absorbed into the systemic circulation following dissolution in the GI tract. Because substances must be in solution for the absorption from the GI lumen, the absorption rate of poorly water-soluble drugs is limited by their rate of dissolution. The dissolution rate is affected by the unique physicochemical properties of the drug and by physiological factors the pH, composition, and hydrodynamics of the GI medium. 

The BCS could be used as a framework for predictions when IVIVC could be expected for solid IR products, as summarized in Table 21.5. It is important to realize that the in vitro dissolution test only models the release and dissolution of the active drug substance from the formulation, and it is only when these processes are rate-limiting in the absorption process that IVIVC can be expected. In... 

One approach to the study of solubility is to evaluate the time dependence of the solubilization process, such as is conducted in the dissolution testing of dosage forms [70], In this work, the amount of drug substance that becomes dissolved per unit time under standard conditions is followed. Within the accepted model for pharmaceutical dissolution, the rate-limiting step is the transport of solute away from the interfacial layer at the dissolving solid into the bulk solution. To measure the intrinsic dissolution rate of a drug, the compound is normally compressed into a special die to a condition of zero porosity. The system is immersed into the solvent reservoir, and the concentration monitored as a function of time. Use of this procedure yields a dissolution rate parameter that is intrinsic to the compound under study and that is considered an important parameter in the preformulation process. A critical evaluation of the intrinsic dissolution methodology and interpretation is available [71]. 

Polymorphism is critically important in the design of new drug API [9] and affects a number of areas. The main impact is to the bioavailability and release profile of a drug substance into the body. This is due to differences in solubility and dissolution rate, between the polymorphs. The chemical and physical stability of the formulated drug substance is also dependent on the polymorphic form. Patented registration of all discovered forms and their manufacturing conditions is an important element in protecting a pharmaceutical companies intellectual property. 

Table 2 Rate-Limiting Step to Absorption and Requirements for Dissolution According to BCS Classification of the Drug Substance...

Another major ion chromatography application is the analysis of active ingredient counterions. Frequently, drug substances are formulated as salts in order to achieve specific pharmaceutical properties (such as improved solubility or control of dissolution rate). The analysis of... 

Deaeration is a very important consideration in the development and validation of a dissolution test, as it can affect the rate of release of the drug substance from the dosage form. Ideally, a method should not be affected by the deaeration procedure. At a minimum, it should be demonstrated that some variability in the degree of deaeration will not significantly alter the results of the dissolution test. It should also be noted that media containing surfactants should not be deaerated, as that can result in excessive foaming. 

The physical characteristics, particularly the particle size of the drug substance, are very important for suspensions. As with topical products in which the drug is suspended, particles are usually very fine to micronized (to <25 microns). For syrup, elixir, or solution dosage forms in which there is nothing suspended, particle size and physical characteristics of raw materials are not that important. However, they can affect the rate of dissolution of such raw materials in the manufacturing process. Raw materials of a finer particle size may dissolve faster than those of a larger particle size when the product is compounded. 

Dissolution of a drug substance is controlled by several physicochemical properties, including solubility, surface area, and wetting properties. For insoluble compounds, dissolution is often the rate-limiting step in the absorption process. Knowledge ofthe dissolution rate of a drug substance is therefore very useful for formulation development. The appropriate dissolution experiments can help to identify factors that contribute to bioavailability problems, and also assist in the selection of the appropriate crystal form and/or salt form. Dissolution tests are also used for other purposes such as quality control and assisting with the determination of bioequivalence (Dressman et al., 1998). 

---