Excipient compatibility studies

Excipient compatibility studies are an important part of any preformulation screen for a new API. However, it is important to remember that an excipient compatibility screen can only indicate the excipients to be avoided because of an obvious chemical incompatibility. The results from excipient compatibility studies are not always easy to interpret, particularly if a physical interaction is found. As stated above, physical interactions can be detected using some form of calorimetry in conjunction with, e.g., chromatography, but the interpretation of the significance of the interaction probably requires prior experience of the excipient and its interactions. It is difficult to predict that the molecular structure of the excipient will interact physically with the chemical structure of the API molecule. 

Excipient compatibility studies are a form of preliminary stability assessment. It is important that they be executed appropriately. The precise details of the testing will probably be different for each organization carrying out such studies. However, certain general assumptions are implicit in this approach. The underlying principle is the Arrhenius relationship  

In simple terms, the reaction rate increases as the temperature increases. Broadly, the reaction rate doubles with a 10°C rise in temperature. The compatibility studies are intended to provide information quickly. Generally, the studies are carried out at elevated temperature, and the resultant mixture examined analytically to determine if a chemical interaction has taken place, or if a physical interaction occurred. 

Excipient compatibility and stability studies rely on two underlying assumptions. One is that there is no change in reaction mechanism as temperature increases the second is that the excipient is also chemically stable under the conditions of test. However, if the reaction mechanism does change with temperature, it is likely the result will show a disproportionately greater breakdown than would be anticipated from lower temperature studies. Thus the risk is that an excipient is rejected that might in reality be perfectly suitable for the formulation. In many cases this is probably an acceptable risk. 

The stability of excipients is almost always taken for granted. Obviously, there is the potential for a phase change with certain lower melting excipients, e.g., semisolid materials, however, this is not a chemical phenomenon although it may enhance the potential for interaction by increasing the effective interface available at which the interaction can take place. However, some materials are not stable under conditions encountered in excipient compatibility screening or accelerated stability testing. A notable example is dibasic calcium phosphate dihydrate. At temperatures as low as 37°C, under certain conditions, the dihydrate can dehydrate to form the anhydrous material with the concomitant loss of water of crystallization (25), and at 25°C, it is a stable solid with a shelf life, when stored correctly, of more than two years. 

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Crowley and Martini [48] reported on several studies evaluating the impact of unit process operations on hydrates. AU showed some level of dehydration liberating freed crystalline water to participate in moisture-mediated reactions. The authors speculated that such energetic processing conditions are likely to have a similar affect on hydrated excipients with a potential deleterious effect on moismre-sensitive APIs. They commented that classical excipient compatibility studies were ill-equipped to predict such moismre-mediated interactions and that compression, attrition and other energy-intensive unit operations were rarely mentioned as requiring investigations. 

Desai et al. [86] reported on the photolytic degradation of the anti-viral, sorivudine, which formed the inactive Z-isomer. On the basis of extensive dmg-excipient compatibility studies it was found that the incorporation of iron oxide pigments into the blends (direct compression or wet granulated) stabilised the dmg to photodegradation indeed, so much so that the tablet was found not to require a film coat. The data are summarised in Table 2.6. 

Many in the pharmaceutical industry, when they hear the term excipient interactions, think immediately of excipient compatibility studies. These studies are important in the development of new products, but as we shall discuss, they are only a small part of the overall scope of excipient interactions. The significance of excipient interactions can extend well beyond the development of the particular medicinal product. Excipient interactions can have implications for... 

There are two main approaches to excipient compatibility screening isothermal studies at an elevated temperature and variable temperature studies in which the temperature is steadily increased, as in DSC. Both approaches are valid, but it is important to note, as has been stated above, that excipient compatibility testing is not a definitive test. We cannot state that an interaction will not take place, even though one may not have been found. We can only state which excipients to avoid because there is a very obvious interaction. A typical scheme is given in Figure 1 for a DSC-based excipient compatibility study. (There are other schemes that are used successfully.)... 

Formulation profile, which consists of physical and chemical characteristics required for the products, drug-excipient compatibility studies, and the effect of formulation on in vitro dissolution... 

Minimally, one should have a brief foreknowledge of the thermal and thermal/humidity solid-state stability of the API prior to initiation of excipient compatibility studies. These protocols should include investigation of stability at various temperature and humidity conditions and should always include information about both chemical stability and physical-form integrity of the API. Thermal and thermal moisture-induced solid-state chemical reactions are well known (5), with hydrolysis and oxidation being the most prevalent mechanisms of decay. Changes in physical form with thermal and... 

Any and all preliminary information on the solid-state form of the API and the excipients will enable the scientist to (i) design the best experimental layout for excipient compatibility studies that focuses on the relevant aspects of the API and excipients, (ii) have a better understanding of appropriate stress conditions and timeframes over which to conduct the studies,... 

Experimental procedures for running excipient compatibility studies using isothermal microcalorimetry include the collection of power-time curves for each component of the mixture alone, as well as in combinations (Fig. 8). The separate drug and excipient curves can then be used to construct a theoretical non-interaction curve for the blend, which then is subtracted from the actual blend curves in order to define the interaction between the components. 

Figure 8 Typical raw power-time curves used for an excipient compatibility study.

In the process of stressing API in the presence of excipients, one should take into account the potential for physical change of the API to occur in the formulation mixtures being evaluated. Depending on the stage of development and the depth of excipient compatibility studies, physical form assessment may be cursory or more extensive, but should be considered at some level. 

Kinetic information on the chemical changes of excipient compatibility samples is a direct outcome of most formulation compatibility studies. Because accelerated conditions of thermal and thermal humidity stress are employed, degradation will often occur at these conditions. A brief kinetic evaluation of the data can address the behavior and extent of decay such that degradation data can effectively be utilized to determine levels and conditions of compatibility (96). It is not the aim of this section to recommend full kinetic treatment of decay rather it is to describe simple concepts and exercises that will help the excipient compatibility formulator utilize their data most effectively. Several experimental factors can be included in the initial experimental design of excipient compatibility studies to make kinetic analysis more powerful, and even with small studies having a limited amount of samples for analysis, a brief kinetic treatment of the data is recommended. 

Overall, the concepts presented in this summary suggest that (i) an initial understanding of the properties of the API and excipients should be utilized to design excipient compatibility studies, (ii) the understanding of the role of water in the interactions of excipients with API should be considered for all designs of compatibility testing, and (iii) the physical form and its involvement in the solid state needs to be considered when interpreting the data. 

TABLE 6.4 Total Percentage Impurities for Excipient Compatibility Studies with Drug A or B Stored for 6 Weeks at 40°C/75% Relative Humidity... 

TABLE 10 Examples of Binary and Factorial Designs for Drug-Excipient Compatibility Studies ... 

Understanding the degradation chemistry of drug with excipients is essential to select proper excipients in the formulation stages [16, pp 101-151]. Drug-excipient compatibility studies are crucial to decide optimal tablet formulation and to understand the possible mechanism in many cases [10,12,14], Drug instability occurs by three types of reactions hydrolysis, oxidation, and aldehyde-amine addition. Table 11 gives reaction types of chemical and physical instability. 

In conclusion, drug-excipient compatibility studies have a key role at the early preformulation stages to select excipients or after formulation to help identify the mechanism of any detected instability [14], An understanding of the potential physicochemical interactions of drug with known chemical reactivities of excipients and... 

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