A análise de fármacos é fundamental nas diversas fases do desenvolvimento farmacêutico, tais como estudos de formulação, estabilidade e controle de qualidade do produto. A rivaroxabana (RIV) é um anticoagulante de uso oral indicado para prevenção da formação de coágulos venosos. A literatura pesquisada apresenta poucos relatos de determinação quantitativa e de estudos de estabilidade do fármaco em comprimidos. E ainda nenhum método analítico em compêndios oficiais Diante do exposto, o objetivo deste trabalho foi desenvolver e validar métodos analíticos para determinação qualitativa e quantitativa da RIV por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência com detecção por UV e de ultra eficiência com detecção por espectrometria de massas (CLAE-UV e CLUE-EM) e eletroforese capilar (EC). Os resultados encontrados foram adequados conforme o preconizado nos guias oficiais nacionais e internacionais. Foi avaliada também a viabilidade da técnica de eletroforese capilar em microchip para análise de RIV. Através de método desenvolvido por CLAE foi realizado estudo de cinética de degradação e posterior avaliação do potencial tóxico in vitro das amostras de degradação forçada da RIV. A identificação de três produtos de degradação majoritários da RIV, formados a partir de estresse ácido, alcalino e fotolítico, foi realizada por CLUE-EM/EM, possibilitando a proposição da estrutura molecular de cada produto de degradação. O potencial tóxico da RIV antes e depois da exposição à degradação forçada foi avaliado através dos métodos in vitro MTT, Vermelho Neutro, Ensaio Cometa e DNA de baixo peso molecular. Não foram encontrados sinais de dano ao DNA celular, contudo, amostras de RIV expostas ao meio alcalino apresentaram maior redução da viabilidade celular. O trabalho avaliou ainda o perfil de dissolução da RIV em comprimidos baseado nos dados de absorção in vitro conforme modelagem in silico dos dados, estabelecendo uma correlação linear entre a fração absorvida e fração dissolvida. As diferentes metodologias e técnicas desenvolvidas e aplicadas nesse trabalho contribuem para o desenvolvimento do controle de qualidade farmacêutico na direção de ensaios mais confiáveis que garantam a segurança e eficácia de medicamentos. / Drug analysis is critical at various stages of pharmaceutical development, such as formulation studies, stability and quality control products. Rivaroxaban (RIV) is an oral anticoagulant indicated for prevention of thromboembolism. Literature contains few reports of quantitative determination and drug stability studies of RIV on pharmaceutical formulation. Analytical method for RIV quality control are not evaluable on official guides yet. This research work aimed to develop and validate analytical methods for qualitative and quantitative determination of RIV by high and ultra performance liquid chromatography with UV detection mass spectrometry detection (HPLC -UV and UPLC-MS) and capillary electrophoresis (CE). The results were adequate as recommended in national and international official guides. Reliability of RIV analysis by microchip capillary electrophoresis was also assessed. Through the method developed by HPLC degradation kinetic studies were performed, zero order kinetic has better description of RIV degradation behaviour. RIV toxic potential before and after exposure to forced degradation was assessed by in vitro methods of MTT, Neutral Red, Comet Assay, and Low Molecular Weight DNA. There were no signals of DNA damage however, RIV samples exposed to alkaline medium showed increased reduction in cell viability. Identification of RIV degradation products formed after exposure to acid and alkaline media and UVC radiation was performed by UPLC-MS / MS. It was possible to elucidate molecular structures of three major degradation products. This study also assessed the dissolution profile of RIV tablets based on in vitro absorption data, a linear point-to-point correlation was found for fraction absorbed and dissolved. Different methodologies and techniques developed and applied in this work can contribute to the development of pharmaceutical quality towards more reliable tests to ensure safety and efficacy of medicines.

A análise de fármacos é fundamental nas diversas fases do desenvolvimento farmacêutico, tais como estudos de formulação, estabilidade e controle de qualidade do produto. A rivaroxabana (RIV) é um anticoagulante de uso oral indicado para prevenção da formação de coágulos venosos. A literatura pesquisada apresenta poucos relatos de determinação quantitativa e de estudos de estabilidade do fármaco em comprimidos. E ainda nenhum método analítico em compêndios oficiais Diante do exposto, o objetivo deste trabalho foi desenvolver e validar métodos analíticos para determinação qualitativa e quantitativa da RIV por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência com detecção por UV e de ultra eficiência com detecção por espectrometria de massas (CLAE-UV e CLUE-EM) e eletroforese capilar (EC). Os resultados encontrados foram adequados conforme o preconizado nos guias oficiais nacionais e internacionais. Foi avaliada também a viabilidade da técnica de eletroforese capilar em microchip para análise de RIV. Através de método desenvolvido por CLAE foi realizado estudo de cinética de degradação e posterior avaliação do potencial tóxico in vitro das amostras de degradação forçada da RIV. A identificação de três produtos de degradação majoritários da RIV, formados a partir de estresse ácido, alcalino e fotolítico, foi realizada por CLUE-EM/EM, possibilitando a proposição da estrutura molecular de cada produto de degradação. O potencial tóxico da RIV antes e depois da exposição à degradação forçada foi avaliado através dos métodos in vitro MTT, Vermelho Neutro, Ensaio Cometa e DNA de baixo peso molecular. Não foram encontrados sinais de dano ao DNA celular, contudo, amostras de RIV expostas ao meio alcalino apresentaram maior redução da viabilidade celular. O trabalho avaliou ainda o perfil de dissolução da RIV em comprimidos baseado nos dados de absorção in vitro conforme modelagem in silico dos dados, estabelecendo uma correlação linear entre a fração absorvida e fração dissolvida. As diferentes metodologias e técnicas desenvolvidas e aplicadas nesse trabalho contribuem para o desenvolvimento do controle de qualidade farmacêutico na direção de ensaios mais confiáveis que garantam a segurança e eficácia de medicamentos. / Drug analysis is critical at various stages of pharmaceutical development, such as formulation studies, stability and quality control products. Rivaroxaban (RIV) is an oral anticoagulant indicated for prevention of thromboembolism. Literature contains few reports of quantitative determination and drug stability studies of RIV on pharmaceutical formulation. Analytical method for RIV quality control are not evaluable on official guides yet. This research work aimed to develop and validate analytical methods for qualitative and quantitative determination of RIV by high and ultra performance liquid chromatography with UV detection mass spectrometry detection (HPLC -UV and UPLC-MS) and capillary electrophoresis (CE). The results were adequate as recommended in national and international official guides. Reliability of RIV analysis by microchip capillary electrophoresis was also assessed. Through the method developed by HPLC degradation kinetic studies were performed, zero order kinetic has better description of RIV degradation behaviour. RIV toxic potential before and after exposure to forced degradation was assessed by in vitro methods of MTT, Neutral Red, Comet Assay, and Low Molecular Weight DNA. There were no signals of DNA damage however, RIV samples exposed to alkaline medium showed increased reduction in cell viability. Identification of RIV degradation products formed after exposure to acid and alkaline media and UVC radiation was performed by UPLC-MS / MS. It was possible to elucidate molecular structures of three major degradation products. This study also assessed the dissolution profile of RIV tablets based on in vitro absorption data, a linear point-to-point correlation was found for fraction absorbed and dissolved. Different methodologies and techniques developed and applied in this work can contribute to the development of pharmaceutical quality towards more reliable tests to ensure safety and efficacy of medicines.

A análise de fármacos é fundamental nas diversas fases do desenvolvimento farmacêutico, tais como estudos de formulação, estabilidade e controle de qualidade do produto. A rivaroxabana (RIV) é um anticoagulante de uso oral indicado para prevenção da formação de coágulos venosos. A literatura pesquisada apresenta poucos relatos de determinação quantitativa e de estudos de estabilidade do fármaco em comprimidos. E ainda nenhum método analítico em compêndios oficiais Diante do exposto, o objetivo deste trabalho foi desenvolver e validar métodos analíticos para determinação qualitativa e quantitativa da RIV por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência com detecção por UV e de ultra eficiência com detecção por espectrometria de massas (CLAE-UV e CLUE-EM) e eletroforese capilar (EC). Os resultados encontrados foram adequados conforme o preconizado nos guias oficiais nacionais e internacionais. Foi avaliada também a viabilidade da técnica de eletroforese capilar em microchip para análise de RIV. Através de método desenvolvido por CLAE foi realizado estudo de cinética de degradação e posterior avaliação do potencial tóxico in vitro das amostras de degradação forçada da RIV. A identificação de três produtos de degradação majoritários da RIV, formados a partir de estresse ácido, alcalino e fotolítico, foi realizada por CLUE-EM/EM, possibilitando a proposição da estrutura molecular de cada produto de degradação. O potencial tóxico da RIV antes e depois da exposição à degradação forçada foi avaliado através dos métodos in vitro MTT, Vermelho Neutro, Ensaio Cometa e DNA de baixo peso molecular. Não foram encontrados sinais de dano ao DNA celular, contudo, amostras de RIV expostas ao meio alcalino apresentaram maior redução da viabilidade celular. O trabalho avaliou ainda o perfil de dissolução da RIV em comprimidos baseado nos dados de absorção in vitro conforme modelagem in silico dos dados, estabelecendo uma correlação linear entre a fração absorvida e fração dissolvida. As diferentes metodologias e técnicas desenvolvidas e aplicadas nesse trabalho contribuem para o desenvolvimento do controle de qualidade farmacêutico na direção de ensaios mais confiáveis que garantam a segurança e eficácia de medicamentos. / Drug analysis is critical at various stages of pharmaceutical development, such as formulation studies, stability and quality control products. Rivaroxaban (RIV) is an oral anticoagulant indicated for prevention of thromboembolism. Literature contains few reports of quantitative determination and drug stability studies of RIV on pharmaceutical formulation. Analytical method for RIV quality control are not evaluable on official guides yet. This research work aimed to develop and validate analytical methods for qualitative and quantitative determination of RIV by high and ultra performance liquid chromatography with UV detection mass spectrometry detection (HPLC -UV and UPLC-MS) and capillary electrophoresis (CE). The results were adequate as recommended in national and international official guides. Reliability of RIV analysis by microchip capillary electrophoresis was also assessed. Through the method developed by HPLC degradation kinetic studies were performed, zero order kinetic has better description of RIV degradation behaviour. RIV toxic potential before and after exposure to forced degradation was assessed by in vitro methods of MTT, Neutral Red, Comet Assay, and Low Molecular Weight DNA. There were no signals of DNA damage however, RIV samples exposed to alkaline medium showed increased reduction in cell viability. Identification of RIV degradation products formed after exposure to acid and alkaline media and UVC radiation was performed by UPLC-MS / MS. It was possible to elucidate molecular structures of three major degradation products. This study also assessed the dissolution profile of RIV tablets based on in vitro absorption data, a linear point-to-point correlation was found for fraction absorbed and dissolved. Different methodologies and techniques developed and applied in this work can contribute to the development of pharmaceutical quality towards more reliable tests to ensure safety and efficacy of medicines.

No / The ability to generate predictive models linking the in vitro assessment of pharmaceutical products with in vivo performance has the potential to enable greater control of clinical quality whilst minimizing the number of in vivo studies in drug development. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) provide a means of generating predictive models correlating critical product characteristics to key performance attributes. In this regard, ANNs have been used to model historical data exploring the relative lung bioavailability of salbutamol from several different nebulizers. The generated ANN model was shown to relate urinary salbutamol excretion at 30 min postinhalation, which is the index of relative lung bioavailability of salbutamol, to specific fractions of the particle size distribution, to subject body surface area and to the methods of nebulization. This model was validated using unseen data and gave good agreement with pharmacokinetic outcomes for 17 data records. The model gave improved predictions of urinary salbutamol excretion for individual subjects compared to the published linear correlation generated using the same data. It is therefore concluded that ANN models have the potential to provide reliable estimates of pharmacokinetic performance that relate to lung deposition, for nebulized medicines in individual subjects.

No / In vitro dissolution testing as a form of quality control has become a necessity in the pharmaceutical industry. As such, the need to establish a method that investigates the in vitro dissolution profile of inhaled products should be taken into account. The prime focus in this study was to examine the in-vitro in-vivo correlation utilising a modified version of the Twin Stage Impinger and to promote an in vitro dissolution model by enhancing the Fine Particle Dose (FPD) collection method for dry powder inhalers. The Twin Impinger was modified by inserting a stainless steel membrane holder disk in the base of the lower chamber. The design, with optimum drug deposition, was adopted for the dissolution study of budesonide and salbutamol. Afterwards, the membrane holder system was placed in the bottom of the dissolution vessel. Phosphate buffer saline (PBS), simulated lung fluid (SLF, Gamble solution) and Phosphate buffer (PB) were used in the study. The paddle dissolution apparatus, containing 300 mL of the medium, was operated at 75 rpm paddle speed. Samples were collected at defined time intervals and analysed using a validated HPLC method. The largest proportion of the budesonide dose was dissolved in PBS compared to PB and SLF. This was due to the presence of surfactant (0.2% w/v polysorbate), which enhances the wettability and the solubility of the poorly soluble drug (budesonide). The similarity factors for PBS and PB were 47.6 and 69.7, respectively, using SLF as a reference, whereas the similarity factor for salbutamol dissolution between PB and SLF was 81.3, suggesting PB is a suitable substitute. Comparison using both the predicted and actual in vivo pharmacokinetics (PK) values of the two drugs, as well as the pattern of their Concentration-Time (c-t) profiles, showed good similarity, which gave an indication of the validity of this in vitro dissolution method.

This research was aimed at the development and validation of new in vitro methods capable of predicting in vivo drug deposition from dry powder inhalers, DPIs, in lung-normal human adults. Three physical models of the mouth, throat and upper airways, MT-TB, were designed and validated using the anatomical literature. Small, medium and large versions were constructed to cover approximately 95% of the variation seen in normal adult humans of both genders. The models were housed in an artificial thorax and used for in vitro testing of drug deposition from Budelin Novolizer DPIs using a breath simulator to mimic inhalation profiles reported in clinical trials of deposition from the same inhaler. Testing in the model triplet produced results for in vitro total lung deposition (TLD) consistent with the complete range of drug deposition results reported in vivo. The effect of variables such as in vitro flow rate were also predictive of in vivo deposition. To further assess the method’s robustness, in vitro drug deposition from 5 marketed DPIs was assessed in the “medium” MT-TB model. With the exception of Relenza Diskhaler, mean values for %TLD+SD differed by only < 2% from their literature in vivo. The relationship between inhaler orientation and in vitro regional airway deposition was determined. Aerosol drug deposition was found to depend on the angle at which an inhaler is inserted into the mouth although the results for MT deposition were dependent on both the product and the formulation being delivered. In the clinic, inhalation profiles were collected from 20 healthy inhaler naïve volunteers (10M, 10F) before and after they received formal inhalation training in the use of a DPI. Statistically significant improvements in Peak Inhalation Flow Rate (PIFR) and Inhalation Volume (V) were observed following formalized training. The shapes of the average inhalation profiles recorded in the clinic were found to be comparable to the simulated profiles used in the in vitro deposition studies described above. In conclusion, novel in vitro test methods are described that accurately predict both the average and range of aerosol airway drug deposition seen from DPIs in the clinic.

Several sophisticated techniques to study in vivo GI transit and regional absorption of pharmaceuticals are available and increasingly used. Examples of such methods are Magnetic Marker Monitoring (MMM) and local drug administration with remotely operated capsules. Another approach is the paracetamol and sulfapyridine double marker method which utilizes observed plasma concentrations of the two substances as markers for GI transit. Common for all of these methods is that they generate multiple types of observations e.g. tablet GI position, drug release and plasma concentrations of one or more substances. This thesis is based on the hypothesis that application of mechanistic nonlinear mixed-effect models could facilitate a better understanding of the interrelationship between such variables and result improved predictions of the processes involved in oral absorption. Mechanistic modeling approaches have been developed for application to data from MMM studies, paracetamol and sulfapyridine double marker studies and for linking in vitro and in vivo drug release. Models for integrating information about tablet GI transit, in vivo drug release and drug plasma concentrations measured in MMM studies was outlined and utilized to describe drug release and absorption properties along the GI tract for felodipine and the investigational drug AZD0837. A mechanistic link between in vitro and in vivo drug release was established by estimation of the mechanical stress in different regions of the GI tract in a unit equivalent to rotation speed in the in vitro experimental setup. The effect of atropine and erythromycin on gastric emptying and small intestinal transit was characterized with a semi-mechanistic model applied to double marker studies in fed and fasting dogs. The work with modeling of in vivo drug absorption has highlighted the need for, and led to, further development of mixed-effect modeling methodology with respect to model diagnostics and the handling of censored observations.

La barrière hémato-encéphalique (BHE) est une structure retrouvée au niveau des capillaires cérébraux. Elle représente un véritable obstacle pour les actifs qui doivent se rendre au cerveau pour y exercer un effet pharmacologique. Durant les étapes du développement du médicament, des modèles cellulaires in vitro sont utilisés pour l’évaluation de la perméabilité au cerveau des nouveaux médicaments. Le modèle assemblé avec des cellules endothéliales (CEs) isolées des capillaires des cerveaux de souris présente un intérêt particulier pour la recherche en raison de sa facilité d’obtention et sa pertinence pour le criblage des médicaments. Le but de ce projet a été de construire et de caractériser un modèle monocouche de CEs primaires de souris. En parallèle, un modèle monocouche de la lignée murine b.End3 a été investigué. L’évaluation de ces modèles a été basée sur les valeurs de TEER et de perméabilité aux marqueurs fluorescents, ainsi que sur la présence des protéines spécifiques de la BHE. La validation du modèle a été établie par la corrélation des résultats de perméabilité obtenus avec le modèle développé (in vitro) avec ceux obtenus chez la souris (in vivo). L’intégrité et l’expression des protéines spécifiques de la BHE du modèle primaire se sont montrées supérieures au modèle bEnd.3. La corrélation in vitro/in vivo du modèle primaire a abouti à un r2 = 0,765 comparé au r2 = 0,019 pour le modèle bEnd.3. Ce travail de recherche montre que le modèle primaire monocouche issu de cellules endothéliales cérébrales de souris est un modèle simple et fiable pour la prédiction de la perméabilité des actifs à travers la BHE. / The blood-brain barrier (BBB), a central nervous system structure, is found in the cerebral capillaries. It represents a major obstacle for the drugs that have to reach the brain in order to exercise their pharmacological effect. In the early stages of the drug development, in vitro cell models are used to evaluate the brain permeability of new drugs. Models assembled using primary endothelial cells (ECs) isolated from mouse brain capillaries are of particular interest for research, as for their ease of obtaining and relevance for the drug screening. Thus, the goal of this project was to build and characterize a primary mouse monolayer model. At the same time, a murine b.End3 cell line monolayer model was investigated. The evaluation of these models was based on the TEER and fluorescent marker permeability values, as well as on the presence of the BBB hallmark proteins. The model validation was established by the correlation of the permeability data obtained with the in vitro model and the data obtained in mice (in vivo). As a result, the primary mouse model showed superior monolayer integrity and higher expression of the tight junction and membrane transporter proteins when compared with the bEnd.3 cell line model. The in vitro/in vivo correlation of the primary model resulted in r2 = 0.765 compared to the bEnd.3 model with r2 = 0.019. This research work shows that the primary monolayer mouse model is a simple and reliable model for predicting the drug permeability across the BBB.

The main objectives of the present project were to increase the understanding of small intestinal precipitation of poorly soluble pharmaceutical drugs, investigate occurrence of crystalline small intestinal precipitation and effects of precipitation on absorption. The aim was to create and evaluate methods of predicting crystalline small intestinal drug precipitation using in vivo, in vitro and in silico models. In vivo small intestinal precipitation from highly supersaturated solutions of two weakly basic model drugs, AZD0865 and mebendazole, was investigated in humans and canine models. Potential precipitation of AZD0865 was investigated by examining dose dependent increases in human maximum plasma concentration and total exposure, which turned out to be dose linear over the range investigated, indicating no significant in vivo precipitation. The small intestinal precipitation of mebendazole was investigated from drug concentrations and amount of solid drug present in dog jejunum as well as through the bioavailability after direct duodenal administration in dogs. It was concluded that mebendazole small intestinal precipitation was limited, and that intestinal supersaturation was measurable for up to 90 minutes. In vitro precipitation methods utilizing simulated or real fasted gastric and intestinal fluids were developed in order to simulate the in vivo precipitation rate. The methods overpredicted in vivo precipitation when absorption of drug was not simulated. An in vitro-in silico approach was therefore developed, where the in vitro method was used for determining the interfacial tension (γ), necessary for describing crystallization in Classical Nucleation Theory (CNT). CNT was evaluated using a third model drug, bicalutamide, and could successfully describe different parts of the crystallization process of the drug. CNT was then integrated into an in silico absorption model. The in vivo precipitation results of AZD0865 and mebendazole were well predicted by the model, but only by allowing the fundamental constant γ to vary with concentration. Thus, the in vitro-in silico approach could be used for small intestinal precipitation prediction if the in vitro concentration closely matched in vivo small intestinal concentrations.