Introduction: Integrating 3-dimensional (3D) printing with lipid-based formulation (LBF) is impacting pediatric pharmaceutical manufacturing by enabling personalized oral dosage forms tailored to children's specific needs. Serious challenges are created by manipulating conventional adult dosages to produce suitable dosages for the pediatric population. The study explores an emulsion gel with two model lipophilic drugs, Aprepitant and Irbesartan, using semi-solid extrusion (SSE) as a 3D printing method to produce patient-centered dosages. Method: The solubility of the two model drugs in the studied LBF type IIIA – MC was determined using the shake-flask method combined with High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Ultraviolet Detection (HPLC-UV) analysis. Once determined, LBF was loaded with 90% of the soluble drug amount to later produce the emulsion by mixing the drug-loaded LBF with Milli-Q water. The emulsion gel was produced as the next step by adding three different polymers to the emulsion. The three polymers were Methylcellulose Methocel (A4C), Methylcellulose Methocel (A4M), and Sodium Crosscarmellose (AcDiSol). Lastly, tablets were 3D-printed using a BIO X 3D printer with a pneumatic printhead. The tablets were vacuum-dried and analyzed for mass and content uniformity, and disintegration time.  Results: The thermodynamic solubility of Aprepitant in LBF IIIA – MC was determined to be 11.30 mg/g while the solubility of Irbesartan was 4.08 mg/g. The produced tablets contained lower concentrations of the drugs compared to the traditional dosages available on the market. The 3D-printed tablets passed the European Pharmacopeia requirements for mass and content uniformity, and disintegration time.  Conclusion: The study showed justified results indicating the emulsion gel can be used to produce tablets loaded with different poorly water-soluble drugs. All characterization studies done on the 3D-printed tablets carried out according to the European Pharmacopeia guidelines showed correct mass and content uniformity together with reasonable disintegration time. This suggests that the emulsion gel has the potential to be used to produce tablets loaded with any other lipophilic drug, potentially multiple drugs loaded at the same time.

High throughput screening techniques that are routinely used in modern drug discovery processes result in a higher prevalence of poorly water-soluble drugs. Such drugs often have poor bioavailability issues due to their poor dissolution and/or permeability to achieve sufficient and consistent systemic exposure, resulting in sub-optimal therapeutic efficacies, particularly via oral administration. Alternative formulations and delivery routes are demanded to improve their bioavailability. Nanoparticulate formulations of poorly water-soluble drugs offer improved dissolution profiles. The physiology of the lung makes it an ideal target for non-invasive local and systemic drug delivery for poorly water-soluble drugs. In Chapter 2, a particle engineering process ultra-rapid freezing (URF) was utilized to produce nanostructured aggregates of itraconazole (ITZ), a BCS class II drug, for pulmonary delivery with approved biocompatible excipients. The obtained formulation, ITZ:mannitol:lecithin (1:0.5:0.2, w/w), i.e. URF-ITZ, was a solid solution with high surface area and ability to achieve high magnitude of supersaturation. An aqueous colloidal dispersion of URF-ITZ was suitable for nebulization, which demonstrated optimal aerodynamic properties for deep lung delivery and high lung and systemic ITZ levels when inhaled by mice. The significantly improved systemic bioavailability of inhaled URF-ITZ was mainly ascribed to the amorphous morphology that raised the drug solubility. The effect of supersaturation of amorphous URF-ITZ relative to nanocrystalline ITZ on bioavailability following inhalation was evaluated in Chapter 3. The nanoparticulate amorphous ITZ composition resulted in a significantly higher systemic bioavailability than for the nanocrystalline ITZ composition, as a result of the higher supersaturation that increased the permeation. In Chapter 4, pharmacokinetics of inhaled nebulized aerosols of solubilized ITZ in solution versus nanoparticulate URF-ITZ colloidal dispersion were investigated, under the hypothesis that solubilized ITZ can be absorbed faster through mucosal membrane than the nanoparticulate ITZ. Despite similar ITZ lung deposition, the inhaled solubilized ITZ demonstrated significantly faster systemic absorption across lung epithelium relative to nanoparticulate ITZ in mice, due in part to the elimination of the phase-to-phase transition of nanoparticulate ITZ. / text

La cristallisation par effet anti-solvant, comme technique de production de micro/nanoparticules, présente certains inconvénients. En effet, pour des molécules nouvellement synthétisées ou découvertes, comme le LASSBio-294, les solubilités dans l'eau et dans les solvants organiques sont faibles ce qui limite l'application de cette opération. L'utilisation de solvants alternatifs ouvre de nouvelles perspectives de recristallisation de ce type de molécules. Dans ce travail, nous nous sommes intéressés à la cristallisation du LASSBio-294 en utilisant un liquide ionique comme solvant. Ce sont des sels organiques fondus à température ambiante, qui ont la particularité d’avoir une tension de vapeur nulle. Ils constituent une nouvelle classe de solvants non volatiles et ininflammables qui présentent des propriétés originales. Dans un premier temps, des liquides ioniques (LIs) dérivés du cation imidazolium ont été utilisés comme solvant alternatif. La solubilité a été mesurée dans 5 LIs,dans l’eau et dans des mélanges eau/LI. Dans l’eau pure la solubilité est très faible (5 ppm). En revanche, dans certains LIs, elle est supérieure à 200 mg/g solution. Les résultats de solubilité dans des mélanges eau/LI ont permis de choisir le rapport eau/LI pour l’obtention d’un bon rendement en solide. En complément, une étude de la stabilité du solide en suspension a été menée dans différents systèmes aqueux. Cette étude a montré sa possible hydrolyse. Dans un deuxième temps, la recristallisation a été réalisée avec le 1-éthyl-3-méthylimidazolium méthyl phosphonate [emim][CH3O(H)PO2] comme solvant et l’eau comme anti-solvant. Deux approches sont présentées en vue de favoriser le mélange : l'utilisation de dispositifs de mélange et l'introduction des ultrasons pendant le processus de cristallisation. L’influence de paramètres tels que le rapport anti-solvant/solvant, la concentration initiale et la présence d'additifs a été étudiée. Les solides formés puis séchés en étuve ont été caractérisés par granulométrie laser, microscopie électronique à balayage, diffractométrie de rayons X, calorimétrie différentielle à balayage et test de dissolution. Malgré une diminution de la taille des particules élémentaires, l'état d'agglomération des cristaux obtenus n'a pas permis une augmentation de la vitesse de dissolution. En modifiant le mode de séchage (séchage par atomisation), cette agglomération est réduite et la dissolution améliorée. De plus, la présence d'un polymère entérique en solution lors du séchage par atomisation des cristaux synthétisés a eu un effet notable sur la structure des agglomérats formés. Ces derniers peuvent se désagréger, se disperser et se dissoudre rapidement. / The anti-solvent crystallization allows obtaining micro/nanoparticles, but it presents some disadvantages. In the case of new pharmaceutical molecules, as the LASSBio-294, the solubility in water or organic solvents is very low limiting the application of this operation. The use of Ionic Liquids (ILs) as alternative solvents opens new perspectives in pharmaceutical processing through anti-solvent crystallization process. Unlike conventional solvents, ILs are entirely composed of ions. ILs are organic salts, usually liquid at room temperature, and which are composed of a relatively large asymmetric organic cation and of an inorganic or organic anion. ILs derived from imidazolium cation are used as alternative solvents for this drug, water being used as anti-solvent. First, the solubility is measured in 5 ILs, in water and in water/IL mixtures. In pure water, the solubility is very low (5 ppm). However, for some ILs, it is greater than 200 mg/g solution. The results of solubility in water/IL mixtures permit to choose a water/IL ratio leading to a good solid theoretical yield. Then recrystallization is performed with 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium methyl phosphonate [emim][CH3O(H)PO2] as the preferred solvent. Antisolvent crystallization represents a class of process characterized by the mixing between a solution and an antisolvent to produce solid particles. The influence of solvent/anti-solvent ratio, initial concentration, and additives is studied. The solids formed and dried in an oven are characterized by laser granulometry, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, and dissolution test. Despite the decrease of elementary particles size, the agglomeration state of particles does not permit to improve the dissolution rate. The agglomeration is reduced and the dissolution improved by modifying the drying process (spray drying). Moreover, the presence of an enteric polymer during the spray drying process has a significant impact on the structure of the formed agglomerates. These are disaggregated, dispersed and dissolved very quickly.

No description available.

The pharmaceutical industry is at a critical juncture. With little remnants of the “Golden Age of the Pharmaceuticals” and applied pressure from large companies experiencing a dissipation of proprietary compounds, trends indicate a transition from a decade of stagnant productivity to one in which high throughput screening technologies and computational chemistry have diversified the discovery of new chemical entities (NCE). Despite these advances, drug discovery has been challenged by chemical entities that present delivery limitations due to the properties of their molecular structure. A recent evaluation of development pipelines indicated that approximately 70% of drug candidates exhibit poor aqueous solubility; thereby, resulting in erratic dissolution and insufficient bioavailability. Due to intrinsic physical properties, these compounds are known by the biopharmaceutics classification system (BCS) as class II compounds and are amendable to solubility and bioavailability enhancement platforms. Approaches such as pH adjustment, micronization, nanosuspensions, co-solvent solubilization, cyclodextrin inclusion complexation, salt formation, emulsified drug formulations and amorphous solid dispersions (ASD) are commonly utilized to maximize bioavailability and enrich in vivo absorption by prolonging exposure to high concentrations of dissolved drug in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Single-phase amorphous systems, such as solid dispersions, have been the focal point of the aforementioned practices as a result of their ability to promote a state of drug supersaturation over an extended duration of time. Within the structure of this dissertation, the application of concentration enhancing polymers for bioavailability enhancement of low solubility compounds was evaluated using solvent and fusion-based solid dispersion technologies. Exploiting a variety of analytical methodologies and tools, formulations produced by spray drying and hot melt extrusion (HME) techniques were investigated for sufficient dissolution enhancement. Studies revealed the selected formulation approaches provided a viable platform for manufacturing solid dispersions by illustrating systems that offered rapid and prolonged periods of supersaturation. While of the applications of single-phase amorphous solid dispersions are continuously expanding, their dissolution behavior is not as well understood. The overarching objective of dissolution testing during formulation development is to achieve biological relevance and predict in vivo performance. Proper in vitro dissolution testing can convey the influence of key in vivo performance parameters and be implemented for assessment and comparison of ASD formulations. Studies suggest that existing research fails to accurately address the intricacies associated with the supersaturated state. Upon solvation and during transit in the GIT, several high-energy drug-containing species are present in addition to free drug. Although these species are not absorbed in vivo, they play a pivotal role in generating and maintaining the supersaturation of a drug substance and function to replenish the supply of free drug as it permeates across the gastrointestinal membrane. Established dissolution apparatuses and methodologies in the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) focus on evaluation of total dissolved drug and may not be physiologically relevant for determining the amount of drug absorbed in vivo. Within the framework of this dissertation, a dissolution methodology was designed to reflect the physiochemical, physiological and hydrodynamic conditions that transpire throughout dissolution and absorption of an ASD during transit in the GIT. The apparatus and model present the ability to understand the kinetics and mechanisms of dissolution, supersaturation and nucleation. To support this hypothesis, analytical methods including high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) with ultraviolet (UV) detection were developed and fully validated. In parallel, a novel plasma membrane treatment was established to fabricate biomimetic membranes that possessed a hydrophilic and hydrophobic surface. The treated membranes are comprised of applied surface chemistries that emulate the unstirred aqueous layer created by microvilli protruding from the intestinal epithelial membrane as well as lipophilic constituents corresponding to the epithelial lipid membrane. Calculated in vitro similarity (f2) and difference (f1) factors support the hypotheses that plasma treated microporous polymer membranes exhibit biorelevant properties and demonstrate adequate biorelevance for in vitro dissolution studies. The described dissolution methodology has been applied as a tool for selection of candidates to move forward to pharmacokinetic studies. In a culminating study, in vitro – in vivo correlations (IVIVC) were performed employing the universal membrane-permeation non-sink dissolution method for formulations of Carbamazepine. To demonstrate the utility of the methodology, multiple level C correlations were established. The membrane-permeation model enables quantitative assessment of drug dissolution and absorption and offers a means to predict the relative in vivo performance of amorphous solid dispersions for BCS class II drug substances. / Chemistry

Advanced drug discovery techniques have produced more lipophilic compounds. Formation of an amorphous solid dispersion of such poorly water-soluble drugs improves their solubility and dissolution. This results in greater in vivo bioavailability. Thus, it is one of the recent trends in the development of oral dosage forms. In solid dispersions, the carrier is crucial for ensuring the functionality and stability of these systems. Larch arabinogalactan FiberAid grade (AGF) is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) designated, amorphous polymer. The objective of this dissertation project was to perform a comprehensive evaluation of AGF as a carrier for amorphous solid dispersions. First, a detailed characterization of the AGF polymer was performed. A special focus on its use as a solid dispersion carrier was emphasized. The glass transition temperature and the degradation temperature of the AGF polymer were ~82 oC and ~185 oC, respectively. The AGF polymer had good hygroscopicity. Ibuprofen-AGF solid dispersions were evaluated for dissolution enhancement. Ibuprofen-Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose grade K3 (HPMCK3) solid dispersions were investigated simultaneously as a control polymer dispersion. The ibuprofen-AGF solid dispersions were amorphous at nearly 20% ibuprofen load. The dissolution of the ibuprofen from AGF solid dispersions was significantly greater than that of the neat ibuprofen. The formation of the amorphous state of ibuprofen and solution-state ibuprofen-AGF interactions were the mechanisms of the ibuprofen dissolution enhancement. At a 10% ibuprofen load, the dissolution of the AGF solid dispersion was found greater than that of the dissolution of the HPMCK3 solid dispersion. Secondly, the itraconazole-AGF solid dispersions and the ketoprofen-AGF solid dispersions were characterized and compared them with the ibuprofen-AGF solid dispersions. The comparisons were established for the miscibility and dissolution enhancement. The order of increase in dissolution was ketoprofen-AGF solid dispersions > itraconazole-AGF solid dispersions> ibuprofen-AGF solid dispersions. The same order was observed for the solid-state miscibility of these drug-AGF solid dispersions. Additionally, the solid dispersions of 9 drugs with the AGF polymer were investigated to elucidate the detailed mechanism of drug crystallization inhibition by the AGF polymer. The inherent tendency of the AGF polymer to inhibit the drug crystallization, drug-AGF solid-state hydrogen bonding and the anti-plasticizing effect of AGF were the mechanisms underlying the crystallization inhibition by the AGF polymer. Last, a storage stability of ibuprofen-AGF amorphous solid dispersions after storage under accelerated conditions (for 3 months) and ambient conditions (for 6 months) was investigated. The amorphous ibuprofen from AGF solid dispersions was physically and chemically stable under stability conditions. In summary, the AGF polymer was evaluated as a novel carrier for formation of an amorphous solid dispersions. The studies established that the AGF polymer was comparable to HPMCK3 polymer. The AGF polymer could be more advantageous than the HPMC polymer for the preparation of solid dispersion when faster dissolution is desired at lower drug load. / Pharmaceutical Sciences

No / With pressures on time and resources available to those undertaking research in paleopathology, poorly preserved archaeological human remains can often receive limited attention or be completely excluded from the analysis of archaeological sites. Although incomplete skeletons often yield minimal demographic information and can complicate the diagnosis of some pathological conditions, this is not universal. Significant information can be obtained even in partial remains on metabolic bone diseases (where, by definition, the whole skeleton is involved), and for conditions such as osteoarthritis and fractures which can be diagnosed in isolation. We present an example of an incomplete skeleton that provided valuable new information on pathological changes associated with osteomalacia, a condition that has been little studied to date in paleopathology. This skeleton also contributes to our understanding of the factors surrounding the classification of fractures, and provides new insight into the full range of circumstances in which eburnation can develop. This example demonstrates the value of including partial and poorly preserved skeletons in paleopathological analysis and the extent of information that can be obtained.

Hot-melt extruded solid dispersion technique is increasingly employed to improve the solubility of poorly water-soluble drugs. The technique relies on the enhanced solubility of the amorphous form of the drug compared to its crystalline counterpart. These systems however are thermodynamically unstable. This means that the drug crystallises with time. Therefore, efforts to measure the stability of these systems over the life span of the product are crucial. This study focused on investigating the use of Hansen Solubility Parameters to quantify polymer-drug interaction and to predict the stability of solid dispersions. This was achieved through a systematic review of hot-melt extruded solid dispersion literature. The study also investigated the use of a combined mechanical and rheological model to characterise the physicochemical and release behaviour of three solid dispersion immediately after preparation and after storage for one month at 40oC or three months at room temperature. Results revealed that the total solubility parameter |ΔбT| was able to predict the stability of the systems for more than 4 months using a cut-off point of 3 MPa-1 with a negative predictive value of 0.9. This was followed by ΔбD with a cut-off point of 1.5 MPa- 1. Moreover, Dynamic Mechanical Analyser and shear rheometry data were shown to be more sensitive than Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Powder X-Ray Diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscope and Fourier Transform Infrared in detecting crystallisation and the interaction between the drug and the polymer. The Dynamic Mechanical Analyser data were consistent with the dissolution behaviour of the samples when comparing the freshly prepared samples with those after storage. The results highlight the need for a unified characterisation approach and the necessity of verifying the homogeneity of mixing during the extrusion process.

Poorly water soluble drugs have been manipulated to make them more soluble, increasing the bioavailability of these drugs. Several cryogenic processes allow for production of drug nanoparticles, without mechanical stress that could cause degradation. The Ultra Rapid Freezing (URF) process is a technique which improves water solubility of drugs by reducing primary drug particle size by producing amorphous solid dispersions. Heat conduction is improved, using a cryogenic material with a high thermal conductivity relative to the solution being frozen to maintain the surface temperature and heat transfer rate while the solution is being frozen. With URF technology, the freezing rate is fixed, which drives the particle formation and determines its characteristics. Supersaturation of drug in aqueous solution can allow for better absorption of the drug via the oral and pulmonary routes. Drug formulations that supersaturate the dissolution media show the possibility for increased bioavailability from an amorphous drug form. If the concentration of drug in solution is significantly increased, higher chemical potential will lead to an increase in flux across an exposed membrane, leading to higher blood levels for an amorphous drug, compared to an identical crystalline formulation. During oral delivery, supersaturated drug concentrations would also saturate PGP efflux sites in the gut lumen, increasing the drug's bioavailability. Saturated PGP sites show zero order efflux kinetics, so increasing the drug concentration in supersaturated biological fluid will increase serum drug levels. High supersaturation levels maintained for prolonged periods would have a beneficial effect on a drug's absolute bioavailability. Pulmonary administration offers therapeutic advantages over more invasive routes of administration. Limited amount of metabolizing enzymes like CYP 3A4 in lung tissue along with avoidance of first pass metabolism are advantages to pulmonary delivery. The objective of the research presented in this dissertation is to show the versatility of nanoparticulate poorly water soluble drug formulations. Due to the reduced particle size and the URF manufacturing process, a wide range of applications can be used with these nanoparticles. Oral and pulmonary administration routes can be explored using nanoparticles, but in vitro cell culture testing can show clinical benefits from this type of processing technology. / text

Cette thèse propose d’explorer, à partir d’une intervention réalisée dans un milieu de travail non ordinaire, celui d’une section départementale d’un syndicat, les spécificités de la dimension impersonnelle du « métier » de syndicaliste.L’intervention s’est déployée selon la perspective méthodologique et méthodique propre à la clinique de l’activité, auprès d’un collectif de militants d’un syndicat des enseignants du premier degré qui ont pris pour objet d’analyse une part de leur activité syndicale. Cette intervention, tant dans son déroulement que dans le contenu des analyses co-produites par les militants, a été particulière. Après un examen de la littérature relative à des travaux qui s’intéressent au syndicalisme analysé comme une activité et à des métiers exercés dans le secteur social, cette particularité s’est précisée et s’est constituée en objet de recherche. Elle concerne l’une des quatre dimensions du « métier » de syndicaliste, la dimension impersonnelle. Les analyses du matériau issu des autoconfrontations croisées ont permis de montrer que cette dimension est floue et « in-discutée ». Nous avons alors avancé l’hypothèse que cette « in-discussion » pourrait s’expliquer par des contradictions qui traverseraient les principes fondateurs du syndicat. Ces particularités de la dimension impersonnelle du « métier » de syndicaliste ont aussi des conséquences sur les autres dimensions du métier ce qui nous a conduit à interroger l’usage du mot « métier » pour évoquer l’activité syndicale. La réflexion se prolonge alors par une discussion de la conceptualisation de la dimension impersonnelle du métier en clinique de l’activité. Alors qu’elle est souvent définie de manière imprécise comme ce qui relève indifféremment de la prescription, des tâches ou des fonctions, il est proposé de concevoir cette dimension comme un rapport entre des buts et des moyens donnés par l’organisation. Le travail réalisé sur les spécificités de la dimension impersonnelle du « métier » de syndicaliste permet également de préciser la notion de but : elle contiendrait distinctement des buts généraux et des buts issus de l’organisation du travail. / This thesis seeks to explore, from a “transformation-action” in a “non-ordinary” workplace such as a trade union county branch, the specificities of the impersonal dimension experienced in the occupation of trade unionist.The transformation-action took place within a group of activists from a high school teachers’ trade union that collectively analyzed their own activity within the union. It was conducted according to the activity clinics consistent methods and methodologies. This transformation action was unusual in the way it was conducted and in that the content was co-produced by activists themselves. Following research and literature related on unionism analyzed as being a working activity as well as occupations in the field of social work, this characteristic became itself an object of research. This was identified as one of the trade unionist occupation’s four dimensions, the impersonal dimension.The analysis carried out on “crossed self-confrontation” material showed that this dimension is poorly defined and "not-discussed". We suggest that this "non-discussion" could be explained by existing contradictions within the Union founding principles themselves. The characteristics of the impersonal dimension of the trade unionist occupation also has effects on the other dimensions of the occupation; this has led us to question the use of the word occupation to describe the union activity.The debate is to be continued with a discussion of the conceptualization of the occupation impersonal dimension in the field of clinic of activity. Often described in indistinct terms as it relates either to the prescription, or to the tasks or functions, it is suggested to develop this dimension as being a link between goals and means given by the organization. The work based on the specificities of the impersonal dimension of the trade unionist occupation also clarifies the goal concept : it contains general goals on one hand and goals from the work organization on the other hand.