Development, Characterization, and Pharmacokinetic Evaluation of a CRV431 Loaded Self-Microemulsifying Drug Delivery System

J Pharm Pharm Sci. 2018;21(1s):335s-348s. doi: 10.18433/jpps30245.

Abstract

Purpose: The objective of this study was to develop a self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) formulation for the oral delivery of CRV431, a non-immunosuppressive analogue of cyclosporine A. Relative to cyclosporine A, CRV431 is poorly soluble in lipid solvents and thusly presents a challenge for the development of a formulation of sufficient oral bioavailability for clinical use.

Methods: The solubility of CRV431, a cyclosporine derivative, was determined in a range of commonly used surfactants, oils and co-solvents. A pseudo-ternary phase diagram was constructed from the most soluble excipients and prototype formulations, SERIES 1 and SERIES 2 were developed. The pharmacokinetics, following single oral doses of 1 and 3 mg/kg of CRV431 SMEDDS, was studied in healthy human volunteers using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS).

Results: The maximum drug load for the SERIES 1 formulations was less than 40 mg/ml. Manipulation of the excipient ratios allowed for the development of SERIES 2 formulations, which had higher drug loading capacity and stability for CRV431 compared to SERIES 1. Further improvements allowed for the development of an optimized SMEDDS formulation containing up to 90 mg/ml CRV431 and which generated a microemulsion mean particle size of 25 nm when dispersed into aqueous media. The pharmacokinetics of the optimized CRV431 SMEDDS displayed excellent total body exposure and dose-proportional effects in humans, and high drug levels in the liver of rats.

Conclusions: The developed SMEDDS formulation should allow for effective clinical development of CRV431, targeted to the treatment of liver diseases including hepatitis B (HBV), fibrosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial, Phase I

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Oral
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Chromatography, Liquid
  • Cyclosporins / administration & dosage
  • Cyclosporins / chemistry
  • Cyclosporins / pharmacokinetics*
  • Drug Delivery Systems*
  • Emulsions / administration & dosage
  • Emulsions / chemistry
  • Emulsions / pharmacokinetics
  • Healthy Volunteers
  • Humans
  • Liver / chemistry
  • Liver / metabolism
  • Middle Aged
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Particle Size
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Small Molecule Libraries / administration & dosage
  • Small Molecule Libraries / chemistry
  • Small Molecule Libraries / pharmacokinetics*
  • Solubility
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization
  • Surface Properties
  • Tissue Distribution
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • CRV-431
  • Cyclosporins
  • Emulsions
  • Small Molecule Libraries