
Inhalable Nanocomposite Microparticles with Enhanced Dissolution and Superior Aerosol Performance
Author(s) -
Chune Zhu,
Jianting Chen,
Shuai Yu,
Chailu Que,
Lynne S. Taylor,
Wen Tan,
Chuanbin Wu,
Qi Zhang
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
molecular pharmaceutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.13
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1543-8392
pISSN - 1543-8384
DOI - 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.0c00390
Subject(s) - dissolution , aerosol , nanocomposite , nanotechnology , materials science , chemistry , chemical engineering , organic chemistry , engineering
Previous studies have shown that combining colistin (Col), a cationic polypeptide antibiotic, with ivacaftor (Iva), a cystic fibrosis (CF) drug, could achieve synergistic antibacterial effects against Pseudomonas aeruginosa . The purpose of this study was to develop dry powder inhaler formulations for co-delivery of Col and Iva, aiming to treat CF and lung infection simultaneously. In order to improve solubility and dissolution for the water-insoluble Iva, Iva was encapsulated into bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanoparticles (Iva-BSA-NPs). Inhalable composite microparticles of Iva-BSA-NPs were produced by spray-freeze-drying using water-soluble Col as the matrix material and l-leucine as an aerosol enhancer. The optimal formulation showed an irregularly shaped morphology with fine particle fraction (FPF) values of 73.8 ± 5.2% for Col and 80.9 ± 4.1% for Iva. Correlations between " D ×ρ tapped" and FPF were established for both Iva and Col. The amorphous solubility of Iva is 66 times higher than the crystalline solubility in the buffer. Iva-BSA-NPs were amorphous and remained in the amorphous state after spray-freeze-drying, as examined by powder X-ray diffraction. In vitro dissolution profiles of the selected DPI formulation indicated that Col and Iva were almost completely released within 3 h, which was substantially faster regarding Iva release than the jet-milled physical mixture of the two drugs. In summary, this study developed a novel inhalable nanocomposite microparticle using a synergistic water-soluble drug as the matrix material, which achieved reduced use of excipients for high-dose medications, improved dissolution rate for the water-insoluble drug, and superior aerosol performance.