Solid state solubility of miconazole in poly[(ethylene glycol)-g-vinyl alcohol] using hot-melt extrusion

The use of hot-melt extrusion for preparing homogeneous API-excipient mixtures is studied for miconazole-PEG-g-PVA [poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(vinyl alcohol) graft copolymer] solid dispersions with a 5 cm(3) table-top, twin-screw corotating microcompounder (DSM Xplore). Phase behavior of PEG-g-PVA, miscibility of miconazole in PEG-g-PVA and the partitioning of miconazole between PEG and PVA amorphous phases are characterized using a combination of modulated DSC, XRPD, and solid-state (1)H and (13)C NMR methods. The (1)H NMR transverse magnetization relaxation (T(2) relaxation) method is used to analyze the phase composition and molecular mobility of the copolymer. The T(2) relaxation decay of pure PEG-g-PVA can be described by four T(2) relaxation components in the temperature range studied. PVA crystallinity is not largely affected by hot-melt extrusion and the presence of the drug. Miconazole preferably resides in the PEG amorphous phase, and its molecules are well dispersed in the PEG-g-PVA matrix using hot-melt extrusion mixing. Miconazole forms amorphous nanoclusters whose average size equals approximately 1.6 nm, indicating solid solution formation (molecular level dispersion) of the drug in the polymer.