The effect of drug and EUDRAGIT® S 100 miscibility in solid dispersions on the drug and polymer dissolution rate

Amorphous solid dispersions of phenytoin (diphenylhydantoin: DPH) and glibenclamide (GBM) with Eudragit(®) S 100 (S100) were prepared by a spray-drying. At low drug loading ratios, DPH dissolved simultaneously with S100. However, at high drug loading ratios the DPH dissolution rates were significantly reduced in comparison with those of S100 because of the rapid crystallization of DPH during the dissolution test. All of the DPH molecules in the low drug loading spray-dried sample (SPD) intimately interacted with the S100 matrix. In the SPDs with high drug loadings, only some of the DPH molecules interacted with the S100 matrix, while the excess DPH formed DPH-rich domains. When these domains contacted the water during the dissolution test, the amorphous DPH were more easily transformed into a crystalline form. In contrast to the solid dispersion of DPH/S100, that of GBM/S100 showed the simultaneous dissolution independent of the drug loading ratio. GBM was retained in an amorphous state during the dissolution test even at high drug loadings, although GBM-rich domains were formed. The miscibility at the molecular level as well as the stability of the amorphous state of drug are crucial factors to enhance the drug dissolution rate by the simultaneous dissolution with the polymer.