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Control of Drug-Excipient Particle Attributes with Droplet Microfluidic-based Extractive Solidification Enables
Denise Z L Ng1,2,3, Arif Z Nelson2,3, Gareth Ward4
1Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, 117576, Singapore.
Pharmaceutical Research
|February 4, 2022
Summary
Microfluidic droplet synthesis improves active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) powder flowability. This particle engineering technique enhances powder processing for continuous manufacturing of oral solid dosage forms.
Area of Science:
- Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Continuous manufacturing of oral solid dosage forms is hindered by poor powder flow of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).
- Particle engineering techniques offer control over attributes influencing powder flowability, such as size, morphology, and composition.
- Microfluidic droplet-based synthesis is an emerging technique for precise particle attribute control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To produce spherical API and API-composite microparticles at high mass throughput using microfluidic droplet synthesis.
- To characterize and compare the bulk powder flow properties of these microparticles.
- To understand the correlation between particle-scale attributes and powder rheology.
Main Methods:
- Spherical API and API-excipient particles of artemether were synthesized using a multi-channel emulsification device and an extractive droplet-based method.
- As-received API and API crystallized without droplet confinement served as control materials.
- Particle attributes were characterized and correlated with comprehensive powder rheology tests.
Main Results:
- Droplet-based processed artemether particles exhibited enhanced flowability, reduced cohesiveness, and lower compressibility compared to conventionally synthesized powder.
- Co-processing artemether with polycaprolactone to form composite microparticles reduced powder friction on stainless steel.
Conclusions:
- Extractive solidification using droplet-based methods is a promising particle engineering technique for improving powder processing.
- This approach has the potential to facilitate the industrial implementation of continuous solid dosage form manufacturing.
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