Design and Characterization of Fast-Dissolving Oral Film of Apixaban

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, microvascular and macrovascular thrombotic problems emerged that required anticoagulants. Apixaban (RN) is a factor Xa inhibitor that treats deep vein thrombosis and the two forms of artery diseases (coronary artery disease and peripheral artery disease).

The study objective was to create fast-disintegrating Apixaban Oral Thin Films (OTF) with the help of various super disintegrants to shorten disintegration time and enhance drug release in order to assist patients who have difficulty in swallowing conventional dosage forms and increase bioavailability. OTF was created using the solvent casting method. A 22 factorial design was employed in Design-Expert® software to develop an ideal formula.

The optimized film formula pH, drug content, disintegration time, folding endurance, and dissolution rate were estimated, and the film was subjected to a short-term stability study. The optimized formula exhibited a cumulative drug release of 93.47% in 60 sec.

The drug's in vitro release pattern shows first-order kinetics and fickian diffusion was the mechanism of drug release. These findings supported that Apixaban OTFs offer a quick release of the medication from the administration site into the systemic circulation.