Quality by Design-Driven Formulation Development of Cannabidiol Orally Disintegrating Tablets

The development of cannabidiol (CBD) orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs) is effective in treating anxiety in a patient-friendly manner. The application of Quality by Design (QbD) enhances the efficiency and robustness of the pharmaceutical development of CBD ODTs. The objective of this work was to develop a formulation for CBD ODTs using a QbD-driven approach. Quality target product profile, critical quality attributes, and an initial risk assessment were identified and evaluated. Subsequently, a Box-Behnken design was employed to analyze the effects of varied compression force, the quantity of microcrystalline cellulose, and the quantity of croscarmellose sodium to create a design space and control space. Results indicated that the design and control spaces produced tablets with hardness ranging from 4 to 6 kg-force, a disintegration time (DT) ≤ 30 s, and a friability ≤ 1%. All formulations contained 4% CBD (or 10 mg per tablet). The optimal formulation consisted of 35% microcrystalline cellulose and 1% croscarmellose sodium and was compressed at 1400 pounds per square inch. This formulation exhibited a hardness of approximately 5 kg-force, a DT of 13-15 s, and a friability of approximately 0.3%. Verification data confirmed the accuracy of the predictions made by computer software. The content uniformity and assay determined using validated high-performance liquid chromatography ranged between 90% and 100%. CBD was released from the CBD ODT in 1% sodium lauryl sulfate solution, with approximately 76% dissolved within 3 h in the dissolution study. In conclusion, the QbD-driven approach successfully facilitated the formulation development of CBD ODTs with the desired properties for the treatment of anxiety in a patient-friendly manner.