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Title:
LONG-TERM OILY SUSPENSION WITH OMEPRAZOLE ENTERIC COATED BEADS
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2014/167342
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
A suspension comprising: microgranules having bead sizes in the range of 100 to 1200 microns of a benzimidazole derivative; said derivative being suspended in a triglyceride ester of a fatty acid; said suspension being stable for a least 1 month.

Inventors:
MARCH GRAHAM (GB)
TITTERSHILL ANDREW (GB)
SOCORRO ANTONIO (GB)
Application Number:
PCT/GB2014/051129
Publication Date:
October 16, 2014
Filing Date:
April 10, 2014
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
SPECIAL PRODUCTS LTD (GB)
International Classes:
A61K9/10; A61K47/14; A61K9/50; A61K31/4439
Domestic Patent References:
WO2004004682A22004-01-15
WO2006026829A12006-03-16
WO2004004682A22004-01-15
Foreign References:
ES2283172A12007-10-16
EP0005129A11979-10-31
EP0124495A21984-11-07
EP1830816A12007-09-12
EP2456439A22012-05-30
EP1246622A12002-10-09
EP1030654A12000-08-30
EP1108425A12001-06-20
Other References:
PILBRANT A ET AL: "DEVELOPMENT OF AN ORAL FORMULATION OF OMEPRAZOLE", SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY, INFORMA HEALTHCARE, GB, vol. 20, 1 January 1985 (1985-01-01), pages 113 - 120, XP009044798, ISSN: 0036-5521, DOI: 10.3109/00365528509095824
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
WP THOMPSON (London WC2B 5SQ, GB)
Download PDF:
Claims:
Claims

1 . A suspension comprising: microgranules having bead sizes in the range of 100 to 1200 microns of a benzimidazole derivative; said derivative being suspended in a triglyceride ester of a fatty acid; said suspension being stable for a least 1 month.

2. A suspension according to Claim 1 wherein the benzimidazole derivative is omeprazole.

3. A suspension according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein the benzimidazole derivative is provided in the form of enteric coated beads.

4. A suspension according to any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein the benzimidazole derivative is formed on a sugar core.

5. A suspension according to Claim 3 wherein the coating includes one or more layers selected from a disintegrant layer, a sealing layer and a control release layer.

6. A suspension according to Claim 5 wherein the disintegrant layer is selected from pregellatinized starch, microcrystalline cellulose, sodium bicarbonate, alginic acid, various ion exchange resins, modified starches such as sodium carboxymethyl starch, sodium starch glycolate, and modified cellulose such as sodium carboxymethyl cellulose.

7. A suspension according to Claim 5 wherein the disintegrant layer is formed from sodium starch glycolate.

8. A suspension according to any one of Claims 5 to 7 wherein the sealing layer is selected from cellulose, such as hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, polyvinylpyrrolidone, hydroxymethylce!iuiose, hydroxyethyicellulose, and dextran.

9. A suspension according to any one of Claims 5 to 8 wherein the sealing layer is formed from hydroxypropyl methylcellulose.

10. A suspension according to any one of Claims 5 to 9 wherein the control release layer is formed from methacrylic acid or copolymers thereof.

1 1 . A suspension according to any one of Claims 1 to 10 wherein the bead size is in the range of from about 250 microns to about 600 microns or may be about 400 microns.

12. A suspension according to any one of Claims 1 to 1 1 wherein the chain length of the fatty acid is a mixture of C8to C10 fatty acids.

13. A suspension according to any one of Claims 1 to 12 additionally including one or more preservatives.

14. A suspension according to Claim 13 wherein the preservative is potassium sorbate.

15. A suspension according to Claim 7 or 8 wherein the preservative is present in an amount of about 0.1 % w/v to about 0.5% w/v and may be about 0.2% w/v to about 0.3% w/v.

16. A suspension according to any one of Claims 1 to 15 additionally including one or more stabilisers.

17. A suspension according to Claim 16 wherein the stabiliser is silicon dioxide.

18. A suspension according to Claim 7 or 8 wherein the stabiliser is present in an amount of about 1 % w/v to about 5% w/v and may be about 2% w/v to about 3% w/v.

19. A suspension according to any one of Claims 1 to 18 additionally including a sweetener.

20. A suspension according to Claim 18 wherein the sweetener is present in an amount of from about 0.05% w/v to about 0.2% w/v.

21 . A suspension according to any one of Claims 1 to 20 additionally including one or more rafting agents.

22. A suspension according to Claim 21 wherein the rafting agent is alginic acid.

23. A suspension according to Claim 210 and 22 wherein the rafting agent is present in an amount of from about 5 to about 15 % w/v and may be present in about 10 % w/v.

24. A suspension according to any one of Claims 1 to 23 additionally including one or more excipients.

25. A suspension according to any one of Claims 1 to 24 wherein the viscosity of the suspension is from about 1 centipoise to about 10,000 centipoise or from about 1 ,000 centipoise to about 5,000 centipoise or about 2,000 centipoise.

26. A suspension according to any one of Claims 1 to 25 wherein the amount of the benzimidazole derivative present will be in the region of 5 mg in 5 ml, 10 mg in 5ml, 20 mg in 5 ml, 30 mg in 5 ml, 40 mg in 5 ml, 50 mg in 5 ml, 60 mg in 5 ml, 70 mg in 5 ml or 80 mg in 5 ml.

27. A suspension according to any one of Claims 1 to 26 wherein the suspension is stable for at least 2 months, at least 3 months, at least 4 months, at least 5 months, or more preferably at least 6 months.

28. A suspension according to any one of Claims 1 to 27 for use in the treatment of dyspepsia, peptic ulcer disease, gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, laryngopharyngeal reflux, gastric and duodenum ulceration and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.

Description:
LONG-TERM OILY SUSPENSION WITH OMEPRAZOLE ENTERIC COATED BEADS

The present invention relates to a formulation. More particularly, it relates to a stable suspension formulation for an acid labile benzimidazole, in particular, a stable formulation of a benzimidazole which is suitable for oral administration. Most particularly it relates to a formulation comprising omeprazole.

Omeprazole, Pantoprazole, Lansoprazole and other derivatives of benzimidazole are active proton pump inhibitors which decrease gastric secretion and as such are used in the treatment of, for example, dyspepsia, peptic ulcer disease, gastritus, gastroesophageal reflux disease, laryngopharyngeal reflux, gastric and duodenum ulceration and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. These benzimidazoles are proton pump inhibitors that suppress gastric acid secretion by specific inhibition of the H+/K+-ATPase in the gastric parietal cell.

Although the present invention is applicable to a range of derivatives of benzimidazole, for ease of reference much of the discussion will be given with reference to omeprazole. However, it should be construed as also being a reference to alternative derivatives.

Omeprazole, 5-methoxy-2((4-methoxy-3,5-dimethyl-2-pyridinyl)methylsulfin yl)-1 H-benzimidazole, is disclosed in a number of patents and applications including EP 5129 and EP 124495, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Omeprazole is one of the most widely prescribed drugs. In some countries, it is also available "over the counter".

Generally omeprazole has been provided as tablets or capsules. Whilst, a formulation which can be administered orally may offer various advantages, finding a liquid formulation of omeprazole for oral administration has proved problematic as, on contact with acid, degradation occurs. Since the stomach is a highly acidic environment, if the active substance comes into contact with the stomach contents they degrade.

Specifically, omeprazole degrades with a half-life of less than 10 minutes in an environment with pH values below 4.0. At pH 6.5, the half life of omeprazole is 18 hours and at pH 1 1 about 300 days. It has therefore become commonplace to provide the omeprazole in a core together with alkaline constituents within an enteric coating.

It has therefore become desirable to seek a means of protecting the omeprazole both during storage and during the passage through the acidic environment of the stomach. It has therefore become commonplace to provide the omeprazole with an enteric coating to protect it from the acid.

Omeprazole is most commonly provided as enteric-coated granules located within capsules or as enteric-coated tablets. An enteric coating is a polymer coating barrier which is applied to the granules or capsules to protect the omeprazole from the acid in the stomach. In some countries, omeprazole may be provided in injectable form. In this arrangement, it is generally provided in a combination pack comprising a vial of powder and a separate ampoule of a reconstituting solution.

Patients who struggle with swallowing tablets are advised to mix the granules from a capsule in a spoonful of, for example, apple sauce. The resulting mixture can then be swallowed. However it has to be taken immediately. These patients may also be provided with a powder for oral suspension which has to be mixed with water. However, the amount of water has to be carefully controlled and the mixture has to be allowed to thicken. The resultant thick suspension has to be taken within about 30 minutes and any excess cannot be stored for future use. Unfortunately, some people find this thick suspension unpleaseant to take. In addition, the requirements for extemporaneous production of the suspension can be difficult for the patient particularly if they are away from home. These difficulties may result in the patient not following the regimen.

A further problem with asking the patient to mix the granules with the apple sauce or the like is that the granules can become damaged if the patient is over vigorous in the mixing.

Whilst providing omeprazole as a suspension is desirable, and some suspensions are made to order in pharmacies or specialist manufacturing facilities, these have a very short shelf life. It is therefore not currently possible to batch manufacture a suspension with an acceptable shelf life.

It is therefore desirable to provide a liquid suspension which is stable such that the patient can readily take the required dosage as a liquid without having to mix powders and the like.

WO 2004/004682 describes a formulation which is suggested to have an extended shelf life in liquid form. This is suggested as being possible by seal-coating the omeprazole beads and by the use of an oily liquid. However, whilst the beads can be provided with the oily liquid, they are not in a true suspension. This may mean that in use, a volume of the suspension which may be taken by a patient on separate occasions may not contain the appropriate number of beads. It is also suggested that the formulation may be provided in single dose sachets. In this arrangement, , the beads and liquids are added separately to the sachet.

According to the present invention there is provided a suspension comprising: microgranules having bead sizes in the range of 100 to 1200 microns of a benzimidazole derivative; said derivative being suspended in an ester of a fatty acid or acids; said suspension being stable for a least 1 month.

Any suitable benzimidazole derivative may be used. Suitable derivatives include omeprazole, pantoprazole, rabeprazole and lansoprazole. The composition may include a mixture of derivatives. Where the derivative has optically active forms, it may be provided as the racemate or as one of the resolved isomers.

The benzimidazole derivative will generally be provided in the form of enteric coated beads. In one arrangement, the benzimidazole derivative may be provided on a core. Any suitable biocompatible core may be used. A sugar core is conventional. Whether or not the benzimidaloze derivative is provided on a core, an enteric coating will generally present Any suitable enteric coating may be used. Examples of suitable enteric coating may be found in, for example, EP1830816, EP2456439, WO2004/004682, EP1246622, EP1030654, and EP1 108425 which are incorporated herein by reference. However, enteric coatings provided by the seal coating method of WO2004/004682 are not generally preferred as it is believed that this means of applying the coating may lead to some ingress of water which can lead to hydrolysis and/or degradation of the benzimidazole derivative. The coating may be a single coating or a plurality of layers may be provided. Suitable layers include those providing a disintegrant, a sealing layer, and a control release layer. These may be provided in any suitable order.

Disintegrants are agents which promote the breakup of the pellet into smaller fragments. Suitable disintegrants include pregellatinized starch, microcrystalline cellulose, sodium bicarbonate, alginic acid, various ion exchange resins, modified starches such as sodium carboxymethyl starch, sodium starch glycolate, and modified cellulose such as sodium carboxymethyl cellulose with sodium starch glycolate being particularly preferred.

Suitable sealing layers include those formed from cellulose, such as hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, microcrystailine cellulose, polyvinylpyrrolidone, hydroxymethylce!lulose, hydroxyethylce!lulose, and dextran with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose being particularly preferred.

Where a control release layer is present, any suitable composition may be used to form the layer. The control layer may be pH and/or time-dependent. In one arrangement, the layer may be formed from methacrylic acid or copolymers thereof. A copolymer of methacrylic acid and ethyl acrylate may be suitable.

Other components may be present in the enteric coating including emulsifiers, detackifiers, surfactants, flow aids, flavourants, and colourants.

The coating may be provided by any suitable method.

Any suitable size of bead may be used. In one arrangement, the beads may be within the range of about 100 microns to about 1200 microns. In one arrangement the beads may be within the range of from about 250 to about 600 microns. In another arrangement, the beads sizes are in the range of about 400 to about 600 microns. Methods of manufacture may result in some beads present being outside of this range however, the majority of the beads present will be within the range. Thus for example, in one example of where the beads are in the range of from about 250 microns to about 600 microns, not less than about 90% of the beads will pass through a 600 micron mesh and not less than about 90% of the beads are retained on a 250 micron mesh.

The beads may include from about 4% to about 15% of the benzimidazole derivative with the remainder being made of the core and/or coating. In one arrangement, the beads may include from about 8.5% to about 10% of the benzimidazole derivative. Any suitable ester of a fatty acid or acids may be used in the suspension of the present invention. Triglyceride esters may offer certain advantages. Propylene glycol esters may be used. The ester may be formed with any suitable fatty acid or mixture of acids. The fatty acids may be derived from coconut or palm kernel oil. In one arrangement, a mixture of triglyceride esters of fatty acids may be used. The chain length of the fatty acid will be selected to provide the desired viscosity of the finished suspension. In one arrangement, the triglyceride ester component may be a mixture of triglyceride esters of C 8 to C 10 fatty acids. One example of a suitable triglyceride ester is that sold under the trade name Mygliol BP/USP. Myglycol 812 N may also be used.

Any suitable viscosity may be used. In one arrangement, it may be of from about 1 centipoise to about 10,000 centipoise. In another arrangement, it may be from about 1 ,000 centipoise to about 5,000 centipoise or about 2,000 centipoise.

The suspension may also include stabilisers. Any suitable stabiliser may be used. . Suitable stabilisers include benzoic acid, calcium propoanate, potassium hydrogen sulphite, sodium nitrite, and silicon dioxide with silicon dioxide being particularly preferred. A combination of two or more stabilisers may be used.

Any suitable amount of stabiliser may be present. Generally the amount of stabiliser required will be of the order of from about 1 % w/v to about 5% w/v and may be about 2% w/v to about 3% w/v.

The suspension may also include preservatives. The preservative may have antimicrobial properties. Suitable preservatives include potassium sorbate, propylene glycol, disodium, edentate, butylparaben, sodium benzoate, and methyl paraben with potassium sorbate being particularly preferred.

Any suitable amount of preservative may be present. Generally the amount of preservative required will be of the order of from about 0.1 % w/v to about 0.5% w/v and may be about 0.2% w/v to about 0.3% w/v.

Sweeteners may be present. Suitable sweeteners include zylose, ribose, glucose, mannose, fructose, dextrose, sucrose, maltose, sorbitol, mannitol, glycerin, corn syrup, sodium glucamate, sodium saccharin, aspartame, and mixtures thereof with saccharin being particularly preferred. The amount of sweetener will be selected to give the desired level of sweetness. Generally the amount of sweetener, will be in the region of about 0.05% w/v to about 0.2% w/v.

Flavourings may also be included to make the suspension more palatable to the patient. Any suitable flavour may be used. Mint is a conventional flavouring but other flavourings such as fruit flavourings may be used. The amount of flavouring present in the suspension will be selected to achieve an acceptable flavouring.

The suspension may also include rafting agents which offer additional benefits in the treatment of the gastric acid problems. One suitable rafting agent is alginic acid. The rafting agent may be present in any suitable amount but may be present in from about 5% w/v to about 15% w/v and may be present in about 10% w/v.

The components of the present invention will generally be of sufficiently high purity and sufficiently low toxicity to render them suitable for administration to the patient.

The suspension is stable for at least 1 month, more preferably, at least 1 month, more preferably at least 2 months, more preferably at least 3 months, more preferably at least 4 months, more preferably at least 5 months, still more preferably at least 6 months. A product will generally be regarded as being no longer stable when an assay of the formulation shows that content of the active pharmaceutical ingredient has fallen below 90% of the stated label claim, i.e. if the formulation is 20mg of active in 5ml then assay shows that the active content has fallen below 18mg in 5ml. Stability can also be defined in terms of impurities and related substances. In the case of omeprazole it is 0.5% of the stated amount of the active.

The amount of the benzimidazole derivative present in the solution will depend on the strength of final suspension required. Examples of suitable amounts will be 5 mg in 5 ml, 10 mg in 5ml and 20 mg in 5 ml, 30 mg in 5 ml, 40 mg in 5 ml, 50 mg in 5 ml, 60 mg in 5 ml, 70 mg in 5 ml and 80 mg in 5 ml.

The suspension of the present invention is particularly suitable as an active proton pump inhibitor which decreases gastric secretion and as such may be used in the treatment of, for example, dyspepsia, peptic ulcer disease, gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, laryngopharyngeal reflux, gastric and duodenum ulceration and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Thus the present invention also relates to the suspension of the first aspect of the present invention for use in the treatment of dyspepsia, peptic ulcer disease, gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, laryngopharyngeal reflux, gastric and duodenum ulceration and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. In addition, there is provided a method of treating dyspepsia, peptic ulcer disease, gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, laryngopharyngeal reflux, gastric and duodenum ulceration and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome comprising administering to a patient in need thereof an effective amount of the suspension of the present invention.

The present invention also relates to packaged pharmaceutical formulations. Such packaged formulations include the suspension of the present invention in a suitable container and optionally containing instructions for using the composition to treat a patient suffering from dyspepsia, peptic ulcer disease, gastritus, gastroesophageal reflux disease, laryngopharyngeal reflux, gastric and duodenum ulceration and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. In addition, there is provided a method of treating dyspepsia, peptic ulcer disease, gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, laryngopharyngeal reflux, gastric and duodenum ulceration and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Frequency of disage will depend on the strength of the suspension, the particular disease or disorder being treated and the severity of the disease or disorder.

The suspension of the present invention may be administered alone or in combination with other medicamaents. Generally the patient will be a human but it may be a mammal, for example a domesticated companion animal, such as a dog or a cat or a livestock animal such as a cow, pig or horse.

The present invention will now be described with reference to the following examples:

Example 1

Omeprazole 8.5% enteric coated micropellets were formed comprising a sugar sphere coated with omeprazole and having located thereon layers of sodium starch glycolate, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose and methacrylic acid.

Example 2

One example of a suitable formulation is:

Omeprazole BP 5mg to 20mg

(58.82 mg to 235.29mg of enteric coated beads from Example 1)

Alginic acid BP/USP 10% w/v

Potassium sorbate BP 0.2% w/v

Sweetener 1 % w/v

Silicon dioxide anhydrous BP 2.5% w/v

Flavour 0.02 % w/v

Titanium dioxide 5% w/v

Potassium hydrogen carbonate BP 2% w/v

Mygliol BP/USP Make up to 5 ml volume

This suspension is expected to have a stability of up to 6 months.

Example 3

A second example formulation is:

Omeprazole 5mg to 20mg

(58.82 mg to 235.29mg of enteric coated beads from Example 1)

Potassium sorbate 0.2% w/v Saccharin 0.1 % w/v

Silicon dioxide 3.0% w/v

Mint flavour 0.1 %

Mygliol 812N Make up to 5ml.

This suspension is expected to have a stability of up to 6 months.