A comparative study of different release apparatus in generating in vitro–in vivo correlations for extended release formulations

The importance of hydrodynamics in the development of in vitro–in vivo correlations (IVIVCs) for a BCS Class II compound housed in a hydrophilic matrix formulation and for a BCS Class I compound housed in an osmotic pump formulation was assessed. In vitro release data were collected in media simulating the fasted state conditions in the stomach, small intestine and the ascending colon using the USP II, the USP III and the USP IV release apparatuses. Using the data collected with the USP II apparatus, the plasma profiles were simulated and compared with human plasma profiles obtained after administration of the same dosage forms to healthy fasted volunteers. Data obtained with the USP III and USP IV apparatuses were directly correlated with the deconvoluted human plasma profiles. In vitro hydrodynamics affected the release profile from the hydrophilic matrix. For both formulations, based on the values of the difference factor, all three apparatuses were equally useful in predicting the actual in vivo profile on an average basis. Although some hydrodynamic variability is likely with low solubility drugs in hydrophilic matrices, the hydrodynamics of USP II, III and IV may all be adequate as a starting point for generating IVIVCs for monolithic dosage forms in the fasted state.     

A new principal component analysis-based approach for testing “similarity” of drug dissolution profiles

A new approach for testing batch “similarity” through comparison of drug dissolution profiles, based on principal component analysis with the establishment of a confidence region (PCA-CR), is presented. The dissolution curves corresponding to three brands each of Furosemide and Acetaminophen tablets, taken as model drugs, were prepared by dissolution measurements at multiple pre-specified time points. Reference and test data were simultaneously subjected to PCA and pairwise comparisons between the dissolution characteristics of lots of the same and different brands were carried out. The comparisons involved plotting the weighed scores of the first two principal components of reference and test lots, while decision about “similarity” was made by checking for inclusion of more than 80% of the tablets of the test lot in the 95% confidence ellipse of the reference samples. Two published datasets were also analyzed in the same fashion and all the results were compared with information provided by the difference (f₁) and similarity (f₂) factor tests. Unlike the f₂ criterion, the proposed method reflects variability within the individual dissolution curves, being also highly sensitive to profile (shape and size) variations. Comparison between the area enclosed by the confidence ellipses of the weighed scores plot and the region obtained from the bootstrap-calculated acceptable values of the corresponding f₂ tests suggested that PCA-CR represents, in general, a more discriminating standard.