Meloxicam-Poloxamer solid dispersions by spray drying

CALCAGNO, A.J; PALMA S. D; CABRERA A; RAMIREZ RIGO MV.; PIÑA, J

Córdoba

Congreso; Tercera Reunión Internacional de Ciencias Farmacéuticas - RICIFA 2014; 2014

Facultad de Ciencias Quimicas - UNC

Meloxicam (MX), a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used in various chronic diseases, has low solubility. To improve it, solid dispersions (SDs) were successfully prepared by the fusion method using Poloxamer (PX) as carrier. Considering that spray drying is a relatively flexible, low cost, continuous and easy scaling process, it was explored as an alternative technique to obtain MX:PX DSs, facing the challenge of processing an aqueous suspension containing a hydrophilic low melting point polymer (58 °C). In this context, the aim of the present work was to determine a set of operating conditions with acceptable process yield. MX dispersions were prepared in PX solutions, according to a MX: PX=1:1 ratio. The samples were sonicated for 10 min (to favor the dispersion of MX in the PX solution) and spray dried in a Mini Spray Dryer Büchi B-290, varying the drying air inlet temperature (Tin: 45-85 °C) and flowrate (Qd: 35-38 m3/h), the liquid feed flowrate (Qf: 2-3 mL/min) and solids concentration (Cin: 1-8 wt%) and the atomizing air flowrate (Qa: 414-601 L/h). The highest yield (19.92%) was obtained for Cin = 1%, Tin = 50 °C, Qd = 38 m3/h Qf= 2 mL/min and Qa = 473 L/h, maintaining the liquid feed between 37 and 40 °C under agitation. MX:PX=1:1 DSs microparticles were obtained by spray drying an aqueous suspension of the polymer (avoiding the use of organic solvents) with acceptable performance in agreement with the PX hydrophilicity and low melting point and the lab scale of drying unit.