GROUND MIXTURE

Abstract: A ground mixture of a poorly soluble cystalline drug and an adsorbent is remarkably improved in the rates of dissolu­ tion and absorption of the drug.

Description: This invention relates to a ground mixture. More particularly, the invention relates to a ground mixture of a poorly soluble crystalline drug and an adsorbent. Attempts have so far been made to improve the absorption of poorly soluble drugs (1) by forming their water-soluble salts, (2) by reducing their particle size by grinding, for instance, or (3) by grinding together with β-1,4-glucan[Japanese Patent Examined Publication No. 29565/1979: Journal of Pharmacokinetics and Biopharmaceutics Vol.2, 487-493(1974)].However,each method has its problems, hence cannot be said to be satisfactory. For instance, (1) The conversion of poorly soluble drugs into the form of salts which are readily soluble in water may often result in changes in pharmacological effects; it is not possible to convert all poorly soluble drugs into water soluble salts which have high pharmacological effects but few adverse effects. (2) Although it is said that particle size reduction by grinding or the like increases in solubility of poorly soluble drugs and thereby improves their absorption, the fact of the matter is that the results are unsatisfactory in many cases, with not a few problems from the pharmaceutical engineering viewpoints. Thus, in pulverizing granular drug alone under the action of a mechanical force, the grinding efficiency is in general low and much time is required for grinding. Some drugs are even degraded by the heat generated during a long period of grinding. (3) Attempts to improve the absorption of poorly soluble drugs by rendering them noncrystalline by grinding together with β-1,4-glucan are found in a number of reports. However, in practicing this method, the additive (β-1,4-glucan) is required in proportions [additive/(additive+drug)] as high as 80-90% for rendering the drug noncrystalline form. The use of said method is therefore inadequate in cases where the drugs are to be administered in high unit doses. Furthermore, it is necessary to carry out the grinding in a vibrating mill for a period in the order of several hours and, therefore, much labor is required in this process. As a result of intensive research conducted to produce improvements in absorption of poorly soluble drugs, the inventors have completed the present invention. The invention provides a ground mixture of a crystalline drug having a solubility in water of less than 1 x 10⁻³ g/ml and activated charcoal. One preferred embodiment of the crystalline drug to be used in the practice of the invention includes such compounds as acetylspiramycin, aminopyrine, estradiol benzoate, ampicillin, ethynylestradiol, erythromycin, quinine hydrochloride, caffeine, camphor, kitasamycin, griseofulvin, calcium gluconate, chloramphenicol, cortisone acetate, salicylic acid, digitoxin, theophylline, nystatin, hydrocortisone, phenobarbital, prednisolone, progesterone, methyltestosterone, riboflavine and colistin sulfate. As desired, two or more drugs may be subjected simultaneously to grinding. Another preferred embodiment of the crystalline drug to be used in the practice of the invention is a crystalline drug being 7-isopropoxy-3-phenyl-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one. According to this invention, a ground mixture of the latter embodiment and an adsorbent is more remarkably improved in the rate of absorption of the drug than a ground mixture of the former and an adsorbent. As the adsorbent to be used in accordance with the invention, there may be used any adsorbent, but preferred is an adsorbent which has an adsorption ability of not less than 0.15 cm³/g as measured by the methanol adsorption method in view of a small amount of an adsorbent to be used and short grinding time. Such adsorbent includes activated charcoal, activated clay, silica, synthetic adsorbent resin, activated alumina and other physiologically acceptable adsorbents. These adsorbents may be used either singly or in combination of two or more. It is advantageous to use an adsorbent preferably having an adsorption ability of 0.15 cm³/g to 1.50 cm³/g, though depending on the poorly soluble drug, the apparatus for grinding, the ratio of addition of the adsorbent and the grinding time. The methanol adsorption method is one of methods conventionally used in determining the micropore volume of a material having micropores such as activated charcoal, silica gel, alumina or silica alumina. In the present invention, the volume (cm³) of methanol (on the liquid basis) adsorbed on each gram of the adsorbent under the conditions of relative pressure 0.937 and temperature = 25°C is defined as the adsorption ability measured by the methanol adsorption method (cm³/g). As the apparatus to be used in determining the adsorption ability, there may be used such a known apparatus as an automatic adsorption-measuring apparatus which directly measured, the gravimetric method, the change in weight upon passing a mixed gas composed of methanol and nitrogen through the adsorbent suspended on a quartz spring device, or an automatic adsorption-measuring apparatus which records the change in weight using a differential transformer provided with a feedback coil. An apparatus used in carrying out the nitrogen adsorption method, one of the methods of measuring the surface area of a material having micropores, may also be used in determining the adsorption ability of methanol. The adsorbent is used generally at an addition level [adsorbent/(adsorbent+poorly soluble crystalline drug)] of about 20-60% (w/w), preferably about 30-50%. As the grinding apparatus, there may be employed any apparatus which is capable of achieving grinding in accordance with the invention, although a vibrating mill, for instance, is preferred. The time required for grinding depends on the poorly soluble crystalline drug, the adsorbent, the grinding apparatus and the ratio of the adsorbent to be added but is sufficient if X-ray powder diffractometry after grinding does not give any diffraction peaks characteristic of a crystalline substance any more. Generally, grinding is performed for about 30 seconds to about an hour. The poorly soluble crystalline drug and the adsorbent may either be subjected, as they are, to grinding following admixture of them or be subjected, after preliminary grinding of each, to grinding following admixture thereof. In the ground mixture obtained by this method, the drug is in the amorphous state, so that the mixture is remarkably improved in the rates of dissolution and absorption of the drug, in particular, in the rate of absorption following oral administration. The ground mixture according to the invention may be used either per se or in admixture with one or more pharmacologically acceptable carriers, excipients, and so forth, in formulations such as powders, granules, tablets, pills, capsules, ointment, or some other appropriate preparation. The mixture thus can be administered orally or percutaneously to human and animals with a particular disease to be treated with the drug. The invention is further illustrated in more detail by the following examples and test examples, which, however, are by no means limitative of the present invention. Reference Example 1 Two g of AEROSIL® (ultramicroparticulate silicic anhydride) [Aerosil Nippon, Japan) having an adsorption ability of 0.21 cm³/g as measured by the methanol adsorption method and 2 g of griseofulvin were charged in a stainless steel vibrating mill (50 cc in capacity; with two balls each 2.7 mm in diameter) [Spex Industries Inc., USA], and were ground together for 30 minutes. The crystallinity of the griseofulvin in the ground mixture was measured using a recording X-ray diffractometer [Model D-3F; Rigaku Denki]. No peaks indicating the crystallinity of griseofulvin were observed. Example 1 Two g of activated charcoal [adsorbency for methanol: 0.66 cm³/g] and 2 g of griseofulvin were ground together for 30 seconds in the same manner as Reference Example 1. X-Ray diffractometry of the ground mixture under the same measurement conditions as in Example 1 gave no peaks. Reference Example 2 Two g of AEROSIL® and 2 g of 7-isopropoxy-3-phenyl-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one were charged in a stainless steel vibrating mill (50 cc in capacity: with two balls each 2.7 mm in diameter) [Spex Industries Inc., USA] and were ground together for 10 minutes. Example 2 Two g of activated charcoal [Wako Pure Chemicals Japan] and 2 g of 7-isopropoxy-3-phenyl-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one were ground together for 3 minutes in the same manner as Reference Example 2. Test Example 1 In a 1,000-cc beaker, there was placed 40 mg of the ground mixture of AEROSIL® and griseofulvin as obtained in Reference Example 1 and, then, 900 ml of water was poured into the beaker. The contents were stirred in a water bath adjusted to 37 ± 0.1°C by rotating a stirrer at a constant speed of revolution, while sampling was conducted at appropriate intervals. Each sample was filtered through a glass filter for removal of AEROSIL®. The absorbance at the wavelength of 295 nm was measured using a Hitachi Model 124 U.V. spectro-photometer, and obtained the amount dissolved of griseofulvin from the standard curve. On the other hand, griseofulvin alone was ground, and 2 g of the ground mass was mixed with 2 g of AEROSIL®. A 40-mg portion of the resulting mixture (physical mixture) was subjected to the same test as above and the amount of dissolved griseofulvin was determined. The results of both tests are given in Table 1. As is evident from Table 1, the dissolution of griseofulvin, after 10 minutes, was about 4 times greater and, after 60 minutes, about 3 times greater with the ground mixture as compared with the physical mixture. Test Example 2 For the ground mixture of activated charcoal and griseofulvin as obtained in Example 1, the griseofulvin dissolution was determined in accordance with the method of Test Example 1. Separately, griseofulvin alone was ground, and a physical mixture of the ground mass and activated charcoal (1:1 by weight) was prepared and tested for griseofulvin dissolution in accordance with the method of Test Example 1. The results of both tests are shown in Table 2. As is evident from Table 2, the dissolution of griseofulvin was about 4 times and about twice more rapid with the ground mixture after 10 minutes and 60 minutes, respectively, as compared with the physical mixture.

Claims: A ground mixture of a crystalline drug having a solubility in water of less than 1 x 10⁻³ g/ml and activated charcoal. A ground mixture according to Claim 1, wherein the activated charcoal has an adsorption ability of not less than 0.15 cm³/g as measured by the methanol adsorption method. A ground mixture according to Claim 1, wherein the activated charcoal has an adsorption ability of 0.15 to 1.50 cm³/g as measured by the methanol adsorption method. A ground mixture according to Claim 1, wherein the drug is acetylspiramycin, aminopyrine, estradiol benzoate, ampicillin, ethynylestradiol, erythromycin, quinine hydrochloride, caffeine, camphor, kitasamycin, griseofulvin, calcium gluconate, chloramphenicol, cortisone acetate, salicylic acid, digitoxin, theophylline, nystatin, hydrocortisone, phenobarbital, prednisolone, progesterone, methyltestosterone, riboflavine or colistin sulfate. A ground mixture according to claim 1, wherein the drug is 7-isopropoxy-3-phenyl-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one. A ground mixture according to claim 1 which is obtainable by grinding a mixture of said crystalline drug and activated charcoal. A ground mixture according to Claim 1 or 6, wherein the ratio of the activated charcoal to the activated charcoal plus the drug is 20 to 60% (w/w). A ground mixture according to claim 1 or 7 wherein the ratio of the activated charcoal to the activated charcoal plus the drug is 30 to 50% (w/w).

Inventors: KASHIHARA, TOSHIO, MATSUI, MASAKAZU, YOKOHAMA, SHIGEHARU
Applicants: TAKEDA CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES, LTD.
Application year: 1984
Main classification: A61K9
IPC codes: A61K31, A61K9