Abstract:
A novel pharmaceutical composition including thieno-pyridine derivatives, primarily ticlopidine hydrochloride, having no other organic or inorganic acid stabilizing agents or metal stearates. The stable pharmaceutical composition also includes hydrogenated vegetable oil as lubricant and other suitable non-ionic inert pharmaceutical excipients.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
     This invention relates to stabilization of a pharmaceutical composition containing ticlopidine hydrochloride and other non-ionic inert excipients. Hydrogenated vegetable oil serves as an inert lubricant in the pharmaceutical composition. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Ticlopidine hydrochloride is a platelet aggregation inhibitor. When taken orally, ticlopidine hydrochloride causes a time and dose-dependent inhibition of both platelet aggregation and release of platelet granule constituents, as well as prolongation of bleeding time. Ticlopidine hydrochloride is marketed by Syntex under the trade name TICLID®. Detailed information on TICLID® is available in the Physicians&#39; Desk Reference. 
     In order for ticlopidine hydrochloride, with or without diluents, to be made into solid dosage forms, tablets for example, with pressure, using available equipment, it is necessary that the ticlopidine hydrochloride, either in crystalline or powdered form, possess a number of physical characteristics. 
     These characteristics include cohesiveness, lubrication and the ability to flow freely. Since, most materials have none or only some of these properties, methods or formulations have been developed to impart these desirable characteristics to medicinal substances sought to be compressed into tablets. 
     The additional ingredients added to medicinal substances, to impart these desirable characteristics, are termed &#34;excipients.&#34; Examples of excipients include diluents, binders, and lubricants. 
     The compressed tablets are also required to be stable through their shelf life. However, the addition of certain excipients can adversely effect other characteristics of the compressed tablets, including shelf life, and size. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,051,141 discloses a thieno-pyridine derived drug designated ticlopidine hydrochloride. However, it is subject to discoloration during normal storage. The discoloration has been associated with degradation of the ticlopidine. The initiating factor of the ticlopidine degradation was adjudged to be the presence of certain excipients such as gelatin, povidone and magnesium stearate. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,591,592 discloses that compositions containing ticlopidine hydrochloride can be stabilized by the addition of acidic compounds. However, the use of an acid as a stabilizer, in addition to the use of magnesium stearate as a lubricant, makes the composition more complex than desirable. However, use of magnesium stearate accelerates the decomposition of ticlopidine hydrochloride. Additionally, although the composition disclosed within U.S. Pat. No. 4,591,592 is more stable than that of U.S. Pat. No. 4,051,141, it is still less stable than desirable. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,520,928 discloses a pharmaceutical composition comprising an active ingredient with another acidic compound stearic acid, and other suitable pharmaceutical excipients, and which does not contain any organic acid other than stearic acid. The stabilization is achieved using stearic acid, which also serves as the lubricant. However, a tablet containing ticlopidine hydrochloride 250, microcrystalline cellulose 130, stearic acid 9.4 and croscarmellose sodium 0.6 mg, has a weight of 390 mg per tablet. Additionally, the typical composition has stearic acid as a stabilizer and croscarmellose sodium as a disintegrant, which also results in a composition more complex than desirable. 
     It is therefore an object of the invention to have a novel pharmaceutical composition with a fewer number of ingredients, without diluent, and with a smaller compressed tablet weight of 300 mg per 250 mg of ticlopidine hydrochloride. 
     It is a further object of the invention to have a stable pharmaceutical composition for ticlopidine hydrochloride containing no acid stabilizing agent alone or in combination with lubricant magnesium stearate. 
     And, it is yet a further object of the invention to have a pharmaceutical composition ticlopidine hydrochloride which uses hydrogenated vegetable oil as a lubricant, hydroxypropyl cellulose as a binder and corn starch as a disintegrant, all of which are substantially free of an effective amount of organic acid. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A pharmaceutical composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of an active ingredient, and a lubricant, wherein said active agent is ticlopidine hydrochloride, and said lubricant is hydrogenated vegetable oil. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention discloses a pharmaceutical composition comprising of an active ingredient with a fewer number of inactives than previously seen. The composition is without any diluent, and can be compressed into a tablet, which is within the pharmaceutically acceptable stable dosage form, having a relatively small size. 
     The invention contains no acid stabilizing agent, no metal stearate lubricants, no ionic disintegrants, and is substantially free of an effective amount of organic acid. The invention can be practiced in the form of a tablet or capsule comprising of ticlopidine hydrochloride, hydrogenated vegetable oil as the lubricant, hydroxypropyl cellulose as the binder and corn starch as the disintegrant. 
     The invention is further illustrated by the following further example, which is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, but is given by way of illustration. 
    
    
     EXAMPLE 
     A manufacturing process comprising of initially mixing ticlopidine hydrochloride (83.3%) with hydroxypropyl cellulose (11%) and corn starch (3%) and then aqueous granulation. The dried granulation is screened through suitable mill to get a desired particle size. The milled granules are lubricated using hydrogenated vegetable oil. The final-blend granules either can be compressed into tablets or filled into capsules. 
     
         ______________________________________Ingredients      Grams per 1000 Tablets______________________________________Ticlopidine Hydrochloride            250Hydroxypropyl Cellulose             33Corn Starch       9Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil             8Total Weight     300Purified Water   about 130 mL______________________________________ 
    
     Tablets are prepared as follows: Ticlopidine hydrochloride, hydroxypropyl cellulose and corn starch are mixed in a suitable mixer. Purified water is added slowly with continuous mixing. The resultant wet granulation is dried at approximately 60° C. to moisture content of approximately 3%. The dried granules are milled and blended with the hydrogenated vegetable oil. The final-blend is compressed into tablets at an average weight of approximately 300 mg. As a final step the tablets are given an appropriate coating. 
     The finished product were stored at room temperature RT (25°-30° C.) and accelerated stability condition AST (40° C./75% RH) for 1 month, 2 months and 3 months. All samples were analyzed for the presence of a compound known to result from the decomposition of ticlopidine hydrochloride. No change was found in the impurity level indicating that the novel pharmaceutical composition is suitably stable. 
     
         ______________________________________Initial       0.02%1 month       0.02% (RT)   0.02% (AST)2 months      0.02% (RT)   0.02% (AST)3 months      0.02% (RT)   0.02% (AST)______________________________________ 
    
     Although the invention has been described in a preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example, and that numerous changes in the details of construction and combination and arrangement of procedures and parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. It is intended that the patent shall cover by suitable expression in the appended claims, whatever features of patentable novelty exist in the invention disclosed.