Preparation of Amorphous Composite Particles of Drugs with Ursodeoxycholic Acid as Preclinical Formulations

Abstract

We studied the possibility of using ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) as an excipient to create an amorphous composite that can be administered to animals in preclinical studies of experimental drugs. Three UDCA-based amorphous samples composed of nifedipine (NIF), indomethacin (IND), and naproxen (NAP) were found by screening. The UDCA-based formulations were adjudged amorphous by solid-state analysis using X-ray powder diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry. In addition, amorphous samples of NIF–UDCA, IND–UDCA, and NAP–UDCA did not crystallize while in 1% methyl cellulose (MC) solution for 120 min, although an amorphous solid dispersion of NIF–poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) crystallized rapidly. The low hygroscopicity of UDCA helps NIF maintain an amorphous state in 1% MC solution. The UDCA-based amorphous composites can be administered as suspended formulations to animals in preclinical studies.

Graphical Abstract