Patent Application
20130177646
The present invention relates to solid pharmaceutical dosage forms intended for release of nicotine in the oral cavity, such dosage forms being provided with means for reducing one or more organoleptically disturbing sensations.
Tobacco dependence and reduction thereof is a desirable goal. In recent years, with the recognition of the harmful effects of tobacco smoking, there have been numerous campaigns and programs by governmental agencies and various health groups and other interested organisations to disseminate information about the adverse health effects resulting from tobacco smoking. Moreover, and as a result of this recognition of the harmful effects, there have been many programs directed to attempts in reducing smoking incidence.
Nicotine is an organic compound and is the principal alkaloid of tobacco. Nicotine is the chief addictive ingredient in the tobacco used in cigarettes, cigars, snuff and the like. Nicotine is also an addictive drug, and smokers characteristically display a strong tendency to relapse after having successfully stopped smoking for a time. Nicotine is the world's second most used drug, after caffeine from coffee and tea.
The main problem with tobacco smoking is its enormous implications on health. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention it was estimated that in 2009 smoking related diseases world-wide cause some 5 million deaths per year and that the current trends show that tobacco use will cause more than 8 million deaths annually by 2030. In the United States tobacco use is responsible for one in about five deaths, which means about 450 000 deaths per year. In many large and less developed countries the incidence of tobacco related deaths is even higher. In the United States cigarette smoking costs about 100 billion USD in lost productivity and about 100 billion USD in health care expenditures.
In fact, excessive smoking is now recognised as one of the major health problems throughout the world. This grim consequence of tobacco smoking has urged many medical associations and health authorities to take very strong actions against the use of tobacco.
Even though tobacco smoking is decreasing in many developed countries today it is hard to see how the societies could get rid of the world's second most used drug. The incidence of smoking is still rising in many countries, especially in less developed countries.
The most advantageous thing a heavy smoker can do is to stop smoking completely or at least to reduce his/her smoking. Experience shows, however, that most smokers find this extremely difficult since, mostly, tobacco smoking results in a dependence disorder or craving. The World Health Organization (“WHO”) has in its International Classification of Disorders a diagnosis called Tobacco Dependence. Others like the American Psychiatric Association call the addiction Nicotine Dependence. It is generally accepted that these difficulties to stop smoking result from the fact that those heavy smokers are dependent on nicotine. The most important risk factors related to health are, however, substances that are formed during the combustion of tobacco, such as carcinogenic tar products, carbon monoxide, N-nitrosamines, aldehydes, and hydrocyanic acid.
Effects of Nicotine
Nicotine is an addictive alkaloid, C5H4NC4H7NCH3, derived from the tobacco plant. Nicotine is also used as an insecticide. The administration of nicotine (for example, in the form of smoking a cigarette, cigar or pipe) can give a pleasurable feeling to the smoker. However, smoking has health hazards and it is, therefore, desirable to formulate an alternative way of administering nicotine in a pleasurable and harmless manner that can be used to facilitate withdrawal from smoking and/or used as a replacement for smoking.
When smoking a cigarette, nicotine is quickly absorbed into the smoker's blood and reaches the brain within around ten seconds after inhalation. The quick uptake of nicotine gives the consumer a rapid satisfaction, or kick. The satisfaction usually lasts during the smoking time of the cigarette and for a period of time thereafter. The poisonous, toxic, carcinogenic, and addictive nature of smoking has provided strong motivation to develop methods, compositions and devices, which can be used to break the habit of smoking cigarettes.
Nicotine Replacement Products
One way to reduce smoking is to provide nicotine in a form or manner other than by smoking and some products have been developed to fulfill this need. Nicotine containing formulations are currently the dominating treatments for tobacco dependence.
The successes in achieving reduction in the incidence of smoking have been relatively poor using presently known products. The present state of the art involves both behavioural approaches and pharmacological approaches. More than 80% of the tobacco smokers who initially quit smoking after using some behavioural or pharmacological approach to singly reduce smoking incidence generally relapse and return to the habit of smoking at their former rate of smoking within about a one year's period of time.
As an aid for those who are willing to stop smoking there are several ways and forms of nicotine replacement products available on the market. Several methods and means have been described for diminishing the desire of a subject to use tobacco, which comprises the step of administering to the subject nicotine or a derivative thereof as described in e g U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,018 (oral nicotine-containing spray), U.S. Pat. No. 5,939,100 (nicotine-containing micro spheres) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,773 (nicotine-containing lozenge).
Nicotine-containing nose drops have been reported (Russell et al., British Medical Journal, Vol. 286, p. 683 (1983); Jarvis et al., Brit. J. of Addiction, Vol. 82, p. 983 (1987)). Nose drops, however, are difficult to administer and are not convenient for use at work or in other public situations. Administrating nicotine by way of delivering directly into the nasal cavity by spraying is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,579,858, DE 32 41 437 and WO93/12764. There may be local nasal irritation, however, with use of nasal nicotine formulations. The difficulty in administration also results in unpredictability of the dose of nicotine administered.
The use of skin patches for transdermal administration of nicotine has been reported (Rose, in Pharmacologic Treatment of Tobacco Dependence, (1986) pp. 158-166, Harvard Univ. Press). Nicotine-containing skin patches that are in wide use today can cause local irritation and the absorption of nicotine is slow and affected by cutaneous blood flow.
Also, inhaling devices resembling a cigarette are known for uptake of nicotine vapours as suggested in U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,242. Said means and methods address the problems associated with addiction to nicotine.
One successful product that is used as a smoking substitute and/or as a smoking cessation aid and which is based on nicotine is the chewing gum Nicorette®. This product was one of the first nicotine replacement forms that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is still one of the most used nicotine replacement products. Nicorette® chewing gum has been on the market in about 60 countries for several years. In this chewing gum the nicotine is present in the form of a complex with an insoluble cation-exchanger (polacrilex) that is dispersed in a gum base. The nicotine is slowly released from the gum due to chewing and will reach similar plasma levels as when smoking a cigarette after about 30 minutes depending on the chewing technique, i e slow or active. Patents related to this product are e g U.S. Pat. No. 3,877,468, U.S. Pat. No. 3,901,248 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,845,217.
Pharmaceuticals intended for oral administration are typically provided in solid form as tablets, capsules, pills, lozenges, or granules. Rapidly dissolving tablets are often employed in the administration of pharmaceuticals where it is impractical to provide a tablet for swallowing whole, for instance with paediatric patients. Several workers in the field have explored rapidly disintegrative tablets, e g U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,106,861 and 6,024,981 and PCT Application No. WO 99/47126.
Pharmaceutical tablets for intraoral delivery of nicotine presently available on the market include Commit® Lozenge or NiQuitin® lozenge, a nicotine-containing tablet manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, and Nicorette Microtab® Sublingual Tablet, a nicotine-containing tablet manufactured by McNeil AB. Many subjects using said tablets experience organoleptically disturbing sensations induced by the nicotine and/or by excipients.
Hence, although release of nicotine in the oral cavity and/or within the pharynx from solid pharmaceutical dosage forms is a convenient means for administration of nicotine sufficient reduction of organoleptically disturbing sensations induced by the nicotine and/or by non-active excipients of the dosage forms remains an unsolved problem.
Prior Art and Problems Thereof
Ingredients in the above-mentioned pharmaceutical tablets for intraoral delivery of nicotine, which seemingly could have an effect on reducing organoleptically disturbing sensations, comprise one or more flavoring agents and one or more sweeteners. Hence said one or more flavoring agents and said one or more sweeteners do not sufficiently contribute to reducing the organoleptically disturbing sensations related to intraoral delivery from the tablet. One possible reason to why the one or more flavoring agents and the one or more sweeteners do not sufficiently contribute in reducing said organoleptically disturbing sensations may be that the nicotine has to be dissolved in the saliva in order to be absorbed. Once the nicotine is dissolved in saliva the organoleptically disturbing sensations induced by the nicotine cannot be reduced. The same applies for excipients inducing organoleptically disturbing sensations.
The article “Taste Masking of Ondansetron Hydrochloride by Polymer Carrier System and Formulation of Rapid-Disintegrating Tablets, by Shagufta Khan, Prashant Kataria, Premchand Nakhat, and Pramod Yeole, published Jun. 22, 2007 in AAPS PharmSciTech, discloses taste-masking of the bitter taste of the antiemetic drug ondansetron HCL and subsequent formulation of a rapid-disintegrating tablet (RDT) of the taste-masked drug. Such taste-masking, often called microencapsulation, is though unsatisfactory in the present context. This is because the granules are not intended to release the API in the oral cavity upon being disintegrated from the tablet in the mouth. Hence, coating of individual particles or granules according to the above article does not solve the present problem. In order to be effective NRT product nicotine has to be absorbed primarily by the oral mucosa if orally administered
The tobacco industry knows that menthol overrides the harsh taste of tobacco during smoking and alleviates nicotine's irritating effects, synergistically interacts with nicotine, stimulates the trigeminal nerve to elicit a ‘liking’ response for a tobacco product, and makes low tar, low nicotine tobacco products more acceptable to smokers than corresponding non-mentholated tobacco products. See Menthol's potential effects on nicotine dependence: a tobacco industry perspective”, Valerie B Yerger, Tobacco Control 2011; 20(Suppl 2):ii29eii36. doi:10.1136/tc.2010.041970. This publication though does not disclose any use of menthol for reducing one or more organoleptically disturbing sensations in solid pharmaceutical dosage forms that are characterized in that it is provided with at least one film coating for reduction for release of nicotine in the oral cavity. Furthermore, the current invention is related to the surprising effect of the combination of film coating, flavor and/or sweetener in a solid pharmaceutical dosage form for release of nicotine in the oral cavity and is not restricted to the use of menthol.
Hence, there is a need for a convenient and more efficient way to further reduce said organoleptically disturbing sensations. In particular, there is a need for nicotine replacement therapies suitable for use in humans having improved tolerability when administered orally.
The below definitions apply mutatis mutandis on expressions being similar to those being defined below.
The term “Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API)”, also called Drug Substance, is herein intended to mean a substance or mixture of substances intended to be used in the manufacture of a drug (medicinal) product and that, when used in the production of a drug, becomes an active ingredient of the drug product. Such substances are intended to provide pharmacological activity or other direct effect in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease or to affect the structure and function of the body.
The term “intraoral” is herein intended to mean within the oral cavity.
The term “release” as a verb is herein intended to mean to liberate an API, here nicotine, from its dosage form and to make the API available in dissolved form for subsequent absorption. The term “release” as a noun is to be understood correspondingly.
The term “organoleptically disturbing sensation” is herein intended to mean a sensation perceived as negative in the oral cavity. Non-limiting examples of such sensations are irritation, acridity, taste alteration and taste blocking, feelings of burning, astringing, bitterness and tingling, off tastes such as sour, salty, metallic, soapy, musty, sulphurous, pungent, fatty and foul tastes. Said organoleptically disturbing sensations may be induced by an API, here nicotine, or by non-active excipients. Non-limiting examples of such sensations specifically induced by nicotine are irritation, acridity, feelings of burning, bitterness and tingling, off tastes such as sour, salty, metallic, soapy, fatty and foul tastes. The present application encompasses organoleptically disturbing sensations regardless of their perceived intensity.
The term “organoleptically disturbing substance” is herein intended to mean a substance that may induce an organoleptically disturbing sensation. Organoleptically disturbing substances may encompass APIs, here nicotine, and non-active excipients. Whether a substance induces an organoleptically disturbing sensation or not may be established by methods known in the art, such as commonly used methods for characterizing organoleptic parameters of food and beverages, such as wine. Non-limiting examples of such methods are e g found in “Sensory Evaluation A practical Handbook”, Sarah E. Kemp, Tracey Hollowood and Joanne Hort, Wiley-Blackwell 2011, “Sensory Evaluation Techniques, Fourth Edition, Morten C. Meilgaard, Gail Vance Civille and B. Thomas Carr, CRC Press 2007, and “Sensory Evaluation of Food, Principles and Practices, Second Edition”, Harry T. Lawless and Hildegarde Heymann, Springer 2010.
The term “off taste” is herein intended to mean an unpleasant taste or an unpleasant after taste.
The term “encapsulate” is herein intended to mean cover entirely or partly.
The term “core” is herein intended to mean an uncoated solid pharmaceutical dosage form. In other words a core is what you place a coating on to get a coated solid pharmaceutical dosage form. One may also say that a core is encapsulated with a coating to get a coated solid pharmaceutical dosage form.
The present invention seeks to address the problem of needing to reduce one or more organoleptically disturbing sensations induced by one or more organoleptically disturbing substances being released in the oral cavity from a solid nicotine-comprising pharmaceutical dosage form.
Thus, the invention provides a solid pharmaceutical dosage form for the release of nicotine in the oral cavity comprising a core encapsulated by at least one film coating, wherein the core comprises nicotine and wherein the film coating comprises at least one film-forming polymer and at least one component for reduction of one or more organoleptically disturbing sensations.
Optionally the dosage form may comprise a further API, e g zinc acetate and other salts or complexes with zinc.
Said reduction in organoleptically disturbing sensations should preferably not noticeably deteriorate the pharmaceutical effect of the nicotine or the API.
The invention further provides therapy systems comprising a therapy system of the invention together with one or more further nicotine replacement therapies (such as transdermal patches, gums, mouth sprays, and the like).
The dosage forms and therapy systems of the invention may be used in human medicine in the treatment of a disease selected from the group consisting of tobacco or nicotine dependence, Alzheimer's disease, Crohn's disease, Parkinson's disease, Tourette's syndrome, ulcerous colitis and post-smoking-cessation weight gain.
The present solid pharmaceutical dosage form mainly erodes in the mouth whereby nicotine is released and exposed to intraoral sensory receptors, e g taste receptors and trigeminal receptors. Preferably the nicotine is essentially absorbed by the mucosa of the oral cavity. Non-limiting examples of said pharmaceutical dosage form are tablet dosage forms intended to be completely dissolved in the oral cavity, such as lozenges, sublingual tablets, buccal tablets and orally disintegrating tablets. Said solid pharmaceutical dosage form is not intended to be swallowed.
The nicotine is preferably for treating tobacco dependence.
The nicotine may be in any pharmaceutically-acceptable form, such as a nicotine salt, the free base form of nicotine, a nicotine derivative, such as a nicotine cation exchanger, a nicotine inclusion complex or nicotine in any non-covalent binding, nicotine bound to zeolites, nicotine bound to cellulose including micro-crystalline cellulose, or starch micro-spheres and/or mixtures thereof.
The present problem is also of specific interest for certain excipients, non-limiting examples of which are buffers, such as carbonate (including bicarbonate or sesquicarbonate), glycinate, different phosphate systems such as trisodium phosphate, disodium hydrogen phosphate; and tripotassium phosphate, dipotassium hydrogen phosphate, glycerophosphate or citrate of an alkali metal (such as potassium or sodium, or ammonium), e g trisodium and tripotassium citrate, different hydroxides, amino acids, and mixtures thereof, and other excipients that may induce organoleptically disturbing sensations.
When you administer an API, such as nicotine, with a solid pharmaceutical dosage form the API is continuously released as long as the dosage form remains in the mouth. If you do not suck or otherwise mechanically process the dosage form, less API, and less excipients, is released compared to if you suck and/or otherwise mechanically process it. By stopping to suck and/or otherwise mechanically process the dosage form said organoleptically disturbing sensations are normally still not sufficiently reduced.
One way to sufficiently reduce said organoleptically disturbing sensations for a lozenge or a sublingual tablet could be to remove the dosage form from the mouth and put it back into the mouth once the organoleptically disturbing sensations have sufficiently waned. This is though a very inconvenient way to reduce said organoleptically disturbing sensations. For fast dissolving tablets and rapidly disintegrating tablets this option is not available as these tablets would fall apart if they should be taken out from the mouth.
The intention with the present invention is though to keep the dosage form in the oral cavity until substantially dissolved or disintegrated and still reduce organoleptically disturbing sensations. If the dosage form instead would be temporarily removed from the mouth as described above this would be not only very inconvenient, but the release of the API would be temporarily stopped, which normally is unwanted inter alia because that may affect the intended dosage regime.
Pharmaceutical tablets for intraoral delivery of nicotine presently available on the market include Commit® Lozenge or NiQuitin® lozenge, a nicotine-containing tablet manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, and Nicorette Microtab® Sublingual Tablet, a nicotine-containing tablet manufactured by McNeil AB. Many subjects using said tablets experience organoleptically disturbing sensations induced by the nicotine and/or by excipients.
Ingredients in said tablets, which seemingly could have an effect on reducing organoleptically disturbing sensations, comprise one or more flavoring agents and one or more sweeteners. Hence said one or more flavoring agents and said one or more sweeteners do not sufficiently contribute to reducing the organoleptically disturbing sensations related to intraoral delivery from the tablet. One reason to why the one or more flavoring agents and the one or more sweeteners do not sufficiently contribute in reducing said organoleptically disturbing sensations may be that nicotine has to be dissolved in the saliva in order to be absorbed. Once the nicotine is dissolved in the oral cavity the organoleptically disturbing sensations induced by the nicotine cannot be reduced. The same applies for excipients inducing organoleptically disturbing sensations.
The present invention provides a solution to the above-mentioned problem of reducing one or more organoleptically disturbing sensations induced by one or more organoleptically disturbing substances being released in the oral cavity and/or within the pharynx from a solid nicotine-comprising pharmaceutical dosage form. The solution resides in providing said solid dosage form with at least one film coating for reduction of one or more organoleptically disturbing sensations comprising at least one film-forming polymer and at least one component for reduction of one or more organoleptically disturbing sensations, which in combination reduce at least one of said organoleptically disturbing sensations.
Said at least one component for reduction of one or more organoleptically disturbing sensations may by way of example, but not exclusively, be one or more flavoring agents and/or one or more sweeteners.
Preferably said at least one film coating is devoid of nicotine and devoid of any other API and/or devoid of any buffer.
Said reduction of organoleptically disturbing sensations preferably does not significantly affect the release of the nicotine.
The core of the present solid dosage form preferably has a weight from 50 mg to 2000 mg, more preferably from 90 mg to 1200 mg. The film coating on the core preferably has a weight of from 1% to 15% of the weight of the core.
The thickness of the film coating has an influence on the degree of reduction of the organoleptically disturbing sensations. Preferably the film coating has an average thickness from 10 to 500 microns, more preferably from 20 to 250 microns, and most preferably from 30 to 150 microns. The actual film thickness is adapted in dependence of different parameters, such as the organoleptic sensation to be reduced, the concentration of flavour, the type of flavour sweetness compounds used and their relative levels and amounts used. The film thickness may be measured using different methods known in the art such as SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy), digital micrometer, X-ray microtomography, terahertz pulsed imaging etc. See further e g Quantitative Analysis of Film Coating in a Pan Coater Based on In-Line Sensor Measurements, Jose D. Perez-Ramos et al, AAPS PharmSciTech 2005; 6 (1) Article 20, Nondestructive analysis of tablet coating thicknesses using terahertz pulsed imaging. J Pharm Sci. 2005; 94:177Y183. Fitzgerald A J, Cole B E, Taday P F., Hancock B, Mullarney M P. X-ray microtomography of solid dosage forms. Pharm Technol. 2005; 29:92Y100.
A rapid dissolution or disintegration of the at least one film coating is instrumental for not impairing the release of the nicotine. Hence, it is of importance that to an essential degree the at least one film coating dissolves or disintegrates rapidly, preferably in less than 2 minutes, more preferably in less than 1 minute and most preferably in less than 30 seconds, from the moment of administration
Too long a time for release of the nicotine may impair the user friendliness. Hence, the solid dosage form may preferably release the nicotine within 30 minutes, more preferably within 15 minutes, from the moment of administration.
The film-forming polymers may in a non-limiting way be chosen among cellulose ethers e g hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), methyl hydroxy ethyl cellulose (MHEC), hydroxy propyl cellulose (HPC), hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), ethyl hydroxyl ethyl cellulose (EHEC), and other film forming polymers such as methacrylic acid copolymer-type C sodium carboxy methyl cellulose, polydextrose, polyethylene glycols, acrylate polymers (e g poly vinyl acrylate (PVA)), polyvinyl alcohol-polyethylene glycol graft copolymers, complex of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), such as povidone, polyvinyl alcohol, microcrystalline cellulose, carrageenan, pregelatinized starch, polyethylene glycol, and combinations thereof. Typically, the molecular weight (weight average and/or number average) of the polymer is from 1,000 to 10,000,000, preferably from 10,000 to 1,000,000, as measured by gel permeation chromatography.
Optionally, a plasticizer may be added to the film-forming polymer to facilitate the spreading and film forming capability. Examples on useful plasticizers are glycerol, propylene glycol, polyethylene glycol (PEG 200-6000), organic esters e g triacetin (glyceryl triacetate), triethyl citrate, diethyl phtalate, dibutyl phtalate, dibutyl sebacete, acetyltriethyl citrate, acethyltributyl citrate, tributyl citrate, and oils/glycerides such as fractionated coconut oil, castor oil and distilled acetylated monoglycerides. Additionally, or alternatively, surfactants may be included to facilitate the incorporation of flavors and to improve penetration and spreading properties of the coating liquid. Non-limiting examples of surfactant are polysorbates derived from PEG-ylated sorbitan esterified with fatty acids such as Polysorbate 20 (Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate), Polysorbate 40 (Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monopalmitate), Polysorbate 60 (Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monostearate), Polysorbate 80 (Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate) (e g Tween 80, Tween 40, Tween 20), sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), poloxamer surfactants i.e. surfactants based on ethylene oxide-propylene oxide block copolymers and other surfactants with high HLB-value.
Anti-tacking agents/glidants may in a non-limiting way be chosen among compounds such as talc, magnesium stearate, kaolin, colloidal silicon dioxide and glyceryl monostearate. The aforementioned agents may also be included to reduce sticking issues.
The flavoring agents may in a non-limiting way be chosen among natural or synthetic flavouring or aromatizing agents and may be added as liquids and/or as powder. Flavour and aroma agents may be selected from essential oils including distillations, solvent extractions, or cold expressions of chopped flowers, leaves, peel or pulped whole fruit comprising mixtures of alcohols, esters, aldehydes and lactones; essences including either diluted solutions of essential oils, or mixtures of synthetic chemicals blended to match the natural flavour of the fruit, (e g strawberry, raspberry, black currant, banana, melon, cherry, passion fruit, pineapple, peach, blackberry, mango, papaya, guava, cranberry, cloudberry, violet, pomegranate, pear, apple); artificial and natural flavours of brews and liquors, (e g cognac, whisky, rum, gin, sherry, port, and wine); tobacco, coffee, tea, cocoa, and mint; fruit juices including expelled juice from washed, scrubbed fruits such as lemon, orange, lime and other citric fruits; spear mint, pepper mint, lemon balm, wintergreen, cinnamon, cacoe/cocoa, vanilla, liquorice, menthol, eucalyptus, aniseeds, nuts (e g peanuts, coconuts, hazelnuts, chestnuts, walnuts, colanuts), almonds, raisins and ginger; and powder and flour.
The sweeteners may in a non-limiting way be chosen among synthetic or natural sugars, i e any form of carbohydrates suitable for use as sweetener, as well as so called artificial sweeteners such as saccharin, sodium saccharin, aspartame, e g NutraSweet®, acesulfame or Acesulfame K®, potassium acesulfame, thaumatin, glycyrrhizin, sucralose, dihydrochalcone, miraculin, monellin, stevside, e g Stevia®, neotame, N-substituted APM derivatives, cyclamic acid and its salts and alitame. Sweeteners may also be selected from the group consisting of sugar alcohols, such as sorbitol, xylitol, single sugars including sugars extracted from sugar cane and sugar beet (sucrose), dextrose (also called glucose), fructose (also called leavulose), and lactose (also called milk sugar); sorbitol, mannitol, glycerol, xylitol, erythritol, maltitol syrup (or hydrogenated starch hydrolyzate), isomalt, lactitol; and mixtures of sugars including glucose syrup, (e g starch hydrolysates, containing a mixture of dextrose, maltose and a range of complex sugars), invert sugar syrup, (e g sucrose inverted by invertase (also called sucrase or sacchrase) containing a mixture of dextrose and fructose), high sugar content syrups such as treacle and honey containing a mixture of particular leavulose, dextrose, maltose, lactitole, sucrose, resins, dextrin and higher sugars; and malt or malt extracts.
Other adjuvants may also be included in the composition of the film such as coloring agents, opacifiers, glossing agents, pore forming agents, excipient stabilizers.
The dosage forms of the invention may be prepared by way of a variety of routine techniques, and using standard equipment, known to the skilled person (see, for example, Lachman et al, “The Theory and Practice of Industrial Pharmacy”, Lea & Febiger, 3rd edition (1986) and “Remington: The Science and Practice of Pharmacy”, Gennaro (ed.), Philadelphia College of Pharmacy & Sciences, 19th edition (1995)). In one embodiment, a core comprising nicotine is first produced using known tabletting techniques, which is then coated with a solution containing a film-forming polymer.
Standard mixing equipment may be used for mixing together components of compositions of the invention. The mixing time period is likely to vary according to the equipment used, and the skilled person will have no difficulty in determining by routine experimentation a suitable mixing time for a given combination of ingredient(s).
Surprisingly, after that the film coating essentially has disappeared from the surface of the solid dosage form the reduction of organoleptically disturbing sensations remains.
Equally surprisingly, when incorporating said components for reducing organoleptically disturbing sensations in the core of the solid dosage form, instead of incorporating those in the film coating said organoleptically disturbing sensations will not be sufficiently reduced.
Upon it having been dissolved a film coating on its own has a limited effect on the reduction of organoleptically disturbing sensations. A component for reduction of said sensations, such as a flavoring agent or a sweetener, may have a limited effect on its own on the reduction of organoleptically disturbing sensations. Surprisingly the combined effect of a film coating and at least one further component for reduction of said sensations, provides an effect that is more profound than the sum of the effects of the film coating on its own and the at least one further component on its own.
Reducing organoleptically disturbing sensations implies increased therapy adherence, which may lead to increased efficacy of the treatment.
The below examples on embodiments and manufacturing of the present formulation as well as on testing the present formulations are non-limiting and for illustrating the present invention. Alternatives and variations of the below examples within the scope of the present invention as per the below claims may be carried out by a person skilled in the art. Ingredients as per the below examples may be exchanged for equivalent ingredients. The combination of tablet cores and film coatings in the examples given are arbitrary. Any film coating can be combined with any tablet core.
The composition for a batch of tablet cores is given below in Table A1. The materials are sieved using an oscillating sieve with 1 mm mesh size and thereafter blended, according to methods known in the art e g using a double cone blender for 10 to 30 minutes. The blended materials are then compressed into tablets by means of direct compression. The powder compression may for example be performed using a rotary tablet press with 15 mm round concave punches. The tablets are compressed to sufficient hardness to enable an acceptable coating process and to achieve the desired in vivo dissolution time.
Table 1B provides numerous alternative non-limiting examples of tablet core compositions.
Film coating of the tablets can be performed using e g a standard modern pan coater equipped inter alia with air atomized spray nozzles to distribute the film coating fluid and a perforated drum of appropriate size. The film solution is prepared by adding the hydroxypropyl methylcellulose and plasticizer (if such is included in the composition) to purified water (>85° C.) whilst stirring. The most suitable temperature of the solvent used for dispersing the hydroxypropyl methylcellulose depends on the type of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose used. There is abundant information in the literature regarding hydroxypropyl methylcellulose film preparation e g from polymer manufacturers such as Dow Inc. http://dowwolff.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1094/kw/prepare/session/L3RpbWUvMTMyMzY3MzM3Ny9zaWQvMkFoOUVuTGs%3D and http://dowwolff.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1181. The film solution is cooled to approximately 20° C. and sucralose is added when the solution is approximately 40° C. The solution is allowed to settle at ambient conditions for at least 3 hours where after the solution is homogenized using a Silverson homogenisator. Thereafter flavor mixture is added containing Polyoxyethylene (80) sorbitan monooleate and mint flavor. The resulting mixture is stirred until it is homogenous. The components of the film coating composition are given below and in other examples are provided as the calculated amount per unit dosage form. The sum of the “dry excipients”, also referred to as “solids content” is usually in the range 5-25% w/v of the total coating solution. The actual solids content chosen depends on the composition and coating process parameters.
A coloring component may also be included, e g titanium dioxide.
1The hydroxypropyl methylcellulose may e g be of type methocel E3, K4, E5 or F_VLV. The hydroxypropyl methylcellulose may also be replaced in part or in its entire by a combination of other film forming polymers.
2May be exchanged for propylene glycol, glycerol triacetin or other plasticizer.
3May be exchanged for other surfactant.
4Alternatively sodium lauryl sulphate or equivalent surfactant.
5Alternatively other high intensity sweetener or combination of such sweeteners. Sweetener may also be included in the flavor.
6Aqua. Pur. is added q.s. to achieve a dry content suitable for the coating process parameter setting to be applied and is essentially evaporated during the process.
Film coating of the tablets produced in 2A can be performed using e g a standard modern pan coater equipped with air atomized spray nozzles to distribute the film coating fluid and a perforated drum of appropriate size. The film solution is prepared by adding the hydroxypropyl methylcellulose to aqua purificata during stirring and then the solution is allowed to settle overnight at ambient conditions where after polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene glycol 400 and sucralose are added during stirring. The solution is homogenized using a Silverson homogenisator. Thereafter flavor mixture containing Polyoxyethylene (80) sorbitan monooleate and mint flavor is added. The resulting mixture is stirred until it is homogenous.
As per Example 2 with a total weight of the tablet core of 650 mg using oval 14.5 mm punches, but without sodium hydrogen carbonate and/or sodium carbonate (which is compensated by amount of Mannitol). Additionally the components of the film coating are provided in Table 3A.
Manufacturing Method as per Example 1.
Film coating of the tablets can be performed using e g a standard modern pan coater equipped inter alia with air atomized spray nozzles to distribute the film coating fluid and a perforated drum of appropriate size.
Film coating of the tablets can be performed using e g a standard modern pan coater equipped inter alia with air atomized spray nozzles to distribute the film coating fluid and a perforated drum of appropriate size.
Film coating of the tablets can be performed using e g a standard modern pan coater equipped inter alia with air atomized spray nozzles to distribute the film coating fluid and a perforated drum of appropriate size. The film solution is prepared by adding the hydroxypropyl methylcellulose to aqua purificata whilst stirring. The film solution is cooled to approximately 20° C. and sucralose and acesulfame K is added when the solution is approximately 40° C. The solution is allowed to settle at ambient conditions for at least 3 hours where after the solution is homogenized using a Silverson homogenisator. Thereafter flavor mixture is added containing Polyoxyethylene (80) sorbitan monooleate and mint flavor. The resulting mixture is stirred until it is homogenous.
As per Example 6, but with the Following Film Coating Composition:
Manufacturing Method as per Example 1.
Manufacturing Method of Tablet Core as per Example 1, but with 6 mm Round Punches.
A coloring component may also be included, e g titanium dioxide.
The compositions for two tablet cores are given below in Table 10A. The master granule materials are sieved using an oscillating sieve with 1 mm mesh size and thereafter blended, according to methods known in the art e.g. using a double cone blender for 10 to 30 minutes. The blended materials are then wetted with purified water. The wet mass is then feeded to an extruder to form the granules. The resultant granules are dried using any method known in the art, such as fluid bed drying. The master granules are then screened for a suitable particle size, typically 75 μm, 200 mesh. The master granules are then blended with the nicotine active, at least one buffering agent, flavorants and sweeteners. Upon mixing and screening a lubricant or glidant is added to the mixture. The tablets are compressed to sufficient hardness to enable an acceptable coating process and to achieve the desired in vivo dissolution time.
The respective amounts in the two above formulations 10 A and 10 B may vary within an interval of +−15% (w/w), preferably within +−5% (w/w) without thereby deviating from the desired characteristics for the respective formulations.
Results from a sensory study confirmed the surprising finding of reduction of disturbing sensations. 16 study persons (healthy volunteers; 8 males and 8 females in age range 34 to 64 years, either smokers or NRT-users) completed the study and compared two nicotine lozenge 4 mg formulations; lozenge A, uncoated, with all of flavoring agents and sweeteners in the tablet core, lozenge B with an additional film coating. The additional film coating for lozenge B carried a portion of flavoring agents and sweeteners, while corresponding amount was withdrawn from the lozenge core. Thus the total amount of flavoring agents and sweeteners was the same in both lozenges. The lozenge cores for both A and B had the same composition except for the amounts of flavoring and sweetening agents.
The result showed that rating of tingling/burning sensation differed to a great extent: 12 out of 16 participants gave the lowest score (almost no burning/tingling) on a five grade scale after 30 seconds of testing for formulation B while only 7 out of 16 participants gave the lowest score for formulation A. The effect of the film was persistent; after the lozenge had completely dissolved 10 of 16 participants gave the lowest score for formulation B while 7 out of 16 gave the lowest score for formulation A. All study persons tested both formulations with at least 30 minutes between the tests. The scale used for tingling/burning was a 5-point intensity scale.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1200017.0 | Jan 2012 | SE | national |
