Towards personalized drug delivery via semi-solid extrusion: exploring poly(vinyl alcohol-co-vinyl acetate) copolymers for hydrochlorothiazide-loaded films

This study explored the effect of vinyl alcohol (VA) and vinyl acetate (VAc) monomer ratio on the properties of hydrochlorothiazide (HCT) films. Five copolymers with different VA/VAc ratios were selected and characterized. Semi-solid extrusion was employed as a method for preparation of HCT-PVA/PVAc films to address the challenges of HCT´s low water solubility, high melting point, and low permeability. All copolymers were suitable for semi-solid extrusion, however, the mechanical properties of films with higher VA proportions were more suitable. The drug was found to be homogenously distributed on a micrometer level throughout the prepared films. It was found that by using different monomer ratios in the copolymer, drug release could be tuned - higher VA proportions showed increased rate of drug release. Experiments through HT29-MTX cell monolayers revealed differences in HCT permeability between the different formulations. In addition, no cytotoxicity was observed for the tested formulations. The results highlight the effect of monomer ratio on film properties, providing valuable guidance for formulators in selecting PVA/PVAc copolymers for achieving desired high-quality films. In addition, varying the monomer ratio allows for tuning the properties of films, and can be applied for personalization, with flexible-dose adjustment and design of appealing shapes of the pharmaceutics, not least attractive for pediatric drug delivery.PMID:37984596 | DOI:10.1016/j.ejps.2023.106645
Source: European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Source Type: research