Abstract:
The invention deals with a method for the assessment of the effect of excipients, pH and combinations thereof on the predicted absorption properties of low solubility compounds, comprising the step of assessing a change in a flux function for a combination of a low solubility compound and an excipient at at least one predefined pH value. The method allows a fast, accurate, and economic evaluation of an excipient being capable of optimizing the absorption of drug molecules, i.e. low solubility compounds. Furthermore, animal experiments can be excluded and use of compounds can be reduced in such evaluation. Thus, screening for future formulation efficacy (pH and excipient effects on solubility and permeability) of drug candidates can be justified, since the method is fast, compound-sparing, cost-effective, and reasonably accurate.
Abstract:
The invention provides a permeation device comprising a receiving vessel having an aperture adapted for receiving an insert well. Both the vessel and well are used as either donor or acceptor compartments for permeability assays. The vessel or well comprise a porous support, which comprises, for example, biological or biomimetic materials, adapted for a molecular entity to permeate therethrough. A permeation device of the invention can be used for a Caco-2 type cell assay or PAMPA. In one embodiment, a stirring member disposed in the vessel can provide solution agitation to reduce aqueous boundary layer(s) thickness adjacent to the support. Boundary layer thicknesses can be reduced by a device of the invention to less than about 15 pm such that a molecular entity permeating the support closely approximates in vivo absorption and transport conditions. The invention also provides a method for changing boundary layer thicknesses using such a device.
Abstract:
An apparatus for evaluating physicochemical properties of sample materials contained in an array of vessels includes: a light detector; a light source for transmitting a light beam through the sample material in a vessel to the light detector; an analyzer for processing data from the light detector to determine concentration-related properties of the sample material as a function of time; and a mixing system. The mixing system includes: a plurality of magnetic stirrer elements, each for being placed in a sample material in a different one of the array of vessels; an array of magnetic drive elements, each associated with a different one of the array of vessels and being magnetically coupled with a magnetic stirrer element in an associated vessel; and a drive mechanism coupled to the array of magnetic drive elements for simultaneously moving each of the magnetic drive elements relative to an associated vessel.
Abstract:
The invention provides a permeation device (2) comprising a receiving vessel (6) having an aperture adapted for receiving an insert well (4). Both the vessel (6) and well (4) are used as either donor or acceptor compartments for permeability assays. The vessel (6) or well (4) comprises a porous suppor (8)t, which may comprise biological or biomimetic materials, adapted for a molecular entity to permeate therethrough. In one embodiment, a stirring member (24) disposed in the vessel (6) can provide solution agitation to reduce aqueous boundary layer thickness adjacent to the support (8). Boundary layer thicknesses can be reduced by a device (2) of the invention to less than about 15 um such that a molecular entity permeating the support closely approximates in vivo absorption and transport conditions.