RETARD FORMULATION OF AMOXICILLIN FOR ORAL ADMINISTRATION
The present invention refers to a retard pharmaceutical formulation of amoxicillin.
Amoxicillin is a semi-synthetic, widely used, penicillin especially for oral administration, having a broad-spectrum of activity.
The orally administered amoxicillin is rapidly adsorbed, reaching, 2 hours after the administration of 250 mg, a peak concentration in the plasma of about 5 μm/ml.
The daily dose of amoxicillin is generally of 3 g for adults and of 100 mg for children per kg of body weight, divided into three administrations. Amoxicillin, as the other penicillins, has a relatively short half-life (0.9-2.5 hours) and it is therefore necessary to undertake three administrations per day, regularly spaced out, in order to maintain the therapeutic levels of the antibiotic in the blood.
Obviously, the fact that the antibiotic has to be taken every 8 hours, especially in the case of children, is very inconvenient. Furthermore, the concentration of the antibiotic in the blood widely varies in correlation to the three administrations.
The present invention refers to a retard pharmaceutical formulation of amoxicillin for oral administration, comprising a homogeneous mixture of amoxicillin and one or more polysaccharides.
Amoxicillin may be in any state of hydration.
The polysacchande is chosen from the group consisting of regenerated cellulose, cellulose ethers or esters, xanthan gum or carrageenan.
The cellulose ethers or esters are preferably methylcellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose.
The ratio between amoxicillin trihydrate and the polysacchande may vary from
100:1 to 100:40, preferably from 100:7 to 100:9.
Furthermore the formulation may contain a clavulanic acid salt, preferably the potassium salt.
The formulation may contain a surfactant, for example a phospholipid, natural or synthetic (hydrogenated phospholipid). Examples of phospholipids are
phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylethanolamine and their hydrogenated forms. Particularly preferred is the hydrogenated phosphatidylcholine.
Other excipients, such as stabilizing agents, preservatives, antioxidants, flavouring agents, sweeteners, suspension agents, binders, lubricants and the like, may be present in the formulation.
The pharmaceutical preparations, suitable for oral use, may be in the form of tablets, capsules, granules in monodose sachets, or multidose granules.
The tablets may be film-coated.
The pharmaceutical formulations according to the present invention may be obtained by the methods known to the persons skilled in the art. For example, a method for the preparation of the formulation of the invention, comprises the preparation of granules by mixing, in a suitable mixer, all the raw materials previously sieved and weighted. The thus obtained granules can be: a) directly compressed, for example with oblong pressing punches, in order to obtain tablets to be directly swallowed, or b) compressed, for example with circular pressing punches having a large diameter, and then sieved, and the thus obtained granules can be used in the other forms of pharmaceutical preparations.
In the case of a), wherein the powder is used in order to produce tablets of 1 g of amoxicillin, it is necessary to optimize the compression conditions for obtaining tablets with a hardness of from 7 to 10 kg and an average weight of about 1.4 g ( variable according the title of the active principle). Said tablets may be coated with a film of an aqueous suspension of ethylcellulose, titanium dioxide, polyethylene glycol 4000, polyethylene glycol 6000. In the case of b), wherein the granulate is intended for the production of other forms of oral pharmaceutical preparations, said granules must be compressed, for example with circular pressing punches, by optimizing the compression conditions so as to obtain tablets having a hardness of from 8 to 12 kg. The thus obtained tablets are then sieved to obtain granules which will be used in the production of the other forms of pharmaceutical preparations. The pharmaceutical formulations according to the present invention provide therapeutic levels of amoxicillin in the blood for 12 hours, therefore two
administrations of amoxicillin per day being sufficient. This fact considerably improves the compliance of patients especially in the case of children. Furthermore the levels of amoxicillin in the blood are maintained constant in the course of the time without the sharp variations of concentration stemming from the repeated administrations of amoxicillin
Fig.1 shows a graph reporting the plasma concentration of amoxicillin (mg/l), at Example 1 , to five adults.
EXAMPLE 1
1g AMOXICILLIN TABLETS (not coated)
Amoxicillin trihydrate 1148 mg (corresponding to 1g of amoxicillin)
Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose 90 mg
Soybean hydrogenated phosphatidylcholine 70 mg
Sodium carboxymethylcellulose 90 mg
Magnesium stearate 20 mg
2296 g trihydrate amoxicillin, 180 g hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (Methocel K 4M), 140 g soybean hydrogenated phosphatidylcholine (Epikuron 200 SH), 180 g sodium carboxymethylcellulose (Pharmacel XL), 40 g magnesium stearate, previously sieved through a sieve having a hole of 1 mm as net aperture, were placed in a conical mixer.
The thus obtained granules were compressed with oblong pressing punches to obtain tablets to be swallowed.
EXAMPLE 2
1g AMOXICILLIN TABLETS (coated)
Amoxicillin trihydrate 1148 mg (corresponding to 1g of amoxicillin)
Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose 90 mg
Soybean hydrogenated phosphatidylcholine 70 mg
Sodium carboxymethylcellulose 90 mg
Magnesium stearate 20 mg
COATING* 32 mg
* Ethylcellulose-titanium dioxide-polyethylene glycol 4000- polyethylene glycol
6000 in the weight ratio 14:14:2:2.
The tablets were obtained according to the method of Example 1 and then coated with a film having the above reported composition.
EXAMPLE 3
AMOXICILLIN GRANULES IN 1 g MONODOSE SACHETS (for adults)
Amoxicillin trihydrate 1148 mg (corresponding to 1g of amoxicillin)
Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose 90 mg
Soybean hydrogenated phosphatidylcholine 70 mg
Sodium carboxymethylcellulose 90 mg
Magnesium stearate 20 mg
Xanthan gum 6 mg
Raspberry flavour 71 mg
Strawberry flavour 25 mg
Sucrose 2498 mg
2296 g trihydrate amoxicillin, 180 g hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (Methocel K
4M), 140g soybean hydrogenated phosphatidylcholine (Epikuron 200 SH), 180 g sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (Pharmacel XL), 40 g magnesium stearate, previously sieved through a sieve having a hole of 1 mm as net aperture, were placed in a conical mixer.
The thus obtained granules were compressed with circular pressing punches, obtaining tablets which were then sieved throuth a sieved having a hole of 0.66 mm as net aperture.
The granules obtained were then mixed with the other excipients.
EXAMPLE 4
AMOXICILLIN GRANULES IN 250 mg MONODOSE SACHETS (for children)
Amoxicillin trihydrate 287 mg (corresponding to 250 mg of amoxicillin)
Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose 22.5 mg
Soybean hydrogenated phosphatidylcholine 17.5 mg
Sodium carboxymethylcellulose 22.5 mg
Magnesium stearate 5 mg
Xanthan gum 3 mg
Raspberry flavour 71 mg
Strawberry flavour 25 mg
Sucrose 3059 mg
The formulation was prepared according to the method reported for Example 3.
EXAMPLE 5
AMOXICILLIN GRANULES TO BE DOSED, 250 mg amoxicillin/3 g granules (bottle containing 50 g)
Amoxicillin trihydrate 287 mg (corresponding to 250 mg of amoxicillin)
Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose 22.5 mg
Soybean hydrogenated phosphatidylcholine 17.5 mg
Sodium carboxymethylcellulose 22.5 mg
Magnesium stearate 5 mg
Xanthan gum 3 mg
Raspberry flavour 71 mg
Strawberry flavour 25 mg
Sucrose 2562 mg
The formulation was prepared according to the method reported for Example 3.
EXAMPLE 6
Dissolution test
The dissolution test was performed according to USP XXIII. The results of the test are reported in the following table, as release percentages at different times, for six tablets (A-F) obtained as reported in the Example 1.