Flamel Technologies

Flamel Ireland Limited

Flamel Technologies (societe Anonyme)

Smithkline Beecham Corporation

Catherine Castan

Florence Guimberteau

Rémi Meyrueix

Gerard Soula

Remi Meyrueix

Gérard Soula

Jean-Michel Grosselin

Rafael Jorda

Valérie Legrand

Philippe Caisse

Frederic Dargelas

Frédéric Dargelas

Rémi Meyruiex

Patrick J Crowley

Anne-Sophie Daviaud-venet

Choon Oh

The field of the invention is that of oral pharmaceutical medicinal products or compositions, more particularly of the type of those comprising one or more active principles. The aim of the invention is to provide an improved oral medicinal product that can be administered in one or more daily doses, with modified release of active principle (in particular an active principle), for improving the prophylactic and therapeutic efficacy of such a medicinal product. This aim is achieved by means of the multimicrocapsular oral pharmaceutical form according to the invention in which the release of the AP is controlled by means of a double mechanism of triggering the release: 'time triggering' and 'pH triggering'. This medicinal product comprises microcapsules with modified release of active principle, each containing a core comprising the active principle and one or more swelling agents, and at least one coating making possible the modified release of the active principle.

Oral medicinal product with modified release of at least one active principle in multimicrocapsular form

The invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising a plurality of controlled-release coated microparticles each comprising a floating core, on the surface of which is deposited a layer containing at least one active principle, said layer being covered with a controlled-release coating, characterized by the fact that said floating core is composed of cellulose acetate phthalate and has an apparent density of less than or equal to 0.6 g/mL and said coated microparticles have a density of less than or equal to 0.7 g/mL.

Controlled-release floating pharmaceutical compositions

The invention relates to liquid pharmaceutical formulations for oral administration with the modified release of active principle(s), excluding amoxicillin, said formulations consisting of suspensions of coated particles of active principles (microcapsules). According to the invention, the microcapsules constituting the disperse phase of the suspension are designed to allow the modified release of the active principle(s) according to a profile that does not change during the storage of the liquid suspension. To do this the inventors propose the selection of a specific coating composition for the microcapsules which consists of at least four components that allow these microcapsules to be stored in water without modifying their properties of modified release of the active principle, this liquid phase furthermore being saturated with active principle(s).

Oral pharmaceutical formulation in the form of aqueous suspension for modified release of active principle(s)

The present invention is directed to microcapsules for reliably modified release and adapted to industrial reproduction of an active principle hardly water-soluble, other than anti-hyperglycemia agents. Each of said microcapsules comprises a core of hardly soluble active principle and a coating film applied on the core. Their mean diameter is less than 1000 microns. The coating film contains a film-forming polymer (PI) insoluble in gastrointestinal tract fluids, a water-soluble polymer (P2), a plasticizer (PL), and optionally a lubricating surfactant (TA). Said coating film represents at least 4% p/p of dry matter of their total weight, and its components P1, P2, PL satisfy the following characteristics: dry weight mass fraction of PI relative to the total coating weight ranging between 40 and 90%; dry matter weight fraction of PL/P1+P2 ranging between 15 and 60%; dry matter weight fraction of PL/P1+P2 ranging between 1 and 30%. The present invention is also directed to the uses of said microcapsules in galenic formulation.

Microcapsules with modified release of active principles with low solubility for oral delivery

The invention concerns microcapsules with prolonged release of active principles with low solubility, consisting of a core containing the active principle and coated with a polymer layer which controls the release of the active principle. The aim is that said oral microcapsules containing hardly soluble active principles, should have a coating film of sufficient thickness to ensure controlled permeability and should be adapted to industrial reproduction. This is achieved by the inventive microcapsules of mean diameter less than 1000 microns, and whereof the coating film contains a film-forming polymer (P1) insoluble in gastrointestinal tract fluids, a water-soluble polymer (P2), a plasticizer (PL), and optionally a lubricating surfactant (TA). Said microcapsules are characterized in that their coating films represents at least 3% p/p of dry matter, relative to their total weight and their core contains a hardly soluble active principle and a solubilizing agent (polyoxyethylene hydrogenated castor oil) which provides the core wherein it is contained with properties such that the behavior of the exposed core (non-coated) in a given dissolving test (TD), is as follows: release of 80% of active principle in less than two hours. The invention also concerns the use of such microcapsules in galenic formulation.

Oral pharmaceutical formulation in the form of a plurality of microcapsules for prolonged release of active principle(s) with slow solubility

The invention concerns an oral galenic form for prolonged release of anti-hyperglycaemic (metformin) active principles. Said medicine enables to obtain an efficient therapeutic protection over 24 hours by overcoming the problems of bypass of the absorption window and the massive localised release of active principles. Therefor, said medicine comprises several thousand anti-hyperglycaemic (metformin) microcapsules each consisting of a core comprising at least an anti-hyperglycaemic agent and of a coating film applied on the core and enabling the prolonged release in vivo of the anti-hyperglycaemic agent. Said microcapsules have a grain size distribution ranging between 50 and 100 microns. The reproducibility of the transit kinetics and hence of bioavailability are very high. There results for the patient a lesser risk of hyperglycaemic or hypoglycaemic. The invention also concerns the preparation of said medicine and the use of a plurality of said microcapsules for making an anti-hyperglycaemic medicine. The invention is applicable to the treatment of type II diabetes.

Medicine based on anti-hyperglycaemic microcapsules with prolonged release and method for preparing same

The invention relates to a microparticulate system for the delayed and controlled release of active principles (AP) whose absorption window in vivo is essentially limited to the upper parts of the gastrointestinal tract, this system being intended for oral administration. The object of the invention is to provide a system ensuring that the AP is released with certainty by means of a dual mechanism of 'time-dependent' and 'pH-dependent' release. To achieve this object, the invention proposes a multimicrocapsular oral galenical form which is designed so as to guarantee therapeutic efficacy, and in which the release of the AP is governed by a dual release triggering mechanism that is &#x201c;time-triggering&#x201d; and &#x201c;pH-triggering&#x201d;. This system comprises of microcapsules (200 to 600 &#x3bc;m) comprising a core of AP coated with a film (maximum 40% by weight) comprising a hydrophilic polymer A (Eudragit&#xae; L) and a hydrophobic compound B (vegetable wax, melting point=40-90&#xb0; C.), B/A being between 0.2 and 1.5. These microcapsules have a dissolution behavior in vitro such that, at a constant pH of 1.4, a latency phase of between 1 and 5 hours is observed, followed by a release of the AP, and such that the change from pH 1.4 to pH 6.8 results in a release of the AP without a latency period in vitro.

Microparticulate oral galenical form for the delayed and controlled release of pharmaceutical active principles

The invention relates to liquid pharmaceutical formulations for oral administration with the modified release of amoxicillin, said formulations consisting of suspensions of coated particles of amoxicillin (microcapsules). According to the invention, the microcapsules constituting the disperse phase of the suspension are designed to allow the modified release of the amoxicillin according to a profile that does not change during the storage of the liquid suspension. To do this the inventors propose the selection of a specific coating composition for the microcapsules which consists of at least four components that allow these microcapsules to be stored in water without modifying their properties of modified release of the amoxicillin, this liquid phase furthermore being saturated with amoxicillin.

Oral pharmaceutical formulation in the form of aqueous suspension of microcapsules for modified release of amoxicillin

The invention concerns liquid pharmaceutical formulations, for oral delivery, with modified release of active principle(s) excluding amoxicillin and consisting of suspensions of coated particles of active principles (microcapsules). The microcapsules constituting the dispersed phase of the suspension are designed, according to the invention, to enable modified release of the active principle(s), in accordance with a profile which remains unaltered during the shelf life of the liquid suspension. Therefor, the invention consists in selecting a coating composition specific to the microcapsules consisting of at least four components enabling preservation of said microcapsules in water without altering their properties of modified release of the active principle, said liquid phase being furthermore saturated with active principle(s).

The invention concerns a galenic system with prolonged/controlled release of the medicinal and/or nutritional active principle, for oral administration. The aim is to provide a system enabling to obtain with one single tolerable and acceptable dose of active principle, efficient therapeutic protection over 24 hours (increasing the bioabsorption time without affecting bioavailability). To achieve this, the invention provides a composition comprising two controlled release systems associated in series, namely: individualised coated particles (microcapsules) of active principle forming an internal phase, the coating comprising a film-forming polymer P(ethylcellulose), a nitrogenous polymer (polyvinylpyrrolidone), a softener (castor oil) and a lubricant (magnesium stearate), and an external phase of functional carriers: polyelectrolytic hydrophilic polymer: (alginate), neutral hydrophilic polymer (hydroxypropylmethylcellulose) and a gelling additive (calcium acetate), said composition spontaneously forming in the presence of water, a cohesive and stable composite macroscopic solid, wherein the external continuous phase is a gelled matrix including the active principle microcapsules. The invention is useful for delayed oral galenic formulation of metformin.

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Orlienas, France

Catherine Castan