Flamel Technologies

Flamel Ireland Limited

Flamel Technologies (Societe Anonyme)

Rémi Meyrueix

Catherine Castan

Florence Guimberteau

Olivier Soula

Gérard Soula

Gauthier Pouliquen

Florence Nicolas

Valérie Legrand

You-Ping Chan

Olivier Breyne

Alain Constancis

Sylvain Caillol

Rafael Jorda

Nathan J Bryson

Alain Soum

Frédéric Dargelas

Sophie Bignon

Anne-Françoise Lab Imrcp Bât 221 Mingotaud

The present invention relates to a composition comprising at least one active ingredient with low aqueous solubility, said active ingredient being present therein in a form noncovalently associated with nanoparticles formed by at least one POM polymer of formula (I), and in which said active ingredient is present in a proportion of at least 5 &#x3bc;mol/g of POM. It is also directed towards the use of such nanoparticles, noncovalently associated with an active ingredient, with a view to increasing the aqueous solubilization of said active ingredient.

Composition comprising an active agent with low aqueous solubility

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 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 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 present invention relates to novel pharmaceutical formulations based on stable, fluid aqueous colloidal suspensions for the prolonged release of active principle(s), particularly protein active principle(s), and to the applications, especially therapeutic applications, of these formulations. The object of the invention is to propose a fluid pharmaceutical formulation for the prolonged release of active principle(s) that makes it possible, after parenteral injection, to increase significantly the in vivo release time of a therapeutic protein while at the same time reducing the plasma concentration peak of the active protein, said formulation furthermore being stable on storage and also being biocompatible, biodegradable, non-toxic and non-immunogenic and having a good local tolerance. The formulation according to the invention is an aqueous colloidal suspension of low viscosity based on submicronic particles of water-soluble biodegradable polymer PO carrying hydrophobic groups (HG), said particles being non-covalently associated with at least one active principle (AP) and forming a gelled deposit at the injection site, this gelling being caused by a protein present in the physiological medium.

Pharmaceutical formulations for the prolonged release of active principle(s) and their applications

The invention relates to injectable long-acting insulin formulations for the treatment of types I and II diabetes in humans and animals. The essential object of the invention is to provide an injectable long-acting insulin formulation in the form of a colloidal suspension which is stable, which has a good local tolerance and toxicity compatible with the chronic treatment of diabetics, and which maintains a substantial hypoglycemic effect extending over at least 24 hours after a single administration, e.g. by the subcutaneous route. To achieve this object, the invention relates to a stable aqueous colloidal formulation of insulin-laden nanoparticles of at least one poly(Leu-block-Glu) in which the pH is between 5.8 and 7.0, the osmolarity O (in mOsmol) . . . : 270&#x2266;O&#x2266;800, and the viscosity v (in mPa&#xb7;s) is low, namely v&#x2266;40. The nanoparticles of poly(Leu-block-Glu) have a mean hydrodynamic diameter Dh such that: 15&#x2266;Dh&#x2266;40. The invention relates to an antidiabetic drug based on this long-acting insulin formulation and injectable using needles of gauge 29 G, 30 G or 31 G.

Long-acting colloidal insulin formulation and its preparation

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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Lyons, France

Rémi Meyrueix