Scala-Bertola J, Gajdziok J, Rabišková M, Bonneaux F, Lecompte T, Sapin A, Maincent P
Pellets for oral administration of low-molecular-weight heparin. [JOURNAL ARTICLE]
Drug Dev Ind Pharm 2009 Jun 30.
Background: Oral absorption of low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) is limited by its molecular size and negative charge. It has been shown previously that orally administered polymeric nano- or microparticles containing encapsulated LMWH have led to gastrointestinal absorption of heparin in rabbits. Method: Based on these investigations, pellets containing two LMWHs, enoxaparin (MW 4500 Da) or bemiparin (MW 3600 Da), and Eudragit(R)RS30D (ERS), were prepared using extrusion/ spheronization technique. Uncoated or coated (ERS) pellets were evaluated in vitro and in vivo on rabbits.
Results: Enoxaparin pellets showed fast in vitro release in phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) and prolonged in vivo drug absorption after a single oral dose of 600 anti-Xa IU/ kg of body weight, leading to relative bioavailabilities ranging from 9.7 +/- 1.9% to 12.8 +/- 2.7% and anti-Xa activity over the curative dose. Bemiparin included in matrix pellets of ERS and coated with ERS exhibited in vitro prolonged release up to 4 hours and in vivo anti-Xa activity below the therapeutic minimum value of 0.1 IU/mL.
Conclusion: This study presents LMWH in a pellet dosage form, which compared to nano- or microparticles, may offer a more convenient and industrializable way of manufacture leading to an easier scale-up process.
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