Transformation of ABT-199 Nanocrystal Suspensions into a Redispersible Drug Product—Impact of Vacuum Drum Drying, Spray Drying and Tableting on Re-Nanodispersibility

Abstract

The present study compared vacuum drum drying (VDD) and conventional spray drying (SD) for solidifying crystalline ABT-199 nanosuspensions into redispersible oral drug products. The aim was to optimize formulation compositions and process conditions to maintain nanoparticle size after tablet redispersion. The impact of drug load (22%, 33%, 44%) and type of drying protectant (mannitol, mannitol/trehalose mix (1:1), trehalose) on redispersibility and material powder properties were investigated. Moreover, compression analysis was performed assessing the influence of compaction pressure on primary nanocrystal redispersibility and tablet disintegration. Higher drug loads and lower drying protectant levels resulted in particle growth, confirming a drug load dependence on redispersibility behavior. Notably, all drying protectants showed similar protection properties at properly chosen drying process parameters (Tg-dependent), except when VDD was used for mannitol formulations. Differences between the applied drying processes were observed in terms of downstream processing and tabletability: mannitol-containing formulations solidified via VDD showed an improved processability compared to formulations with trehalose. In conclusion, VDD is a promising drying technique that offers advantageous downstream processability compared to SD and represents an attractive novel processing technology for the pharmaceutical industry. As demonstrated in the present study, VDD combines higher yields with a leaner manufacturing process flow. The improved bulk properties provide enhanced tabletability and enable direct compression.